Stock Machining Node Process Setup Option

The Stock Machining routing node provides the following setup options:

Roughing Technique for Plate Stock

By default in starting point Digital Factories, plate roughing is performed with bulk milling, and stock is selected under the assumption that a single part is machined from a stock piece. Digital Factory Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultRoughingTechnique. You can override the default on a per-part basis with the setup option Roughing Technique for Plate Stock (defined by the Material Stock process). Select one of the following:

  • All Bulk Milling: all material removed by roughing is converted to chips. This assumes a single part is machined from a stock piece, and stock length and width are chosen accordingly (see Plate Stock Length and Plate Stock Width).

  • Perimeter Milling with Dropoff: enables perimeter cutting as a 3-axis mill, 4-axis mill, or 5-axis mill operation. See Perimeter Milling Operation. This assumes multiple parts are machined from a plate, and stock length and width are chosen accordingly (see Plate Stock Length and Plate Stock Width).

    Material utilization is calculated based on a true-part shape nesting pattern, by default in starting point Digital Factories. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultUtilizationMethod. Users can override the default with the Material Utilization section of the Material Selection dialog.

Material utilization is calculated based on a true-part shape nesting pattern, by default in starting point Digital Factories. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultUtilizationMethod. Users can override the default with the Material Utilization section of the Material Selection dialog.

Note: In the Stock Machining process group, the nesting layout is controlled only by process setup options accessed via the Material Stock process.  However, if you are using the “Plate Cutting with Dropoff” routing technique, a 2D sheet metal cutting process (such as Water Jet or Laser) will be assigned for cutting the part perimeter from the plate.  That sheet metal process also provides process setup options related to nesting, but these options will have no effect when costing the part in the Stock Machining process group.  They are used for controlling nesting layouts when costing parts inside the Sheet Metal process group.

Note that perimeter extraction must be enabled for perimeter cutting or perimeter milling to be feasible (see Perimeter GCD).

Note that if plate stock is not selected, this setup option is ignored. Note also that, in starting point Digital Factories, plate stock is auto-selected by aPriori only if the part width is greater than 142.4mm and the height-to-width ratio is less than 0.25. Digital Factory Administrators can customize these thresholds with the cost model variables minPlateTriggerWidth and maxPlateTriggerHeightOverWidth.

Enable Scrap Material Credit

By default in starting point Digital Factories, the cost model assumes that material scrap is not sold for credit. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable enableScrapMaterialCredit (false in starting point Digital Factories). With this setup option, users can override the default on a per-part basis.

Enabling scrap material credit increases material utilization and decreases material cost. The credit rate is specified as a percentage of the material rate by the material property Scrap Cost Percent.

Enable Scrap Part Credit

By default in starting point Digital Factories, the cost model assumes that the material from scrapped parts is not sold for credit. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable enableScrapPartCredit (false in starting point Digital Factories). With this setup option, users can override the default on a per-part basis.

Enabling scrap part credit increases material utilization and decreases material cost. This includes credit for parts scrapped by this process as well as by downstream processes. The credit rate is specified as a percentage of the material rate by the material property Scrap Cost Percent.