Surface Treatment Feasibility

This section contains the following subsections:

Other surface treatment processes have no feasibility requirements.

Anodize Feasibility

Anodizing can only be performed on aluminum. See Anodize Process Overview and Routing for more information.

Black Oxide Feasibility

The process is compatible only with ferrous materials that have a value of true in the Can Black Oxide column of the tblConversionCoating lookup table (aPriori does not conduct this feasibility check if the part is an Assembly; aPriori assumes that it is made from feasible materials). The process cannot be used with the Assembly Molding or Assembly Plastic Molding process groups.

Conveyor Abrasive Finishing Feasibility

Conveyor Abrasive Finishing is feasible only if all the following hold:

  • Compatible process group: primary process group is not one of the following:

    • Assembly

    • Assembly Molding

    • Composites

    • Plastic Molding

    • Roto & Blow Molding

    • Sheet Plastic

  • Compatible material: material cut code is not 41, 42,51, 52, or 60; that is, material type is not one of the following:

    • Glass-filled thermoplastic (41)

    • Unfilled thermoplastic (51)

    • Unfilled thermoset (52)

    • Composite (60)

Conveyor Conversion Coating Feasibility

The Conveyor Conversion Coating process is an optional process under the Conveyor Processes branch node. If it is included in the routing, the Conveyor Dry process will also be included automatically in the routing. The Conveyor Conversion Coating is feasible only if the following checks are passed:

  • Number of Clean Stages Check: To pass this check, the Number of Cleaning Stages setup option must be greater than or equal to 0. By default, this takes the Number of Clean Stages value in the Digital Factory tool shop materials table for the selected Conversion Coat Solution.

  • Number of Surface Preparation Stages Check: To pass this check, the Number of Surface Preparation Stages setup option must be greater than or equal to 0. By default, this takes the Number of Surface Preparation Stages value in the Digital Factory tool shop materials table for the selected Conversion Coat Solution.

  • Number of Conversion Coating Stages Check: To pass this check, the Number of Conversion Coating Stages setup option must be greater than or equal to 1. By default, this takes the Number of Conversion Coating Stages value in the Digital Factory tool shop materials table for the selected Conversion Coat Solution.

  • Number of Rinse Stages Check: To pass this check, the Number of Rinsing Stages setup option must be greater than or equal to 0. By default, this takes the Number of Rinse Stages value in the Digital Factory tool shop materials table for the selected Conversion Coat Solution.

  • Compatible Material Selected Check: To pass this check, the selected material must be compatible with the Conveyor Conversion Coating process. For this to be true:

    • The part must be an Assembly part.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Chromate, then the corresponding Can Chromate Coat value for the coating in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to true.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Phosphate, then the corresponding Can Phosphate Coat value for the coating in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to true.

  • Compatible Conversion Coat Solution Check: To pass this check, the selected Conversion Coat Solution must be compatible with the selected Conversion Coat Type. For this to be true:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Chromate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected CONVERSION COAT Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to CHROMATE.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Phosphate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected CONVERSION COAT Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to PHOSPHATE.

  • Compatible Cleaning Solution Check: To pass this check, the selected cleaning solution must be compatible with the selected conversion coat type (this rule is automatically passed if no cleaning stages are required). For this to be true:

    • The Number of Cleaning Stages setup option must be set to 0.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Phosphate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected CLEAN Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to PHOSPHATE.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Chromate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected CLEAN Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to CHROMATE.

  • Compatible Surface Preparation Solution Check: To pass this check, the selected surface preparation solution must be compatible with the selected conversion coat type (this rule is automatically passed if no surface preparation stages are required). For this to be true:

    • The Number of Surface Preparation Stages setup option must be set to 0.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Phosphate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected SURFACE PREPARATION Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to PHOSPHATE.

      or:

    • If the Type of Conversion Coating Applied setup option is set to Chromate, then the corresponding Conversion Coat Type value for the selected SURFACE PREPARATION Coating Type in the tblConversionCoating table must be set to CHROMATE.

Conveyor Dry Feasibility

The Conveyor Dry process (under the Conveyor Processes branch node) is optional but is included automatically if the Conveyor Conversion Coating process is included in the routing.

Conveyor Shot Blast Feasibility

The Conveyor Shot Blast process is an optional process under the Conveyor Processes branch node. Conveyor Shot Blasting is feasible only if all the following checks are passed:

  • Compatible Process Group: The Shot Blast process can only be applied to metallic parts; therefore, it cannot be used with the following process groups:

    • Assembly Molding

    • Assembly Plastic Molding

    • Composites

    • PCB

    • Plastic Molding

    • Rapid Prototyping

    • Roto and Blow Molding

    • Sheet Plastic

  • Compatible Material: The Shot Blast process is compatible only with metals and is feasible only if the cut code family for the part material is not one of the following:

    • 34 (Graphite)

    • 41 (Thermoplastics)

    • 42 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 51 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 52 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 60 (Composite)

  • Compatible Data: The Shot Blast process is compatible only if:

    • The part is an Assembly.

      or:

    • The Digital Factory tool shop materials table is correctly populated (under Surface Treatment > Processes > Conveyor Shot Blast > Tool Shops > Default).

      and:

    • The tblShotBlast table is populated with material types and the Shot Blast media with which they are compatible, and it does not contain duplicate entries.

  • Feasible Shot Blast Media: The Shot Blast process is compatible only if:

    • The part is an Assembly.

      or:

    • The selected Shot Blast Media is compatible with the selected part material.

Degrease Feasibility

This process is feasible only if part dimensions are all non-null and non-zero.

This process is feasible only if the cut code family for the part material is not one of the following:

  • 41 (Thermoplastics)

  • 42 (Thermosetting Plastics)

  • 51 (Thermosetting Plastics)

  • 52 (Thermosetting Plastics)

Mask-Bench Optional Operation Rules

aPriori uses optional operation rules to decide which operation (Masking-Bench or Plugging) should be used but allows users to assign either operation (or both) if they manually override their inclusion status. See Abrasive Shot Blast Routing for more information.

aPriori automatically includes the Mask-Bench process in the Manual Paint process. In addition, some processes require threaded holes to be masked if they are included. These processes are specified in the automaticMaskingProcessList lookup table, which includes Anodize, Powder Coat Cart, and Powder Coat Conveyor processes in starting point Digital Factories. Mask-Bench operations can also be manually assigned to features. The optional operation rules differ for each type of hole:

Simple and multistep holes:

  • Masking-Bench operation: aPriori assigns the Masking-Bench operation only if the Plugging operation has not already been assigned to the hole.

  • Plugging operation:

    • aPriori assigns the Plugging operation only if the diameter of the hole is less than or equal to the maskBenchMaxPlugSize cost model variable (by default this is 65 mm in starting point Digital Factories).

    • aPriori only assigns the Plugging operation to simple holes that are child artifacts of a multistep hole if it is possible to plug all the child simple holes within the multistep hole. The maximum diameter of the parent of the simple hole must be less than the maximum available plug size (as specified by the maskBenchMaxPlugSize cost model variable).

Complex holes:

  • Masking-Bench operation: aPriori assigns the Masking-Bench operation only if the Plugging operation has not already been assigned to the hole.

  • Plugging operation:

    • For Bar and Tube parts, aPriori assigns the Plugging operation only if the perimeter of the hole is such that the average diameter for the complex hole is less than or equal to the maskBenchMaxPlugSize cost model variable (by default this is 65 mm in starting point Digital Factories).

    • For all other parts, aPriori assigns the Plugging operation only if the SEC Diameter of the hole is less than or equal to the maskBenchMaxPlugSize cost model variable.

Oven Cure Feasibility

Oven Cure is feasible only if any nodes in the routing tree have the attribute requireOvenCure. If the user attempts to include Oven Cure in a routing in which it is not feasible, aPriori will display the message: 'Oven Cure is not feasible. There are no processes included in the routing that require this process (the following processes require Oven Cure: [Powder Coat Cart] …)'.

Passivation Feasibility

Passivation can only be performed on stainless steel materials; the material’s cut code must appear in the global lookup table passivationTreatments.

Plating Process Feasibility

This process is feasible only if the part material is not one of the following:

  • PVC

  • PBT

  • Polyethylene

Powder Coat Cart Feasibility

Powder Coat Cart cannot be used with the following process groups:

  • Assembly Molding

  • Assembly Plastic Molding

  • Composites

  • PCB

  • Plastic Molding

  • Rapid Prototyping

  • Roto and Blow Molding

  • Sheet Plastic

The Powder Coat Cart process is compatible only with metallic parts and is feasible only if the cut code family for the part material is not one of the following:

  • 34 (Graphite)

  • 41 (Glass Filled Thermoplastics)

  • 42 (Glass Filled Thermosets)

  • 51 (Unfilled Thermosets)

  • 52 (Unfilled Thermosets)

  • 60 (Composite parts)

Shot Blast Feasibility

Shot Blasting is feasible only if all the following hold:

  • Compatible process group and materials: The Shot Blast process is compatible only with metals and is feasible only if the cut code family for the part material is not one of the following:

    • 34 (Graphite)

    • 41 (Thermoplastics)

    • 42 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 51 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 52 (Thermosetting Plastics)

    • 60 (Composite)

  • Compatible data: The tblShotBlast table must be populated with material types and the Shot Blast media with which they are compatible, the Digital Factory tool shop materials table must be correctly populated (under Surface Treatment > Processes > Shot Blast > Tool Shops > Default), and (if populated) there must be no duplicate entries in the shotBlastInstances table.

  • Feasible Shot Blast media: The selected Shot Blast media must be compatible with the selected part material.

Shot Peen Feasibility

This process is feasible only if the cut code family for the part material is not one of the following:

  • 33 (Copper)

  • 41 (Thermoplastics)

  • 42 (Thermosetting Plastics)

  • 51 (Thermosetting Plastics)

  • 52 (Thermosetting Plastics)

Vibratory Finishing Feasibility

This process is not available for assemblies.