Ultrasonic Welding Process-level Options

The Ultrasonic Welding process provides the following setup options:

Machine Table Configuration

Ultrasonic welding machines are of one of two types:

  • Rotary: a rotary machine has a circular table with multiple stations (sectors of the circular table). A subset of welded components is assumed to be welded at each station in parallel with the welding of other components of other individual parts at other stations.

  • Bench: components are welded in series.

By default in starting point Digital Factories, the machine configuration is Rotary. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultMachineTableConfiguration (set to Rotary or Bench).

With the setup option Machine Table Configuration, users can override the default on a per-part basis. Select Rotary or Bench.

Number of Operators

By default, the number of operators for the Ultrasonic Welding process is specified by the machine property Number of Operators. With the setup option Number of Operators, users can override the default on a per-part basis.

The number of operators drives labor time and cost.

Number of Stations

For rotary machines, the default number of stations is the number of assembled subcomponents, if there are multiple assembled components; otherwise, the default number of stations is 2, for rotary machines. For bench machines, the default number of stations is 1.

With the setup option Number of Stations, users can override the default and request a specific number of stations. Machines are assumed to have the specified number of stations.

The number of stations affects machine feasibility, for rotary machines. The stations are equal-sized sectors of the circular machine table. A rotary machine is feasible only if the bounding rectangle of the part’s length and width fits into a single sector, in one of the following orientations:

  • Bounding rectangle length is parallel to the table radius that bisects the sector.

  • Bounding rectangle width is parallel to the table radius that bisects the sector.

For both bench and rotary machines, the number of stations also drives fixture cost, which contributes to hard tooling cost.

Fixture Material

By default, fixture cost (which contributes to hard tooling cost) is calculated based on the assumption that fixture material is specified by the tool shop variable Default Tool Material Name.

With the setup option Fixture Material, users can override the default and specify a material from the tool shop material table.

Fixture Volume

By default in starting point Digital Factories, fixture volume is assumed to be 1.1 times the volume of the part bounding box. Administrators can customize the default factor of bounding box volume with the cost model variable defaultFixtureVolumeFactor (1.1 in starting point Digital Factories).

With the setup option Fixture Volume, users can override the default fixture volume on a per-part basis.

Fixture volume drives fixture cost, which contributes to hard tooling cost.