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Casting - Investment

Geometry or Cost Engine Changes that Could Impact Configured Digital Factories

The following changes might impact costing, even for Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions.

  • Thickness Near Toroidal Surfaces (can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance): This release improves the algorithm used to determine part thickness for parts with toroidal surfaces, that is, parts with features that are shaped like a portion of a doughnut's surface. The previous release's algorithm was sometimes inaccurate regarding part thickness near such features. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values.

Bug Fixes or Small Improvements to Prior Cost Model Versions

The following changes might impact costing for Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions.

  • NO IMPACT

Cost Model Changes that Do Not Affect Configured Digital Factories

The following changes do not affect costings with Digital Factories that use earlier cost model versions. The changes are available only in the latest cost model version.

  • Slurry and Sand Cost (impacts Expendable Tooling): In the previous release, aPriori did not account for the cost of the slurry and sand used to make Investment Casting molds. In this release, these costs are included in Expendable Tooling costs for the Primary and Secondary Sand Coating and Slurry Dipping processes. In a set of test parts, costs increased between around 2% and 8%; the average change was around 5%.

    Note:

    To restore the behavior of the previous release and exclude slurry and sand costs, set the cost model variable defaultIncludeSlurryAndSandCosts to false. You can exclude slurry and sand costs on a per-part basis with the setup option Include Slurry and Sand Costs, provided by the Shell Making node of the Process Options Editor.