We’re experiencing validation failures when importing CAD files into SAP PLM. The import process completes but validation checks throw errors about missing material master references. Our validation profile requires material linkage for all imported CAD models, and we’ve configured the import template to map CAD properties to material fields.
Error from validation log:
Validation Error: Material master not found
CAD Property: MATERIAL_NUMBER = "ST-304-A"
Expected: Valid material in plant 1000
Status: Import completed, validation failed
The CAD import template structure looks correct - we’re mapping the MATERIAL_NUMBER property from the CAD file metadata. However, materials exist in SAP but validation still fails. This is blocking our engineering change documentation process. Has anyone dealt with validation profile configuration issues related to material master linkage?
Check your material master plant assignment. The validation profile checks not just material existence but also plant-specific validity. Your error shows plant 1000 - verify the materials are extended to that plant in MM01/MM02. Also check if the validation profile has specific material type restrictions that might be filtering out your materials.
Another aspect to verify: check if your validation profile is using the correct material master view. SAP PLM validation can be configured to check against different material views (basic, purchasing, engineering, etc.). If your validation profile is set to validate against the engineering view but your materials only have basic data maintained, validation will fail. Go to transaction OADP (or through SPRO) and review which material views your validation profile requires.
I’ve seen this when the CAD property mapping uses different material number formats than SAP expects. SAP PLM material master linkage is strict about leading zeros and material type prefixes. If your CAD files store material as “ST-304-A” but SAP has it as “000000000ST-304-A” with leading zeros, validation will fail. Check transaction SPRO → SAP PLM → CAD Integration → Define Import Templates and verify the material number conversion rules. You might need to add a transformation rule in the import template to pad with zeros or remove hyphens depending on your material master setup.
I see you’re hitting multiple configuration points here. Let me address all three focus areas systematically:
1. Validation Profile Configuration:
Your validation profile needs adjustment for material master checks. Navigate to SPRO → SAP PLM → Document Management → Validation → Define Validation Profiles. Check profile settings:
- Validation timing: Set to “After Commit” not “Immediate”
- Material view requirements: Ensure only views you maintain are mandatory
- Error handling: Consider changing from “Error” to “Warning” for material checks during testing
2. Material Master Linkage:
The core issue is the material number format mismatch. Your CAD files use “ST-304-A” but SAP expects “0000ST304A” (assuming 10-char MATNR). Two solutions:
Option A - Fix at import template level:
<PropertyMapping>
<Source>MATERIAL_NUMBER</Source>
<Target>MATNR</Target>
<Conversion>ALPHA_IN</Conversion>
</PropertyMapping>
Option B - BAdI implementation for custom conversion if ALPHA doesn’t work:
METHOD if_ex_dms_im_import~transform_material.
DATA(lv_matnr) = iv_cad_material.
REPLACE ALL OCCURRENCES OF '-' IN lv_matnr WITH ''.
CALL FUNCTION 'CONVERSION_EXIT_ALPHA_INPUT'
EXPORTING input = lv_matnr
IMPORTING output = rv_sap_material.
ENDMETHOD.
3. CAD Import Template Structure:
Your import template needs these critical elements:
- Material property mapping with conversion (shown above)
- Plant assignment: Add a default plant parameter or map from CAD metadata
- Material type filter: Ensure template doesn’t restrict to types you don’t use
Verification steps:
- Test material existence: Run SE16 on MARA with your material number
- Check plant extension: SE16 on MARC for material + plant 1000
- Test conversion: Use transaction CONVERSION_EXIT_ALPHA_INPUT in SE37 to test format conversion
- Review validation log: Transaction CV04N shows detailed validation results
After implementing the ALPHA conversion in your import template, re-import a test CAD file. The validation should now find materials correctly. If you still get errors, check the validation profile’s material type restrictions - some profiles are configured to only accept certain material types (FERT, HALB, etc.) and will reject others even if they exist in SAP.
One final note: if you’re using classification characteristics for material properties, ensure the validation profile is checking the correct class type. Material master linkage through classification has different validation rules than direct MATNR linkage.
Good point about the format. I checked and our materials do use leading zeros in SAP (10-digit format) but CAD files have the short form. Where exactly in the import template do I configure the transformation rule for material number padding?
The validation profile configuration also has a timing component that’s often overlooked. If you’re running validation checks immediately after import but before the material master link is fully committed to the database, you’ll get false negatives. Check your validation profile settings - there should be an option to delay validation or run it as a background job after a commit wait time. We had a similar issue where the CAD import transaction wasn’t fully committed when validation started, causing phantom “material not found” errors even though everything was technically correct.