---
alias: user-guide-expand-material
description: "This documentation details the process of dividing a material into smaller, associated sub-materials, adhering to specific quantity and container restrictions"
---

# Expand Material

:lock: Material.**Expand**

## Overview

This operation is used to break a **Material** into individual **Sub-Material** units. These **Sub-Material** units exist by themselves but are still attached to the Parent **Material** that originated them.

## Setup

No special setup is required other than to meet the preconditions of the transaction.

## Preconditions

* The Main **Material** is Active, it is not On Hold, not In Transit and not Consumable.
* For the Top-Most **Material**:
    * The Pick List Item Count must be empty.
    * The In Transfer Order Item must be empty.
* The Main **Material** Package Count must be `0`.
* If the Top-Most of the **Main Material** is associated with a **Resource**, and the **Sub-Material** is assigned to a **Container**, then either:
    * The **Resource** must have its positions defined in **Material** or;
    * If the positions of the **Resource** are defined in **Containers**, the new **Sub-Material** must not have any **Container** of the defined **Resource's** Container Type, which is not already associated with the Top-Most of the Main **Material** (and its children hierarchy).
* The Main **Material** form and **Sub-Material** form relation is defined in the [[materialformrelation-gt]] Generic Table.
* The Main **Material** must have a primary quantity greater or equal to `0` and the **Sub-Material** quantity must be greater or equal to `0` and less or equal to the primary quantity of the Main **Material**.
* Primary and secondary quantities of the new **Sub-Material** can only be decimal if the Main **Material** property Is Decimal Quantity Allowed is set to `true` and the **Product** property Is Discrete is `false`.
* The **Product** and **Flow** of the new expanded **Materials** are Active and Enabled.
* If the **Main Material** already has **Sub-Materials**, the new **Sub-Material** must have the same form.
* If the **Material** property Is Line is `false` and if the Top-Most of the Main **Material** Current BOM Version is not `null` and the Top-Most of the Main **Material** Current BOM Assembly Type is different from Automatic At Track Out, then the **Sub-Material** quantity must be equal or less than the Main **Material** Assembled Quantity.
* If the **Material** is associated with a **Production Order**, the **Production Order** must not be Closed.  
* The Top-Most of the Main **Material** must have the Transfer Material property set to `null`.
* If the operation is not called from Weigh and Dispense, the Current BOM Assembly Type property of the **Material** must be different from Weigh And Dispense and different from Explicit Long Running.
* The Main **Material** must not have any open defects (Open Defect Count is `0`).
* If the property Use Container Restrictions in the **Step** of the **Material** is `true`, the available containers will be the ones that match the restrictions applied by the context of that **Step**. For more information, see [[step-page#contexts-view|Contexts View]] or [[materialcontainertypecontext-st]].

    !!! note
	    The Container Used Positions must be less or equal to the Container Max Usable Positions.

## Preconditions for Bulk

* In addition to the preconditions mentioned above, all Sub-Materials must:

    * Be expanded from the same Main **Material**.
    * Have the same Form.

## Sequence of Steps

The Expand Material wizard is called from the Details page of the selected **Material**. Depending on the current system status, the **Expand Material** button may be visible on the top ribbon or under the **More** actions button.

### Step 1: Sub-Materials Form

1. Select the **Material** you need.
2. Select **Expand**.
3. In the Expand Material wizard, verify the **Material** information.
4. Select the **Sub-Materials** Form from the drop-down menu. The possible form for **Sub-Materials** is defined in the [materialformrelation-gt] Generic Table.
5. Optionally, select whether to Bypass Material Form Validation For Siblings.

![Screenshot showing a form with fields for sub-materials, including "expand material" field.](images/expand_material.png)

### Step 2: Sub-Materials

1. Specify as many **Sub-Materials** as needed, providing for each one of them:
      * Name. In case there is a name generator configured to automatically provide a unique name, there is no need to manually enter a name.
      * Primary quantity (and if defined for the **Step**, the secondary quantity, as well).
      * Optionally, a **Container** and position (in case the **Container** does not manage the positions automatically) to hold the new **Sub-Material**.
2. Optionally, enter a comment.
3. In case all **Sub-Materials** share the same **Container**, select the button **Apply Container to All Sub-Materials**.
4. Select **Expand** to complete the operation.

!!! info
    Main Material future holds are not copied to the Sub-Materials.

![Screenshot showing the expanded sub-materials list.](images/expand_material_step_two.png)

!!! note
    When Expand Material is called from Weigh and Dispense, the Sub-Materials created are not associated with the Production Order.

!!! note
	If a Substrate Map was set in the Main Material, its properties, namely: Substrate Map, Substrate Map Layout Specifier, Substrate Map Units, and Substrate Map Last Synchronization Date, will not pass to the Child Material with the Expand operation.