Surfaces GCDs

The Surfaces GCD Category includes the following GCD Types:

Planar Faces

The Planar Faces GCD Type includes one or more PlanarFace GCDs, each representing any flat surface to be finished. Depending on the orientation of the setup axis with the surface, this GCD may be machined by face milling, side milling, or ballnose finishing (kellering).

  • Under some conditions, finish machining is assumed to be combined with bulk machining.

  • Under other conditions of little or no bulk machining, separate finish machining is required.

  • Tools normal to the surface are assumed to perform facing.

  • Tools parallel to the surface are assumed to perform side milling.

  • Tools oblique to the surface are assumed to perform kellering.

  • Knowing the normal to the face and the associated setup axis direction, aPriori can compute the required finishing process.

  • These GCDs are available for the Casting and Machining process groups.

The GCD details are as follows:

Cost drivers

Description

GCD

Name

The name and number that identifies the GCD. This information is an identifier only and is not used in any cost calculation.

Properties

Finished Area (mm2)

The area that requires finishing machining.

 

Max Tool Diameter (mm)

For surfaces, this is the largest tool diameter entering from a given setup axis without touching other part surfaces. If there is no limiting diameter, Max Tool Diameter = -1. For pockets and bulk removal, this is the diameter of the of the sphere used to calculate the pocket or bulk removal skin.

 

Tool Reach (mm)

The minimum tool reach required to contact the bottom surface from the part exterior in the direction of the setup axis. For an exterior surface, Tool Reach = 0.

 

Bend Diameter (mm)

The bend diameter of the surface. The surface’s smallest positive curvature (edges curved toward viewer). If there is no positive curvature, Bend Diameter = -1.

 

Tolerance/Profile of Surface (mm)

The most constraining tolerance among the dimensions defining the GCD. You can view it as a +/- tolerance. Tolerance is persisted and computed as a total tolerance by the system.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Roughness (µm)

 

The average roughness of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient surface finish capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Flatness (mm)

The flatness tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Parallelism (mm)

The parallelism tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Perpendicularity (mm)

The perpendicularity tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

On Bounding Box

Indicates whether the part’s face coincides with the bounding box. If true, the face coincides with the bounding box. This property allows the system to decide whether the required finish can be achieved simultaneously by the bulk milling operation.

 

Direction Type

Indicates the direction type. 1 = normal to surface, 2 = parallel to surface, and 3 = oblique to surface.

Technique

Requested

The technique selected by you. If you have not selected a technique, this field is set to auto select.

 

Selected

The technique used by aPriori. If the requested technique cannot be used, aPriori a technique that can be used.

Results

Time(s)

The time (in seconds) that it takes to machine the GCD or complete work on a technique. If there is more than one occurrence of the GCD or technique, this field shows the sum of the occurrences.

 

Surface Finishing Rate (mm3/sec)

The total volume finished per second.

 

Status

The costing status of the GCD or technique. A green icon indicates that costing was successful, a yellow icon indicates that costing succeeded with a warning, and a red icon indicates that costing failed.

Curved Walls

The Curved Walls GCD Type includes one or more GCDs, each representing a tabular cylinder, possibly with a <= 5-degree draft.

  • This surface can be machined by side milling or kellering.

  • Knowing the wall direction and the direction of the associated setup axis, aPriori can compute whether this surface requires side milling or kellering.

  • These GCDs are available for the Casting and Machining process groups.

The GCD details are as follows:

Cost drivers

Description

GCD

Name

The name and number that identifies the GCD. This information is an identifier only and is not used in any cost calculation.

Properties

Finished Area (mm2)

The area that requires finishing machining.

 

Max Tool Diameter (mm)

For surfaces, this is the largest tool diameter entering from a given setup axis without touching other part surfaces. If there is no limiting diameter, Max Tool Diameter = -1. For pockets and bulk removal, this is the diameter of the sphere used to calculate the pocket or bulk removal skin.

 

Tool Reach (mm)

The minimum tool reach required to contact the bottom surface from the part exterior in the direction of the setup axis. For an exterior surface, Tool Reach = 0.

 

Bend Diameter (mm)

The bend diameter of the surface. The surface’s smallest positive curvature (edges curved toward viewer). If there is no positive curvature, Bend Diameter = -1.

 

Threaded

Indicates the surface is threaded. Used with the "Thread Length (mm)" property (see below)

 

Thread Length (mm)

Used for threaded surfaces (Threaded = True) to indicate the extent of threading on the curved wall surface.

 

Tolerance/Profile of Surface (mm)

The most constraining tolerance among the dimensions defining the GCD. You can view it as a +/- tolerance. Tolerance is persisted and computed as a total tolerance by the system.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Roughness (µm)

The average roughness of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient surface finish capability to manufacture the

 

Circularity

The circularity tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Concentricity

The concentricity tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Cylindricity

The cylindricity tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Perpendicularity

The perpendicularity tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Runout

The runout tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Straightness

The straightness tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

On Bounding Box

Indicates whether the part’s face coincides with the bounding box. If true, the face coincides with the bounding box. This property allows the system to decide whether the required finish can be achieved simultaneously by the bulk milling operation.

 

Direction Type

Indicates the direction type. 1 = normal to surface, 2 = parallel to surface, and 3 = oblique to surface.

Technique

Requested

The technique selected by you. If you have not selected a technique, this field is set to auto select.

 

Selected

The technique used by aPriori. If the requested technique cannot be used, aPriori a technique that can be used.

Results

Time(s)

The time (in seconds) that it takes to machine the GCD or complete work on a technique. If there is more than one occurrence of the GCD or technique, this field shows the sum of the occurrences.

 

Surface Finishing Rate (mm3/sec)

The total volume finished per second.

 

Status

The costing status of the GCD or technique. A green icon indicates that costing was successful, a yellow icon indicates that costing succeeded with a warning, and a red icon indicates that costing failed.

Curved Surfaces

The Curved Surfaces GCD Type includes one or more CurvedSurface GCDs, each representing a GCD with areas of double curvature, requiring the use of a ballnose mill or equivalent rounded tool.

  • The machining process is always kellering.

  • For a curved surface, the tool is always assumed oblique to the surface.

  • aPriori does know during which setup that a curved surface will be machined, so there is no association with the axis ID.

  • These GCDs are available for the Casting and Machining process groups.

The GCD details are as follows

Cost drivers

Description

GCDs

Name

The name and number that identifies the GCD. This information is an identifier only and is not used in any cost calculation.

Properties

Finished Area (mm2)

The area that requires finishing machining.

 

Max Tool Diameter (mm)

For surfaces, this is the largest tool diameter entering from a given setup axis without touching other part surfaces. If there is no limiting diameter, Max Tool Diameter = -1. For pockets and bulk removal, this is the diameter of the of the sphere used to calculate the pocket or bulk removal skin.

 

Tool Reach (mm)

The minimum tool reach required to contact the bottom surface from the part exterior in the direction of the setup axis. For an exterior surface, Tool Reach = 0.

 

Bend Diameter (mm)

The bend diameter of the surface. The surface’s smallest positive curvature (edges curved toward viewer). If there is no positive curvature, Bend Diameter = -1.

 

Tolerance (mm)

The most constraining tolerance among the dimensions defining the GCD. You can view it as a +/- tolerance. Tolerance is persisted and computed as a total tolerance by the system.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Roughness (µm)

The average roughness of the GCD surface.


If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

Runout

The runout tolerance of the GCD surface.

If set to <unspecified>, aPriori assumes that the chosen manufacturing process and operations have sufficient tolerance capability to manufacture the GCD.

 

On Bounding Box

Indicates whether the part’s face coincides with the bounding box. If true, the face coincides with the bounding box. This property allows the system to decide whether the required finish can be achieved simultaneously by the bulk milling operation.

 

Direction Type

Indicates the direction type. 1 = normal to surface, 2 = parallel to surface, and 3 = oblique to surface.

Technique

Requested

The technique selected by you. If you have not selected a technique, this field is set to auto select.

 

Selected

The technique used by aPriori. If the requested technique cannot be used, aPriori a technique that can be used.

Results

Time (s)

The time (in seconds) that it takes to machine the GCD or complete work on a technique. If there is more than one occurrence of the GCD or technique, this field shows the sum of the occurrences.

 

Surface Finishing Rate (mm3/sec)

The total volume finished per second

 

Status

The costing status of the GCD or technique. A green icon indicates that costing was successful, a yellow icon indicates that costing succeeded with a warning, and a red icon indicates that costing failed.

Sharp Edge

The Sharp Edge GCD Type includes one or more SharpEdge GCDs, each representing a pair of surfaces intersecting along a zero or nearly zero radius internal or external edge.

  • This GCD is used to automatically identify surfaces to machine.

  • Below a certain radius, casting cannot produce a sharp enough edge. When this happens, the surfaces that the edge lies on must be machined.

  • Adjacent sharp edges (that is, with connecting endpoints) having the same radius and Convex value will be merged into a single edge.

  • These GCDs are available for the Casting process group.

Note: Sharp Edge GCDs are not viewable by default.

GCD details

Cost drivers    

Description

GCDs

Name

The name and number that identifies the GCD. This information is an identifier only and is not used in any cost calculation.

Properties

Edge Length (mm)

The length of the corner edge.

 

Round Radius (mm)

The radius of the round.

 

Convex

Indicates whether the edge is convex. If true, the edge is convex.

Technique

Requested

The technique selected by you. If you have not selected a technique, this field is set to auto select.

 

Selected

The technique used by aPriori. If the requested technique cannot be used, aPriori a technique that can be used.

Results

Time (s)

The time (in seconds) that it takes to machine the GCD or complete work on a technique. If there is more than one occurrence of the GCD or technique, this field shows the sum of the occurrences.