When you use aPriori, your workflow is typically iterative: you cost a part, examine the results, modify inputs (such as production information, process setup options, or part geometry), and then repeat the process. For the machining process group, advanced users can incorporate the use of aPriori’s diagnostic tools into this iterative workflow, including aPriori’s Heat Map and Features to Review listing.
This section contains the following subsections:
Semi-automated Costing
There are two alternative versions of this advanced workflow, one that uses fully automated costing and one that uses semi-automated costing.
Semi-automated costing is for more experienced users, and is restricted to the 3-Axis Mill process. During semi-automated costing, aPriori is less aggressive in attempting to assign operations to GCDs, which sometimes results in only partial costing of the current part, especially in earlier iterations of the workflow. Semi-automated costing automatically assigns only relatively easy-to-perform, efficient operations to each GCD, using only principal and user-activated setup axes (see Working with Part Setups and SetupAxis GCDs).
GCDs that can’t be assigned an operation under these constraints are not costed and are classified as features to review (they are assigned to the special classification, Features to Review in the Manufacturing Process pane). For example, aPriori does not assign contouring to large surfaces during semi-automated costing (where the large-surface threshold can be specified by a process setup option). A surface too large for contouring is assigned to Features to Review.
Features to Review serves as a to-do list for achieving full costing. For each feature to review; you must take action, either by manually assigning an operation to the feature, or by modifying setup options, setup axes, or part geometry in order to make an operation feasible for auto-assignment.
During fully automated costing, aPriori aggressively tries to assign operations to each GCD, even if it means using relatively more setup axes and assigning relatively difficult, less efficient operations. In this mode, GCDs that cannot be otherwise assigned a finishing operation are assigned General Mill Finishing.
Diagnostic Information
For each GCD that is assigned to Features to Review or General Mill Finishing, aPriori provides diagnostic information, including information on why each other candidate operation was considered infeasible. Diagnostic information, for example, can indicate that facing was considered infeasible because no principal or user-activated setup would render the GCD accessible for facing, and contouring was considered infeasible because the surface was too large. This information can guide your modification of operation assignments, process setup options, setup axes, or part geometry. See Working with Features to Review for more information.
aPriori’s Heat Map facility provides an additional diagnostic aid. You can direct aPriori to display your part in the Viewer in the form of a heat map. Each of the part’s GCDs is filled in with a color that indicates the value range, for the GCD, of a specified metric, such as cycle time, area removal rate, or tool diameter. Warmer colors (such as red or orange) generally indicate potential problems. As with the diagnostic information for Features to Review, the heat map can lead you to modify process setup options, setup axes, or operation assignments. The heat map also has a mode in which it displays features to review, with the color indicating the feature’s importance. See Working with the Heat Map (Geometry Analysis) for more information.