GCD Extraction for Plastic Molding
When you choose the Plastic Molding process group, aPriori analyzes your part in terms of geometric cost drivers (GCDs) that include
Surfaces,
Holes,
Voids, and
Combo Voids, as well as the
Parting Line,
Draw Direction (see
How aPriori Selects Draw Direction fir Plastic Molding), and slide and lifter
Bundles (see
How aPriori Assigns Holes and Voids to Slides and Lifters). As usual, there is a special GCD,
Component, that represents the part as a whole.
For plastic molding parts, the part height dimension is always aligned with the draw direction. Part length is the longer of the remaining dimensions, and part width is the shorter. (Note that this applies only to process groups that involve a parting line, draw direction, or build direction; for other primary process groups, part length >= part width >= part height.)
Following are some of the important properties of each of these GCD types:
• Component:
o Volume (mm3)
o Surface Area (mm2)
o Length, Width, and Height (millimeters)
o Number of Surfaces
o Min Thickness, Max Thickness, and Avg Thickness (millimeters)
o Length Direction, Width Direction, and Height Direction: each of these is a unit vector, two of whose components are 0 (the other component is 1 or -1). These vectors can be compared with the Direction vector of another GCD (such as a Setup Axis) in order to determine whether the GCD’s direction is aligned with the part’s length, width, or height.
• Parting Line:
o Draw Direction
o Height (millimeters)
o Parting Type
o Projected Area (mm2)
• Surfaces (Curved Surface, Curved Wall, and Planar Face):
o Finished Area (mm2)
o Bend Diameter (millimeters)
o Perimeter (millimeters)
o SER Length and SER Width (smallest enclosing rectangle dimensions in millimeters)
o Corner Diameter (millimeters)
o Inside Diameter (millimeters)
o Number of Surfaces
o Fillet Min Angle and Fillet Max Angle (degrees)
o Round Radius (millimeters)
o Round Length (millimeters)
Holes (Simple Hole, Multistep Hole):
o Diameter (millimeters),
o Length and Depth (millimeters)
o Volume (mm3)
o Surface Area (mm2)
o Maximum diameter and Minimum diameter (millimeters—for multistep holes)
o Step count (for multistep holes)
o Hole type (THROUGH or BLIND)
o Blind, Sleeve Pin, Threaded, Countersunk, and Flanged (TRUE or FALSE)
o Accessibility (THROUGH, OBSCURED, SIDE_A, SIDE_ B, or UNDERCUT--determines operation sequence and tooling requirements.)
• Volumes (Void, Combo Void):
o Box Length, Box Width, Box Height (millimeters)
o Excluded from Bundling (boolean)
o Exposed Area (mm2)
o Number of Surfaces
o Number of Openings
o Perimeter (mm)
o Surface Area (mm2)
o Tool Reach (millimeters)
o Volume (mm3)
o Maximum Tool Diameter (millimeters)
o Parting Line Draw Distance (millimeters)
o Accessibility (THROUGH, OBSCURED, SIDE_A, SIDE_ B, or UNDERCUT--determines operation sequence and tooling requirements.)