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Plastic Molding

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.

  • NO IMPACT

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.

  • Support Plate Cost (impacts tooling cost): In previous releases, aPriori did not account for the weight and cost of the support plate in the tooling estimate (though it did account for the support plate size in the calculation of mold base dimensions). In this release, tooling cost estimates do account for the support plate weight and material cost.

  • Tooling Spreadsheet Report:This release updates the Tooling spreadsheet report to ensure all tooling costs are reported consistently with the Investment tab of the aP Pro UI. This includes updates made in this release that incorporate support plate cost into tooling estimates and that provide the user with the ability to select different materials for core and cavity inserts. The spreadsheet report now displays the following additional line items in the tooling material cost breakdown:

    • Cavity Core and Inserts
    • Support Plate
    • Hot Runner System
    • Hydraulic Ejection
    • PORCERAX
    • Third Plate
    • Unscrewing Mechanism

  • Water Line Diameter (impacts plastic forming region size and tooling cost): In previous releases, the process setup option Water Line Diameter had no effect on tooling cost. In this release, modification of the value of the process setup option results in a corresponding change to the tooling estimate.

  • Cavity Finish (impacts design guidance): In previous releases, aPriori flagged a design issue when cheaper options than the currently selected cavity finish were available. Now aPriori flags an issue when cheaper options are available that can achieve a finish quality that meets or exceeds the default finish standard. The default in starting point Digital Factories assumes a cavity finish of SPI B3 - Normal Semi-Gloss for all processes. For more information see the section User Inputs Affecting Tooling Costs in the Plastic Molding chapter of the Cost Model Guide.
  • Cavity Texture (impacts design guidance): In previous releases, aPriori flagged a design issue when cheaper options than the currently selected cavity texture were available. Now aPriori provides the user with a list of cheaper cavity texture options within the same texture standard. For example, if a more expensive texture within Mold-Tech A is selected, the user sees a list of less expensive Mold-Tech A textures. The guidance is also now sensitive to the default cavity texture specified in the Digital Factory and will not flag an issue if the default cavity texture is specified. For more information see the section User Inputs Affecting Tooling Costs in the Plastic Molding chapter of the Cost Model Guide.