• Labor-dependent process time (see formula)

• Labor time standard: specified as the machine property Labor Time Standard. This multiplier is used to account for otherwise unaccounted for factors that affect labor time, such as operator fatigue or time spent by the operator for cleaning or maintenance.

• Part handling labor time (see formula)

• Labor-independent process time (see formula)

• Labor-dependent process time (see formula)

• Number of operators: by default, this is specified by the machine property Number of Operators. Users can override the default on a per-part basis with the setup option Number of Operators.

• Cycle time adjustment factor: specified by the cost model variable cycleTimeAdjustmentFactor (1 in starting point VPEs). VPE administrators can change the cost model variable to globally adjust cycle times for Composites.

• Cure time (see formula)

• Part handling elapsed time (see formula)

• Part handling labor time (see formula)

• Thermocouple connect time (see formula)

• Thermocouple disconnect time: this is the same as thermocouple connect time (see formula)

• Ramp up time (see formula)

• Dwell time: this is the value of the material property Cure Dwell Time for the type of material with the longest Cure Dwell Time among those types of materials that are used by the part.

• Ramp down time (see formula)

• Resin cure temperature: this is the value of the material property Cure Hold Temperature for the type of material with the highest Cure Hold Temperature among those types of materials that are used by the part.

• Resin cure ramp up start temperature: specified by the cost model variable resinCureRampUpStartTemperature (30°C in starting point VPEs).

• Resin temp ramp up rate: this is the value of the material property Cure Temperature Ramp Up Rate for the type of material with the lowest Cure Temperature Ramp Up Rate among those types of materials that are used by the part.

• Resin cure temperature: this is the value of the material property Cure Hold Temperature for the type of material with the highest Cure Hold Temperature among those types of materials that are used by the part.

• Resin cure finish temperature: specified by the cost model variable resinCureRampDownFinishTemperature (40°C in starting point VPEs)

• Resin temp ramp down rate: this is the value of the material property Cure Temperature Ramp Down Rate for the type of material with the lowest Cure Temperature Ramp Down Rate among those types of materials that are used by the part.

• Part handling elapsed time (see formula)

• Number of operators: specified by the machine property Number of Operators.

• Part load time (see formula)

• Part unload time: specified by the cost model variable moveIntoAutoclaveTime (300 seconds in starting point VPEs).

• Move to autoclave cell time: looked up by tool length and tool width in the Tool Handling Time column of the lookup table tblHandlingTimes.

• Move into autoclave time: specified by the cost model variable moveIntoAutoclaveTime (300 seconds in starting point VPEs).

• Thermocouple connection rate: this is the time required to connect a single thermocouple to its sensor. It is specified by the cost model variable thermocoupleConnectionRate (20 seconds in starting point VPEs).

• Thermocouples total num required: this is the total number of thermocouples required for the part. By default it is calculated based on tool surface area (see formula). Users can override the default with the setup option Number of Thermocouples.

• Upper surface area of part: half the part’s Surface Area.

• Thermocouple application density: specified by the cost model variable thermocoupleApplicationDensity (465,000mm2 in starting point VPEs). This is the maximum upper surface area of the part that can be covered by an individual thermocouple.