How to "Un-merge" Parts in BOM list?

[ben_neb43]

Hi,

I'm having trouble understanding the way the BOM list uses row merging. I want to change all the materials in an assembly easily, however the part with the merged icon will not allow it and I end up with this error.

1. what is this? and how do I make it a normal "yellow block icon" part? 

2. is there any other way to change the merged part "material" column from greyed out to normal?

Cheers for any help

Ben

[alewer]

You have multiple parts with the part number Leg-End-Cap 8x8. You'll see a normal part icon and be able to edit the material through the BOM as soon as you assign each part a unique part number.

[ben_neb43]

Firstly thanks for the quick response.

Ok, I do have multiple instances of the same part and part number however they are nested within other sub-assemblies. ie:

Main assembly
-sub_assembly1
--M10_bolt:1
--M10_bolt:2
-sub_assembly2
--M10_bolt:1
--M10_bolt:2

Each sub-assembly is different but references the same unique part file.

If you use a washer in two sub assemblies do they require different P/N's in order to be unmerged in the BOM?

[cwhetten]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

What alewer said is right--by default, the BOM "rolls up" items with the same part number.  This setting can be controlled by clicking on the button for "Part Number Row Merge Settings" (see the image below).

However, you don't have to change your part numbers in order to be able to get your material column to work the way you want.  Simply switch the BOM over to the Model Data tab (see the image above).  This tab does not display the rows in a merged state.  The row merge settings only apply to the Structured and Parts Only tabs.

You should be able to change your materials on the Model Data tab.

Edit:  To address your last comments, parts are merged into the same BOM row only if they are separate part files, but have the same part number iProperty value.

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.

[ben_neb43]

Thanks Cameron,

Editing materials on the Model Data Tab works perfectly!

I unchecked the box.

But I still cant work out why its showing these symbols?

Even for content centre parts saved as custom files.

[cwhetten]

Glad that worked for you.

If you have unchecked the merge setting but you are still getting lines merged, it is probably for one of the following reasons.

Phantom BOM structure:

Main assembly
-sub_assembly1 <-- If this component's BOM structure is set to 'Phantom'
--M10_bolt:1
--M10_bolt:2
-sub_assembly2  <-- And if this component's BOM structure is set to 'Phantom'
--M10_bolt:1
--M10_bolt:2

Setting an assembly's BOM structure to phantom will make it so that it doesn't show up in a higher-level BOM, but its children will show up and be promoted to the same level as the assembly file would have been at.  If you have multiple instances of a sub-component (the M10 bolt in this example) at different levels that have been phantom promoted, they will show as merged in the BOM.

Purchased BOM structure:

Setting a part's BOM structure to 'Purchased' will make it show up in a higher-level BOM, even if it is a component in a subassembly.  Having multiple instances of this part at different levels, they will show as merged in the BOM.

I think content center fasteners have their BOM structure set to Purchased, so this is probably the cause of what you are seeing.

Follow the link below to read more information about BOM structure settings:

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Inventor/enu/2014/Help/1283-Inventor1283/2454-Assembli2454/2687-Bills_o...

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.

[ben_neb43]

Hi thanks for the help

The forum is preventing me from uploading anything.

images > https://www.dropbox.com/s/pn4sl9npbozlwey/images.doc
CAD files > https://www.dropbox.com/s/vinznaft3z0s9d7/CAD.zip

I have been able to reproduce this issue easily by creating two separate parts and adding them to two separate sub assemblies. I then add these two subassemblies into one main assembly. So the structure in the BOM is:
image 1
All parts are under the normal BOM structure designation. If we enable BOM view then you see.
image 2
Which is as expected. But for the Parts only tab you can see that the parts are shown as merged?
image 3
image 4
This seems to me to be inconsistant as the parts are referenced by the same filename. It looks like its merging
Assembly1>Part1:1
Assembly2>Part1:1

Is this what is meant to happen? I would think that the "Parts Only" tab would differenciate between multiple instances within sub assemblies. Also why doesn't part number row merge setting work in this situation?

Ben

[cwhetten]

I think you must have a minimum number of posts to the forum before you can attach files (the number five comes to mind, but I'm not sure).

As for your BOM, what you are seeing is normal behavior.  In the parts only tab, it only shows part files (no assemblies), and any parts that are the same are "merged" onto the same line.  In the case of the example you posted, it is merging the Part1 files because, not only do they have the same part number, but they are the same file.  This is why disabling the part number merge setting has no effect--that setting only affects files that are not the same, but have the same part number.

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014