Bar and Tube Fabrication Enhancements

Stock Form Recognition Improvements

aPriori 2024 R1 SP3 improves recognition of standard stock forms, even when the CAD model includes some dimensional inconsistencies or deviates somewhat from the canonical stock form.

In aPriori 2024 R1 SP3, when aPriori determines whether a part is made from a standard stock form such as channel, I-beam, T-beam, or square tube stock, it is now more forgiving of small modeling errors, slight dimensional asymmetries, and/or deviations in the cross-section along the length of the part. This extends some stock recognition improvements introduced in the aPriori 2024 R1 SP2 release.

For example, the part below is intended to be made from standard channel stock. However, the rounded portion at the top of the flange extends above the vertical wall of the flange. Additionally, the bottom edge of the rounded portion is not tangent to the angled wall of the flange as expected, but instead forms an angle of more than 7 degrees. Previously such a part was not recognized as using channel stock. Instead, aPriori either recognized it as a generic extrusion (if the customer was licensed to the Extrusions manufacturing model), or aPriori failed to recognize any valid cross-section (stock form). Now aPriori selects channel stock for this part.

aPriori also improved recognition of parts made from square tube stock that are bent but include some variation in the thickness of the cross section along the length of the part. Some customers deliberately model these variations to represent distortion caused by the bending process. aPriori is now more forgiving of these variations when determining if a part is made from standard tube stock.

For example, in the image below, the cross section at planes A, B, and C may be modeled as slightly different (in terms of line and arc lengths) to represent distortion. Previously, aPriori would fail to recognize such a part as made from standard square tube stock; now it is more likely to do so.