• Number of cavities: By default, the number of mold cavities is the maximum number of cavities that can fit on the selected machine. With this option, you can override the default and specify the number of cavities, or direct aPriori to calculate the number of cavities that minimizes total cost. See Number of Mold Cavities for Die Casting for more information.

• Mold Material: The default mold material is specified by the toolshop variable Default Tool Material Name (in starting point VPEs, this is P20 Tool Steel for High Pressure Die Casting and 4140 Tool Steel for Gravity Die Casting). To override the default, select a material from the dropdown list. See also Tooling for Die Casting.

• Tolerances: By default, the mold is assumed to accommodate a part with medium tolerance (+/- 0.005mm). To override the default, select high (+/- 0.002mm) or low (+/-0.01mm) tolerance from the dropdown list. This tolerance setting affects tooling labor costs. See also Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Maximum Wall Thickness: By default, maximum wall thickness is determined by geometry extraction on the CAD model. Specify a value to verride the default. Maximum wall thickness affects cooling time. See High Pressure Die Casting and Gravity Die Casting Process Formulas.

• SG&A Rate: By default, the assumed percentage of tooling costs attributable to sales, general, and administrative costs is specified by the toolshop variable SG&A Rate (9.91% in starting point VPEs). Enter a value between 0 and 100 to override the default. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Margin Rate: By default, the assumed markup for tooling costs is specified by the toolshop variable Mark Up Rate (6% in starting point VPEs). Enter a value between 0 and 100 to override the default. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Stress Relief Mold: By default, costs for stress relief are not included in mold costs. To override the default, select Yes from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling services costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Mold Base Size – Length: By default, mold dimensions are calculated from part dimensions, constrained by certain toolshop variables. To override the default, enter a value. This setting affects tooling material costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Mold Base Size – Width: By default, mold dimensions are calculated from part dimensions, constrained by certain toolshop variables. To override the default, enter a value. This setting affects tooling material costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Core Plate Height: By default, the core plate thickness priori to machining is calculated based on part height and values looked up in the table tblCorePlateDepthBorder. To override the default, enter a value. This setting affects tooling material costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Cavity Plate Height: By default, the core plate thickness priori to machining is calculated based on part height and values looked up in the table tblCorePlateDepthBorder. To override the default, enter a value. This setting affects tooling material costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Small Slides or Side Cores: By default, this is determined by geometry extraction and the value of the cost model variable smallSlideBundleWidthThreshold. To override the default, enter a value less than or equal to 128. This setting affects tooling material costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Medium Slides or Side Cores: By default, this is determined by geometry extraction and the values of the cost model variables smallSlideBundleWidthThreshold and mediumSlideBundleWidthThreshold. To override the default, enter a value less than or equal to 128. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Large Slides or Side Cores: By default, this is determined by geometry extraction and the value of the cost model variable mediumSlideBundleWidthThreshold. To override the default, enter a value less than or equal to 128. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Heat Treating of Mold: By default, costs for heat treatment are not included in mold costs. To override the default, select Yes from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling services costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Cavity Texture: By default, costs for texturing are not included in mold costs. To override the default, select a texture type (fine-shallow, moderate-medium, or coarse-deep) from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Plating of the Mold: By default, costs for plating are not included in mold costs. To override the default, select a plating type (Nickel, Nitride, Chrome, Teflon, or Tribo-Coating) from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling services costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Freight Rate: By default, tooling freight costs are specified by the tool shop variable Freight Rate (0 in starting point VPEs). To override the default, enter a cost per unit mass.

• Select Ejector Box Material: The default ejector box material is specified by the toolshop variable Default Tool Material Name (in starting point VPEs, this is P20 Tool Steel for High Pressure Die Casting and 4140 Tool Steel for Gravity Die Casting). To override the default, select a material from the dropdown list. See also Tooling for Die Casting.

• ImportDuty Rate: By default, tooling import duty costs are specified by the tool shop variable Duty Rate (0 in starting point VPEs). To override the default, enter a cost per unit mass.

• Mold Construction: Mold bases can be either standard or custom—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting. The default is specified by the cost model variable defaultMoldConstruction (standard, in starting point VPEs). To override the default, select a value from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling material costs.

• Parting Line Complexity: By default this is determined by geometry extraction. To override the default, select a value from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling labor costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Select Material for the Slides: The default slide material is specified by the toolshop variable Default Tool Material Name (in starting point VPEs, this is P20 Tool Steel for High Pressure Die Casting and 4140 Tool Steel for Gravity Die Casting). To override the default, select a material from the dropdown list. See also Tooling for Die Casting.

• Cavity Finish: With High Pressure Die Casting, by default, costs for a finish on the mold cavity are not included in mold costs. For Gravity Die Casting, costs for a Grain finish on the mold cavity are included. To override the default, select a finish type (None, Stone, Grain, or Lens) from the dropdown list. This setting affects tooling services costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Select EDM Electrode Material: The default electrode material is Carbon. To override the default, select a material from the dropdown list (Carbon or Copper). This setting affects tooling material costs--see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Core Pins: By default, the number of core pins is calculated by aPriori. To override the default, specify a number less than or equal to 128. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Unscrewing Mechanisms: By default, the number of unscrewing mechanisms is calculated by aPriori. To override the default, specify a number less than or equal to 64. This setting affects tooling costs—see Tooling Cost for Die Casting.

• Number of Runners: By default the gating system is assumed to have a single runner, if the mold has a single cavity; for molds with multiple cavities, the default number of runners is half the number of cavities (rounded up to the nearest whole number of runners). Users can specify the number of runners with this option. See the formulas for Runner Volume and Runner Area in Gating System Formulas.

• Number of Ingates: Gravity Die Casting only. By default, there is one ingate for every 6 inches of part length, in starting point VPEs. This distance is specified by the cost model variable ingateGap. This is the maximum distance between ingates for a given cavity. With this setup option, you can override the default, and specify the number of ingates explicitly.

• Surface Quality of Part: High Pressure Die Casting only. By default, part surface quality is 3 (Some porosity, some knit lines), but users can override the default with this option. Part surface quality affects calculations related to the gating system--see the formulas for Ingate Area and Inject Time in Gating System Formulas.

• Part Eject Method: By default in starting point VPEs, the part eject method is Gravity. You can customize the default with the cost model variable gravityEject. You can override the default on a part-by-part basis with this setup option. Specify Gravity or Robotic. The eject method affects part removal time, as well as mold open and close time. See High Pressure Die Casting and Gravity Die Casting Process Formulas.