PRINCE/APIC - A Centralized Parts and Materials Information Center for the Reliability Engineer

This paper describes PRINCE/APIC - a parts and materials information center which utilizes a blend of mechanical and electronic methods of data storage and retrieval.

The information center was originally organized as PRINCE (Parts Reliability INformation CEnter) in the early sixties to serve the parts information exchange needs of MSFC's Saturn Parts. Program. In February of 1965 a direction was issued designating PRINCE as the information center for NASA's Apollo Program (Apollo Parts Information Center); hence the name, PRINCE/APIC.

The operations of PRINCE/APIC's Data Input Section, which performs all of its data acquisition and storage functions, and the Inquiry Service, which retrieves and disseminates this data, are described in detail.

PRINCE/APIC's storage files and the types of information it has available for the users are discussed. Also presented in this paper are some PRINCE/APIC usage factors.