Change Summary Tables¶
Cost impact for upgrades to aPriori Professional 2021 R1
The table below contains a row for each geometry or cost engine change. Each row lists the following:
- Process group to which the change applies
- Impact level of the change (High, Medium, Low, or No impact)
- Whether the change can be disabled using a site variable
- Description of the change and its impact
Changes are geometry changes unless explicitly labelled Cost engine change in the description.
The entries are arranged alphabetically by process group.
You can use this table to guide you in performing Step 2 and Step 3 of impact assessment (see Impact Assessment Steps ). Click on the name of a process group in the first column to get more information on changes for that process group.
| Primary Process Group | Impact Level | Can be Disabled? | Impact Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Model Machining | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Additive Manufacturing | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Assembly | None | N/A | N/A |
| Assembly Molding | Low | No | Bug fix: Minimum wall thickness values are now more accurate. As a result, some wall thickness issues incorrectly flagged by DTC in prior releases may no longer be flagged. In rare cases, cooling times may increase very slightly, increasing cycle times very slightly. |
| Assembly Molding | Low | No | Tooling cost may change slightly for parts with multiple adjacent undercuts. Fewer than 6% of test parts changed. |
| Assembly Plastic Molding | Low | No | Bug fix: Minimum wall thickness values are now more accurate. As a result, some wall thickness issues incorrectly flagged by DTC in prior releases may no longer be flagged. In rare cases, cooling times may increase very slightly, increasing cycle times very slightly. |
| Assembly Plastic Molding | Low | No | Tooling cost may change slightly for parts with multiple adjacent undercuts. Fewer than 6% of test parts changed. |
| Bar & Tube | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Casting - Die | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Casting - Investment | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Casting - Sand | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Composites | Low | No | Bug fix: In rare cases, core machining times were greatly overestimated due to misinterpretation of CAD geometry. In these rare cases, machining cycle time for some cores decreases. |
| Forging | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| Part Assembly | None | N/A | N/A |
| Plastic Molding | Low | No | Bug fix: Minimum wall thickness values are now more accurate. As a result, some wall thickness issues incorrectly flagged by DTC in prior releases may no longer be flagged. In rare cases, cooling times may increase very slightly, increasing cycle times very slightly. |
| Plastic Molding | Low | No | Tooling cost may change slightly for parts with multiple adjacent undercuts. Fewer than 6% of test parts changed. |
| Powder Metal | None | N/A | N/A |
| Rotational & Blow Molding | None | N/A | N/A |
| Sheet Metal | Low | No | Bug fix: Blank size and material removal detection is now improved for specific part types. In rare cases, times and costs (including material cost) might increase. |
| Sheet Metal – Hydroforming | Low | No | Bug fix: Blank size and material removal detection is now improved for specific part types. In rare cases, times and costs (including material cost) might increase. |
| Sheet Metal – Stretch Forming | Low | No | Bug fix: Blank size and material removal detection is now improved for specific part types. In rare cases, times and costs (including material cost) might increase. |
| Sheet Metal - Transfer Die | Low | No | Bug fix: Blank size and material removal detection is now improved for specific part types. In rare cases, times and costs (including material cost) might increase. |
| Sheet Plastic | None | N/A | N/A |
| Stock Machining | Low | Yes | By default, aPriori now recognizes internal and external polygonal features and extracts them as Polygon GCDs. Note that cost model updates are required to generate correct and complete cost estimates for these new Polygon GCDs. aPriori recommends that you disable polygon extraction (by using a new site variable) until you upgrade to the latest cost model version or include similar logic in your configured Digital Factory. |
| Stock Machining | Medium | Yes | By default, aPriori now recognizes half-dovetail slots(also known as one-sided dovetail slots) as well as modified dovetail geometry in which there is a straight-walled section below the undercut portion of the slot. Note that cost model updates are required to generate correct and complete cost estimates for these new types of Slot GCDs. aPriori recommends that you disable the new extraction behavior (by using a new site variable) until you upgrade to the latest cost model version or include similar logic in your configured Digital Factory. |
| Stock Machining | Low | Yes | The set of GCDs used to represent a rotationally symmetric, internal volume might change, potentially impacting times and costs. Previous Geometry behavior can be preserved with a site variable setting. |
| User Guided | None | N/A | N/A |
Before you upgrade, review the process groups you use, and identify the ones have that have changes with cost impact. Once you have determined whether to accept or disable each High-impact geometry or cost engine change for the process groups that you use, you can upgrade to the new release. If there are no High-impact geometry or cost engine changes, you can upgrade to the new release.
aPriori also recommends that you review the cost model changes as well as the Low- and Medium-impact geometry and cost engine changes for the process groups you use.
Process names in the table’s first column link to process-group-specific sections which can help you to perform Steps 3 and 4 of your impact assessment (see Impact Assessment Steps ). Each of the sections contains summary tables as well as change details grouped by the following three categories:
- Geometry or cost engine changes that could impact configured Digital Factories: these are changes that might impact costing even for Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions.
- Bug fixes or small improvements to prior cost model versions that could impact configured Digital Factories: these are back-ported bug fixes, which might impact costing for Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions.
- Cost model changes that do not affect configured Digital Factories: these are changes that do not affect costings with Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions.
The following table indicates which categories of change impact each process group, as well as the cost model versions supported in the last three releases.
| Process Group | Geometry or Cost Engine Changes | Bug Fixes or Small Improvements to Prior Cost Model Versions | Changes to New Cost Model Version | Cost Model Versions Supported in the Last 3 Releases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Model Machining | YES | NO | YES | 70, 60, 60/50 |
| Additive Manufacturing | YES | NO | NO | 90, 80/70, 60/50 |
| Assembly | NO | NO | YES | 150, 140/130, 130/120 |
| Assembly Molding | YES | NO | YES | 60, 50/40, 30/20 |
| Assembly Plastic Molding | YES | NO | YES | 10, 5/0, N/A |
| Bar &Tube | YES | NO | NO | 170,160/150, 140/130 |
| Casting - Die | YES | NO | YES | 100, 90/80, 70/60 |
| Casting - Investment | YES | NO | YES | 20, 10/0, N/A |
| Casting - Sand | YES | NO | NO | 100, 90/80, 70/60 |
| Composites | YES | NO | NO | 40, 30/20, 10/0 |
| Forging | YES | NO | YES | 150, 140/130, 120/110 |
| Heat Treatment | NO | NO | NO | 100, 100, 90/80 |
| Other Secondary Processes | NO | NO | NO | 110, 110, 110/100 |
| Part Assembly | NO | NO | NO | 70, 70, 70/60 |
| Plastic Molding | YES | NO | YES | 180, 170/160, 150/140 |
| Powder Metal | NO | NO | NO | 100, 90/80, 70/60 |
| Rotational & Blow Molding | NO | NO | NO | 120, 110/100, 90/80 |
| Secondary Machining | NO | NO | NO | 230, 220/210, 200/190 |
| Sheet Metal | YES | NO | YES | 210, 200/190, 180/170 |
| Sheet Metal - Hydroforming | YES | NO | NO | 60, 50/40, 30/20 |
| Sheet Metal – Stretch Forming | YES | NO | NO | 70, 60/50, 40/30 |
| Sheet Metal – Transfer Die | YES | NO | YES | 110, 100/90, 80/70 |
| Sheet Plastic | NO | NO | NO | 100, 90, 80/70 |
| Stock Machining | YES | NO | NO | 130, 120/110, 100/90 |
| Surface Treatment | NO | NO | NO | 170, 160/150, 140/130 |
| User Guided | NO | NO | NO | 40, 30, 30/20 |