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There are some items that goes on the BOM that, in production, apear as 1 for many. Example: large card box to package 10 boards/products. These kinds of items apear on the BOM as less than one quantity. For the example above, it would be "0.1" boxes for each product unity. Is there a way of overriding Altium's automatic "quantity" field that is based on the number of symbols of the same kind on the schematic and add a "less than one" quantity in the fashion described?

EDIT: Since it seems to have caused confusion, I think my question may have been ambiguous. So I think I should add that this question is based on the principle that production methods can't be changed, thus the only purpose of the question is to know if there's a way to do this on Altium natively, nothing more.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I'd say you need to define a higher level assembly, probably in mechanical CAD rather than Altium. This assembly would contain the card box and 10 PCBs. \$\endgroup\$
    – The Photon
    Oct 30, 2017 at 14:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ With your proposal, what do you expect manufacturing to do if they get an order for 5 PCBs? What if you order just 1 PCB for a field repair, do you want it to come with 1/10 of a cage? \$\endgroup\$
    – The Photon
    Oct 30, 2017 at 14:52
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    \$\begingroup\$ When using say 4 pins out of strip connector bought as 1x40 male header we call for the whole thing's part number and add an user parameter called UR=0.1 (usage ratio) which is included in the BOM. Further on Excel can do any trick you like on the Altium generated .xls \$\endgroup\$
    – carloc
    Nov 1, 2017 at 15:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ @carloc This is exactly what I was thinking to do as a workaround. Some os the suggestions here are on changing the production process when I really wanted to know if Altium had or not such feature, since I don't control the production department and since these items are introduced manually on the BOM's, I wanted to know ig it was possible to accomplish automatically o the generation process in Altium. All indicates it's not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sergio
    Nov 2, 2017 at 12:33

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Don't put the packaging on the schematics BOM. You have to establish a proper assembly hierarchy structure for your products, make a new part number in your ERP system that contains a BOM, on that BOM you put 10pcs electronic module, 1 pc cardboard box, etc.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Maybe I wasn't clear on the question, the idea isn't t change the production way of working, but to know if Altium would have the feature I would like to apply. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sergio
    Nov 2, 2017 at 12:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ The question was clear, wasn't the answer clear? You're asking - "I work as a carpenter, and it is really impractical to mount drywall, because when I drive in the screws with my hammer, they make a big hole and won't really stick very well. Is there a feature on the hammer that will allow me to hammer screws in more efficiently?" The correct answer is not "yes, find a corner on the hammer and use that to screw in the screws" - the correct reply is "you looking at this the wrong way around, that's not the tool for the job". \$\endgroup\$
    – MrGerber
    Nov 2, 2017 at 12:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ I should add that the question is not in position of changing the way the production work. But only to find a way to improve my work in order to suit what's already in place. In my pinion, the answer doesn't suit the question from that scope. But it seems you want to teach me to change my question instead of helping with the issue itself. I'm simply looking for help, but help on what I asked not a lecture on the meaning of life. Thank you very much for you answer anyway. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sergio
    Nov 2, 2017 at 14:11

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