Weld GCDs
The Weld GCDs include:
• Pro Welds: created in the CAD model, through the use of Creo with the Pro/Welds module.
Note: Pro welds are available in aPriori only when you are working in Creo Direct Integration mode.
• Virtual Welds: created in the aPriori Viewer, with the Welding tool. See Virtual welds in Using the component viewer tools and commands.
These GCDs are available for the Assembly process group. Each weld GCD represents an individual weld on the assembly. The GCD details include:
Cost drivers | Description | |
|---|---|---|
GCDs | Name | The number that identifies the weld. This information is an identifier only and is not used in any cost calculations. |
Type | The type of weld. Possibilities include Fillet, Square Groove, V-Groove, J-Groove, U-Groove, Bevel Groove, Flared V-Groove, Flared Bevel Groove, Plug, Spot, Slot, Tack, and Wrap Tie. Certain less-common weld types of Creo Welds, such as butt welds, are not fully supported by aPriori. If such a weld is imported into aPriori, the Type property is set to UNKNOWN, and the weld fails to cost. You can edit the weld to select one of the available weld types, in order to approximate the cost. | |
Properties | Interval | Indicates whether the weld is intermittent/pattern or continuous/individual. |
Total Length (mm) | The total length of a weld. | |
Width (mm) | The face width of the weld; for fillet welds, this is the leg 1 length. | |
Depth (mm) | The depth of the weld; for fillet welds, this is the leg 2 length. | |
Segment Length (mm) | The length of the weld segment in an intermittent/pattern weld. | |
Pitch (mm) | Distance from beginning to beginning of an intermittent/pattern MIG weld or spot weld. | |
# Segments | The number of segments used in an intermittent/pattern weld. | |
CSA (mm2) | The cross sectional area of the weld (where applicable). | |
Volume (mm3) | The total finished volume of material in the weld. | |
Technique | Method | Indicates whether the weld method is robotic/automated or manual. |
Status | Indicates whether the GCD is costable in aPriori. Green indicates that the GCD is costable; red indicates that the GCD is not costable. | |
You can edit certain weld properties, such as Type, Depth, and Width, by right-clicking a Weld GCD (in the Manufacturing Process or Geometric Cost Drivers pane) and selecting Edit Operation. The Welding dialog is displayed in the lower right-hand pane of the Operation Sequence dialog:
This dialog allows you to specify Type, Width, Depth, Segment Length, Pitch, and Total Length, as well the Production Mechanism for the weld (Manual or Robotic). aPriori computes the weld’s Volume, CSA (cross-sectional area), and Number of Segments based on the other properties.
Note that overriding a Pro weld in aPriori does not affect the definition of the weld in the Creo CAD model. However, the overrides remain in effect in aPriori, even as the CAD model is updated in Creo. To remove the overrides for a given Pro Weld GCD, and revert to using the CAD-defined values, open the Cost Overrides Summary dialog, right-click the weld(s) of interest, and select Remove Override from the popup menu.
In some cases, if aPriori is unable to obtain the width of a Pro weld from the values specified in the CAD model, it estimates the width from the actual as-modeled surface weld geometry (for "surface-type" welds), or it estimates the width based on the weld depth. For more information, see Pro Welds in the Assembly Welds section of the Assembly Process Group chapter in the Cost Model Guide.
If aPriori is unable to obtain the width of a Pro weld from the values specified in the CAD model, and it uses neither of the above estimation methods, the width is set to 0.
aPriori sets to 0 width, depth, and length values that it is unable to obtain or estimate. Welds with 0-valued width, depth, or length have 0 volume. In starting point VPEs, such welds fail to cost. To address missing dimension values, users can either update the Creo model parameters in Creo, or override the weld properties in aPriori.
See also Virtual welds.