By default aPriori evaluates the cost of performing Offline Blanking with a 1-out layout only. You can override the default, and tell aPriori to evaluate the cost of other layouts as well by selecting Yes for one or more of the Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout… setup options. aPriori will choose the lowest-cost layout.

If you do not want a 1-out layout to be considered, select No for this setup option.

If you are using Rectangular Nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), and you select Yes for this option, all Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout: 2 Out… setup options must be set to No (or the part will fail to cost).

By default aPriori evaluates the cost of performing Offline Blanking with a 1-out layout only. You can override the default, and tell aPriori to evaluate the cost of other layouts as well by selecting Yes for one or more of the Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout… setup options. aPriori will choose the lowest-cost layout.

Select Yes for this setup option to include evaluation of a 2-out, non-interlocking, mirrored layout. See Interlocking and Non-interlocking Layouts.

If you are using Rectangular Nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), and you select Yes for this option, Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout: 1 Out must be set to No (or the part will fail to cost).

By default aPriori evaluates the cost of performing Offline Blanking with a 1-out layout only. You can override the default, and tell aPriori to evaluate the cost of other layouts as well by selecting Yes for one or more of the Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout… setup options. aPriori will choose the lowest-cost layout.

Select Yes for this setup option to include evaluation of a 2-out, non-interlocking, rotated layout. See Interlocking and Non-interlocking Layouts.

If you are using Rectangular Nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), and you select Yes for this option, Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout: 1 Out must be set to No (or the part will fail to cost).

By default aPriori evaluates the cost of performing Offline Blanking with a 1-out layout only. You can override the default, and tell aPriori to evaluate the cost of other layouts as well by selecting Yes for one or more of the Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout… setup options. aPriori will choose the lowest-cost layout.

Select Yes for this setup option to include evaluation of a 2-out, interlocking, mirrored layout. See Interlocking and Non-interlocking Layouts.

If you are using Rectangular Nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), and you select Yes for this option, Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout: 1 Out must be set to No (or the part will fail to cost).

By default aPriori evaluates the cost of performing Offline Blanking with a 1-out layout only. You can override the default, and tell aPriori to evaluate the cost of other layouts as well by selecting Yes for one or more of the Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout… setup options. aPriori will choose the lowest-cost layout.

Select Yes for this setup option to include evaluation of a 2-out, interlocking, rotated layout. See Interlocking and Non-interlocking Layouts.

If you are using Rectangular Nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), and you select Yes for this option, Evaluate Strip Nesting Layout: 1 Out must be set to No (or the part will fail to cost).

With true-part nesting (see Material Utilization and Part Nesting for Transfer Die), specifies how aPriori will determine the blank’s angle within the part strip. The first two options attempt to find the angle that optimizes material utilization; the third option allows the user to specify the angle explicitly. Select one of the following options:

By default, aPriori’s strip nesting calculations determine whether 1 or 2 parts are stamped at a time. You can specify the number of concurrent parts explicitly with this setup option. Select one of the following:

By default, in order to minimize transfer pitch, aPriori orients the blank in the transfer press so that the width of the SWER (smallest-width enclosing rectangle--see Blank GCD) is parallel to the transfer pitch direction.

You can override the default, and specify that aPriori should base the transfer pitch on the SER, or specify that aPriori should base the transfer pitch on the SWER only if SER and SWER differ significantly. Select one of the following:

See also Blank XY Orientation.

By default, the blank is oriented in the transfer press so that the MainSurface’s East direction is up (if the pitch direction is left-to-right). The MainSurface’s East direction is listed in the Geometric Cost Drivers pane under the property East Direction (if transfer pitch is SER-based) or SWER East Direction (if transfer pitch is SWER-based)—see Determine Transfer Pitch Based on:.

You can override the default, and align the MainSurface’s East direction with a different direction within the transfer press. Select one of the following from the Transfer Press Blank Orientation dropdown list:

See also Blank XY Orientation.

Blank pitch is the extent of the flat pattern (with addendum, if any) along the direction of coil flow for offline blanking, supplemented by the part spacing width. By default, this is calculated using aPriori’s strip nesting algorithm. The default value is the sum of the following:

You can override the default with this option, which affects both material utilization and tooling sizes and costs. It is your responsibility to ensure that the overrides have legal results, for example, that the resulting blanks do not overlap.

Select one of the following options:

Coil width is determined by the extent of the flat pattern (with addendum, if any) in the direction perpendicular to the coil flow for offline blanking, supplemented by edge margins, as well as (for 2-out parts) part spacing width. By default, this is calculated using aPriori’s strip nesting algorithm.

The default value for a 1-out layout is the sum of the following:

The default value for a 2-out layout is the sum of the following:

You can override the default with this option, which affects material utilization, as well as tooling sizes and costs. Note that coil width is constrained by the setup option Minimum Strip Width.

Select one of the following options:

An offset to be added all around the perimeter of the flattened part.  You can enter a non-zero value in order to do one of the following:

Select one of the following options:

This option specifies the width of the extra space between the coil edge and the flat pattern. In aPriori starting point VPEs, the default value is 1.5 times the material thickness. VPE administrators can customize the thickness multiplier with the cost model variable defaultEdgeMarginWidthMultiplier.

Select one of the following options:

Select one of the following options:

Die components are heat treated by default. This option provides a dropdown list with the following items:

To override heat treatment, select No from the dropdown list.

By default, the material used for die plating depends on the base tool material (see Base Tool Material). High-strength materials use the plating specified by the cost model variable highStrengthMatlToolingCoatingType (DuplexVariantic in starting point VPEs). Base material S7 uses Nitride plating. Base material D2 uses CVD plating. Any other base material uses the plating specified by the cost model variable defaultToolingCoatingType (Nitride in starting point VPEs).

High-strength material is defined as material with a tensile yield strength of 344.74 Mpa in starting point VPEs. VPE administrators can customize this threshold with the cost model variable highStrengthMatlThreshold.

To specify plating material explicitly, select one of the following options:

This is used to determine tool plating costs. By default, base tool material is S7. To specify base tool material explicitly, select one of the following options:

Select one of the following options:

Select one of the following options:

Freight cost applied to tooling defaults to 0. To explicitly specify a tooling freight charge, enter a value greater than or equal to 0.

This is the cost for holding the completed tool in inventory prior to shipping. Total carrying cost applied to tooling defaults to 0. To explicitly specify a tooling carrying cost, enter a value greater than or equal to 0.

Total gage cost applied to tooling defaults to 0. To explicitly specify a tooling gage cost, enter a value greater than or equal to 0.

Total welding cost applied to tooling defaults to 0. To explicitly specify a tooling welding cost, enter a vale greater than or equal to 0.

If aPriori calculates a required width (see Coil Width) that is greater than this value, the part fails to cost. In aPriori starting point VPEs, the maximum allowable strip width is 1828.8mm, by default. VPE administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable maximumStripWidth. You can override the default for the current part with this setup option. Select one of the following:

This value constrains the choice of material stock. If aPriori calculates a required width (see Coil Width) that is less than this value, this value is used instead of the calculated value in order to determine material and tooling costs.

By default, the minimum allowable strip width is the calculated required strip width. You can override the default for the current part with this setup option. Select one of the following:

Do not use this setup option with starting point VPEs. The starting point model assumes that blanking is done offline, on a separate machine. The VPE can be configured for inline blanking—please contact aPriori Support or your aPriori Account Manager. A future release will add out-of-the-box support for inline blanking.

In aPriori Starting Point VPEs, bends are not scored by default. VPE administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultEnableScoringSetting. You can override the default with this PSO. Select one of the following options:

In aPriori starting point VPEs, in-die tapping is not enabled by default. VPE administrators can customize the default with the cost model variables defaultEnableInDieTapping. You can override the default with this PSO. Select one of the following options:

In aPriori Starting Point VPEs, flanged, threaded holes are not coined, by default. VPE administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultEnableCoiningSetting. You can override the default on a per-part basis with this PSO. Select one of the following options:

In aPriori Starting Point VPEs, flanged, threaded holes are not shaved, by default. VPE administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable defaultEnableShavingSetting. You can override the default with this PSO. Select one of the following options:

This setup option can affect the number of occurrences of the Draw operation required to produce a given form. Use this to override the default behavior for parts that use high-strength material. Increasing this value can increase the number of draws.

The number of draws required for deep, primary forms or curved bends is calculated based on the form width reduction produced by each draw. The lookup table drawReductionPrecentage lists the percentage of the pre-draw width that remains after a given draw (that is, initial draw, first subsequent draw, second subsequent draw, or third subsequent draw) for a given material thickness. For example, for the second subsequent draw of 1-inch-thick material, the table lists 81%. This means that the second subsequent draw (for 1-inch-thick material) results in a width that is 81% of the form’s width immediately prior to that occurrence of the draw operation.

For high-strength materials, the percentage listed in the lookup table is itself increased by 10 percent, by default in starting point VPEs. For example, for the second subsequent draw of 1-inch-thick material, the table value of 81% is increased by 10 percent to 81.8%, for high-strength material. VPE administrators can customize the 10 percent default with the cost model variable highStrengthMatlDeratePercent. You can override the default on a per-part basis with this PSO.

High-strength material is defined as material with a tensile yield strength of 344.74 Mpa in starting point VPEs. VPE administrators can customize this threshold with the cost model variable highStrengthMatlThreshold.

Select one of the following options:

This setup option specifies the difference between the part height and the height of the post component of the die. The default Part Height Allowance is specified by the cost model variable partHeightAllowance (12.7mm in starting point VPEs). Note that the post height is constrained by the value of Minimum Part Height Plus Allowance. That is, the post height is either the sum of the part height and Part Height Allowance, or the value specified by Minimum Part Height Plus Allowance, whichever is greater.

Post height affects die height. Die height (which affects tooling cost and machine selection) is the sum of the following:

Select one of the following:

This setup option constrains the height of the die post. The post height is either the sum of part height and Part Height Allowance, or the value specified by this option, whichever is greater. Select one of the following:

Specifies the number of posts that contribute to the die height. Die height, which affects tooling cost and machine selection, is the sum of the following:

Select one of the following:

By default, aPriori never includes IDLE stations in Transfer Die routings. With this setup option, you can enable the inclusion of die stations when aPriori deems them necessary.

With auto-inclusion enabled, aPriori may insert one or more IDLE stations to make room for cams. For example, an idle station may follow a cam trimming station if the trimmed edges require cams that are on the side of the part. Without auto-inclusion, aPriori assumes that the cams can be situated within the extent of the transfer pitch.

When an idle station is included, it compensates for the fact that a cam station’s die shoe width (plus inter-die spacing) exceeds the transfer pitch. The idle station die shoe width (plus inter-die spacing) is the transfer pitch minus the extra width required for the cams. Transfer pitch is the blank pitch—see Blank Pitch—plus twice the value of the cost model variable dieShoeWidthAllowance (203.2mm in starting point VPEs), plus the value of the cost model variable interDieSpacing (25mm in starting point VPEs).

Select one of the following options:

By default in starting point VPEs, shear force is calculated on the assumption that cluster punching is not used (that is, on the assumption of a single shear plane, with all GCDs pressed at the same time). VPE administrators can customize the default number of shear planes with the cost model variable numShearPlanes. In addition, users can override the default on a per-part basis with this setup option.

Multiple shear planes indicate the use of cluster punching, with different groups of GCDs pressed in a staggered fashion, rather than simultaneously. Required press force decreases as the number of shear planes increases. A decrease in required press force can sometimes lower costs due to selection of a lower-overhead machine.

By default in starting point VPEs, the cost model assumes that material scrap (such as trim scrap) is not sold for credit. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable enableScrapMaterialCredit (false in starting point VPEs). With this setup option, users can override the default on a per-part basis.

Enabling scrap material credit increases material utilization and decreases material cost. The credit rate is specified as a percentage of the material rate by the material property Scrap Cost Percent.

By default in starting point VPEs, the cost model assumes that the material from scrapped parts is not sold for credit. Administrators can customize the default with the cost model variable enableScrapPartCredit (false in starting point VPEs). With this setup option, users can override the default on a per-part basis.

Enabling scrap part credit increases material utilization and decreases material cost. This includes credit for parts scrapped by this process as well as by downstream processes. The credit rate is specified as a percentage of the material rate by the material property Scrap Cost Percent.

Default tool coating is Nitrided Steel. With this setup option, users can override the default on a per part basis, and choose from among the materials defined in the lookup table tblToolCoating.

Default tool material is specified by the tool shop variable Default Tool Material. With this setup option, users can override the default on a per part basis, and choose from among the materials defined in the tool shop.