Change Summary Tables¶
Geometry and Cost Engine Changes¶
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, or Low)
- Whether the change can be disabled using site variables
- Description of the change and its impact
Changes are geometry changes unless explicitly labeled 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.
| Process Group | Impact Level | Can be Disabled? | Must be Disabled with Prior CMVs? | Impact Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additive Manufacturing | Low | Yes | No | This release improves the algorithm used to determine part thickness values by using smaller voxels and more inclusive voxel samples. This improvement can affect process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. In a set of test parts, thickness values changed significantly for some parts, but the impact on cost was negligible. To restore use of the previous thickness algorithm, set the site variable castThicknessAlgorithm to Legacy Voxel-Based. |
| Additive Manufacturing(continued) | Low | No | No | This release also provides an additional improvement to thickness determination which applies only to parts with toroidal surfaces (that is, parts with features that are shaped like a portion of a doughnut's surface). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Assembly | Low | No | No | In previous releases, starting with aPriori Release 2021 R1, component scenarios that were not associated with a CAD file were ignored and their costs were not rolled up into the assembly costs. In this release, costs for component scenarios are rolled up into the parent assembly costs regardless of whether they have associated CAD files. |
| Assembly Molding | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Assembly Plastic Molding | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Bar & Tube Fab | Medium | No | No | This release improves cross-section recognition for extrusions that require significant machining or bending. Some parts that previously were not recognized as extrusions and that failed to cost may now be routed to the Extrusion process. |
| Casting - Die | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Casting - Investment | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Casting - Sand | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Plastic Molding | Low | No | No | 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). This improvement can impact process feasibility, routing, and design guidance. The change generally has a very minor impact on thickness values. |
| Sheet Plastic | High | Yes | Yes | The Sheet Plastic process group has been significantly enhanced in aPriori 23.1. All the original processes from previous cost model versions have been disabled in the latest cost model version, and a new set of processes has been added. Geometry extraction uses an entirely new algorithm required by the new processes. To use a prior cost model version, you must restore the old geometry extraction behavior by setting the site variable sheetPlasticGcdAlgorithm to LEGACY. |
| Wire Harness | Low | No | No | In the previous release, if a part's Component Type was not specified in the BOM, the part failed to cost and its assembly operations were not accounted for. In this release, if you use the aPriori Electronics Data Collection (EDC) module, aPriori determines the Component Type based on classification metadata that is returned by EDC if the Component Type is not specified in the BOM. As a result, aPriori might now account for some costs that were previously unaccounted for. |
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.
All Changes¶
The table below indicates which categories of change impact each process group, as well as the cost model versions supported in the last three releases.
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 assessments (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.
| 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 | NO | NO | NO | 100, 90, 80 |
| Additive Manufacturing | YES | NO | NO | 130, 120, 110 |
| Assembly | YES | NO | NO | 190, 180, 170 |
| Assembly Molding | YES | NO | YES | 100, 90, 80 |
| Assembly Plastic Molding | YES | NO | NO | 50, 40, 30 |
| Bar &Tube | YES | NO | NO | 210, 200, 190 |
| Casting - Die | YES | NO | NO | 140, 130, 120 |
| Casting - Investment | YES | NO | YES | 60, 50, 40 |
| Casting - Sand | YES | NO | YES | 140, 130, 120 |
| Composites | NO | NO | NO | 60, 50, 50 |
| Forging | NO | NO | NO | 190, 180, 170 |
| Heat Treatment | NO | NO | NO | 140, 130, 120 |
| Machining | NO | NO | YES | 270, 260, 250 |
| Multi-Spindle Machining | NO | NO | NO | 20, 20, 10 |
| Other Secondary Processes | NO | NO | NO | 130, 130, 120 |
| PCB | NO | NO | NO | 40, 30, 20 |
| Part Assembly | NO | NO | NO | 90, 80, 80 |
| Plastic Molding | YES | NO | YES | 220, 210, 200 |
| Powder Metal | NO | NO | NO | 120, 110, 110 |
| Rotational & Blow Molding | NO | NO | NO | 150, 140, 130 |
| Sheet Metal | NO | NO | NO | 250, 240, 230 |
| Sheet Metal - Hydroforming | NO | NO | NO | 100, 90, 80 |
| Sheet Metal – Roll Forming | NO | NO | NO | 20, 10, 0 |
| Sheet Metal – Stretch Forming | NO | NO | NO | 90, 90, 80 |
| Sheet Metal – Transfer Die | NO | NO | NO | 140, 130, 120 |
| Sheet Plastic | YES | NO | YES | 130, 120, 110 |
| Stock Machining | NO | NO | NO | 170, 160, 150 |
| Surface Treatment | NO | NO | NO | 210, 200, 190 |
| User Guided | NO | NO | NO | 60, 60, 50 |