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Patriot_1776
Patriot_177622-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
April 3, 2025
Solved

Single item line in BOM with quantity >1 but with completely different geometry

  • April 3, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 3340 views

Creo 8:

In an assembly, we're using a 40" flexible bellows vacuum line multiple times (3), but since it needs to be a single item line with the correct quantity of 3, it obviously can't be 3 separate parts.  Yes, I could be sloppy and make 3 different parts but with the part number and description parameters the same, but that's not acceptable because it would make 3 different item #'s.

 

It's not like bulk wire or tubing etc. where I could simply have a quantity of "AR", these are specific 40" bellows.

 

Is there a simple way to do this?  I was thinking it "might" be possible using multiple bodies, but we don't want to do that because our Windchill guys say multi bodies cause Windchill issues, plus I'm not an expert in using multiple bodies in Creo (used it quite a bit in NX 8.5 about 7 years ago though).

 

Thoughts?

Best answer by Patriot_1776

Flexible geometry failed.  The routings are too complicated, it's not anywhere as simple s changing a length or suppressing the feature.

 

Our BOMS are already made, I cannot change them to suit one particular instance.  But thanks for the post!

 

I'm going to fudge it and move on.

3 replies

P
19-Tanzanite
pausob19-Tanzanite
19-Tanzanite
April 3, 2025

No pun intended, but really it sounds like you could use a flexible model to define these flexible bellows vacuum lines...  The varied items are the sweep features that define the 3 variants (in each instance, one is active, other two are suppressed).

Patriot_1776
Patriot_177622-Sapphire IIAuthor
22-Sapphire II
April 3, 2025

Forgot about the suppression thing in flexible, so thanks for reminding me.....but just tried it and the routings failed.

kdirth
21-Topaz I
kdirth21-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
April 4, 2025

What is causing the failure?  I know that having multiple sweeps that intersect can cause failures.  You may need to only have one active at a time, saving it with one unsuppressed and using flexibility to turn each one on and off as needed.

There is always more to learn.
A
AH_1056539812-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
April 4, 2025

Could you cheat it by assembly -> Including two additional copies of the first one, and then just hiding the other two in the repeat region of your bom?

Patriot_1776
Patriot_177622-Sapphire IIAuthor
22-Sapphire II
April 4, 2025

No.  The BOM would then only show a quantity of 1.  I need it to show the proper quantity.  I'll put the BOM balloon on one of them showing the quantity, and the others as ref balloons.

    K
    KenFarley21-Topaz II
    21-Topaz II
    April 7, 2025

    I have a dirty trick for this that may be considered heretical.

    I assemble the proper quantity of the "original" part, the one that is properly configured for one of your positions.

    Just add the other two in, probably best if they're assembled so their flanges are conveniently located for a balloon to attach. They're just being used so the count comes out right.

    On the other two properly configured tubes, make sure they don't have any of the parameters necessary for the BOM to pick them up. They're only being used for visuals. In essence they're being ignored by the Bill of Materials.

    Once you've got all the tubes in (one with correct geometry and parameters, two with correct geometry and no parameters, two with incorrect geometry but correct parameters) the assembly, define a view that'll be used for the BOM. Add the balloons. Now, blank the two tubes that have the right parameters but the wrong geometry. Now you have the correct count, and the parts look good.

    I know, this is kind of convoluted, but it gets the views you want. I've used this kind of shenanigans when I have items that are embedded within an assembly that I don't want to screw up my hidden line renderings. Once the BOM has the components counted, I can "component blank" them and they'll still be counted.

      kdirth
      21-Topaz I
      kdirth21-Topaz I
      21-Topaz I
      April 7, 2025

      Check out my reply and uploaded file to this thread from a year ago:

       

      Flexible hose for Reuse in multiple different asse... - PTC Community

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