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How do you manage purchased assembled parts (such as bearings) as a single part for BOM purposes?

chrisjh777chrisjh777 Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭✭

I import bearing 3D CAD models from various vendors on Traceparts, etc.

Bearing Vendors generally supply 3D Cad Models as assemblies (perfectly logical).

This is an issue with the CAD packages I use, (SW & Onshape).  I want a simple ball bearing assembly to appear on a Parts List BOM a single purchased part, rather than a list of bearing parts such as:

Outer Race x 1

Inner Race x 1

Balls x Number of Balls

Seal x 2

How do you handle this situation?

Best Answers

Answers

  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    edited February 2018
    I usually just add it to an assembly, then set the BOM app to only read the top level.

    If you have a multi-level BOM, you could also to a boolean-union on the parts if you do not need motion.

    Now if you look at the properties of a part, you seen an option at the bottom to exclude from BOM


    I haven't experimented with that yet in OnShape/openBOM, but at least it is close to being implemented if not already by a BOM app. Exclude from BOM is my typical practice in SolidWorks, so If it is working in OnShape, that would be the correct solution in my opinion.


  • chrisjh777chrisjh777 Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭✭
    @john_mcclary @NikolaiN

    Thanks for the tips.  I'll experiment with this.  I suspect "Exclude from BOM" will result in the part being fully excluded from the BOM, and potentially missed altogether in a "What to buy" list.

    The only way to manage this efficiently, without manual manipulation, would be to empower users the choice as to whether the assembled purchased part is a "Part" or an "Assembly".

    Having given this some thought, I think I will turn this discussion into an Improvement Request.  My vision is OS could add another field to "Properties".  This would give an another advantage over their competitors.

    My current method is to:

    1. Create a BOM at part level.
    2. Manually delete all unwanted parts that make up the buy in part, one at a time, except one (say Outer Race).
    3. Rename the "Outer Race" to a meaningful Bearing description, say "Bearing 6001-2RS".
    4.  Add other info such as Vendor, Cost, etc as required.
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    There should be no reason to have all the individual parts in your main assembly. They should be sub assemblies, Then you add your purchased information and descriptions to the sub assembly containing the bearing pieces.

    Then insert the bearing sub assembly into your main assembly for each instance.

    Instead of setting BOM to be at part level, set it to Single level BOM, and choose your main assembly.

    This should make it so you don't need to remove all of the individual pieces from the BOM, and set a specific piece of the bearing to be the "main" part that contains all of the information. Honestly setting the information to one of the pieces could be difficult for someone else editing your information later on, as they may not be aware that is how you set the properties, and may have to do some detective work to figure out what part is driving the BOM.
  • oleg_shilovitskyoleg_shilovitsky Member, Developers Posts: 131 PRO
    @john_mcclary

    Exclude from BOM is a new property that was recently introduced by Onshape. It wasn't documented and we just learned about it 2 weeks ago. OpenBOM will support it in the next OpenBOM production update (end of Feb). 

    If you have questions, let me know - oleg @ openbom dot com

    Best, Oleg
  • chrisjh777chrisjh777 Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭✭
    Thank to everyone who contributed to this discussion.  I had been using the "group" mate method to define purchased bearing assemblies, but wasn't aware of the "Exclude from BOM" option, because it is located off the visible part of the Properties Dropdown, (right at the very bottom, if you scroll down).   OpenBOM's current behaviour is explained by Oleg in the post above.
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