Machining Enhancements

Improved Part Setup Axes Assignment & Milling Routing Selection

aPriori 2024 R1 SP3 enhances milling estimates by improving setup axis determination and the predictive routing evaluation logic. These enhancements enable aPriori to more frequently identify and select the most appropriate routing for milled parts.

aPriori does not automatically evaluate all routings in the Stock Machining process group. Instead, to reduce evaluation time, aPriori utilizes a lightweight pre-analysis, based on the geometry of the part, to identify and remove routings that are unsuitable or more expensive. Please refer to Process Routing and Feasibility for Machining in the Cost Model Guide for more information

One of the key prediction criteria used to determine whether a routing should be discarded is the number of part setups required. For example, if a part is predicted to require more than 4 setups on a 3-Axis-Mill routing, this routing is not evaluated further*. The part setup criteria are controlled by two plant variables, ruleBasedRoutingSelectionFor3AM and ruleBasedRoutingSelectionForOtherRoutings, which are set to true by default.

Previously, for certain part types, the predictive setup logic incorrectly estimated the number of setups required to manufacture the part. For example, if the estimated number of setups was sufficiently large, an appropriate milling routing would be excluded from analysis, and therefore not selected.

aPriori 2024 R1 SP3 significantly enhances the predictive milling setup axis logic. The enhancement aligns the predictive logic more closely with the actual setups required to manufacture the part identified during the complete simulation. Additionally, targeted improvements were made to the setup axis determination performed during the full evaluation. This improved both the number and orientation of part setups and the assignment of GCDs to the setups they are manufactured from. As a result, aPriori now more often selects the optimum milling routing for the part.

*Note: this limit of 4 can be configured with the cost model variable perpendicularCountFor3AM.

.