How TFM classification works
TFM is the system that gives technical installations and building parts a number. It isn't a Properate invention — it's the Norwegian labelling standard the construction industry uses in drawings, FDV documentation and tenders. Properate uses the same numbering, so what's called 360.001 in the documentation is called 360.001 here too.
Where you meet TFM in Properate
Place | What TFM does |
|---|---|
System on an installation | the system number identifying the installation |
Files | filtering documentation by system |
Alarms | an alarm's Category is built on the building part number |
Components | ties the component to the right system |
Technical schema | schemas are organized by system |
How a system number is built
The number is hierarchical. The digits say which building part the installation belongs to, and the sequence number distinguishes installations of the same type.
The building parts cover the whole building — structure, external walls, HVAC, electrical power, telecoms and automation, outdoor works. In practice it's the technical groups you meet most often: ventilation, heating, cooling, sanitary, electrical power and automation.
On top of that there are component codes such as Air handling unit, Room, Downpipe, Electric boiler, Refrigeration unit and Alarm, describing what the part is.
Note: Use the same system number in Properate as in the rest of your documentation. The whole value of TFM is that one technician, one consultant and one document are talking about the same installation. A system numbered differently in Properate than on the drawing has to be translated by a human every single time.
How to filter files by system
In the file archive you can limit the search by selecting a System or a TFM classification — see How to find your way around the file archive.
That's how you get from "find the documentation for the ventilation unit on the 3rd floor" to a manageable list, rather than searching everything the building holds.
When the system doesn't exist in Properate
If you register something against a system Properate doesn't know, the message says The system does not exist in Properate. Tick the box to allow systems not registered in Properate.
The option is called Allow systems not registered in Properate.
Note: Use that exception sparingly. A system that doesn't exist in Properate gets no link to timeseries, schemas or components — the document is labelled, but it doesn't appear where somebody is looking for the installation. If the system is real, getting it registered is usually the better fix.
If the choice is missing entirely, the message says You must choose a system.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to know TFM by heart?
No. The fields are searchable, and you pick from a list with names beside the numbers. It's useful to know the groups you have most of.
Where do the system numbers come from?
From the building's documentation and from the integration with the building automation. They're registered when the building is set up, not by individual users.
What's the difference between a system and a component?
A system is the installation — a ventilation unit. A component is a part within it — the fan, the heating coil. See How to create a component.
Why do my alarms have a category I didn't set?
The alarm category comes from the building part number of the system the alarm belongs to.
Tip!
Use the system number as your search term when hunting for something across modules. The same number matches in the file archive, the component list, the timeseries list and the schemas — and it's the one identifier that's identical in Properate and in the contractor's paperwork.