Managing complex assemblies and tracking part usage across multiple levels of a product structure can be time-consuming. To simplify this, SOLIDWORKS PDM 2024 introduces a powerful new Flattened BOM type directly in the Bill of Materials tab in the PDM File Explorer.

What is the Flattened BOM View?

The Flattened BOM view displays your product structure as a simple list of components, without indentation. Unlike indented or structured BOMs, this view focuses on showing each component only once, regardless of how many times or at what levels it appears in the assembly.

Key Benefits

• Simplified View: All components are listed in a flat structure—no need to expand tree levels.
• Summed Quantities: Components that appear at multiple levels have their quantities automatically rolled up into a single total.
• Faster Analysis: Saves time manually aggregating quantities, making it ideal for purchasing, inventory, and production planning.

Still Using an Older Version of PDM (Older than 2024)?

If you’re working with older versions of SOLIDWORKS PDM that don’t support the Flattened BOM view, you can still achieve similar results using the PDM2Excel add-in.

PDM2Excel: Flattened BOMs for Everyone

PDM2Excel allows you to export a Flattened BOM with rolled-up quantities, even if your vault is running a pre-2024 version of SOLIDWORKS PDM. This makes it a valuable tool for teams that need up-to-date BOM exports without upgrading their entire PDM infrastructure.

With PDM2Excel, you can:

• Export Parts Only, Top Level, Flattened and Indented BOMs with accurate rolled quantities.
• Work around the limitations of earlier PDM releases.
• Create Excel-ready BOMs for reports, purchasing, or manufacturing.

Whether you’re using the built-in tools in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2024 or leveraging PDM2Excel in earlier versions, Flattened BOMs can significantly improve how you analyze and share your bill of materials.

For more information about PDM2Excel or help with upgrading your vault, reach out to Blue Byte Systems Inc.