Machine Feasibility and Selection

If aPriori is configured to automatically select a machine, it selects the machine with the lowest clamp force that satisfies all the feasibility rules.

The feasibility rules require all the following:

• The mold required for the part can fit on the machine.

• The clamp force required for the part can be achieved by the machine.

• The shot size required for the part can be provided by the machine.

More specifically, a machine is feasible only if all the following are true:

• Machine clamp force is greater than or equal to the required force.

• Machine maximum shot size (Shot Size property) is greater than or equal to the required shot size.

• Horizontal machine tie bar distance is greater than or equal the horizontal dimension of the mold base.

• Vertical machine tie bar distance is greater than or equal to the vertical dimension of the mold base.

• Machine maximum mold height is greater than or equal to the mold base height.

aPriori calculates the mold dimensions, clamp force, and shot size required for a given part based on a number of factors, including the number of cavities in the mold. The number of cavities defaults to one, but can be specified in Process Setup Options or calculated by aPriori. Calculation of required shot size, required clamp force, and number of cavities is described in more detail in Required Shot Size, Required Clamp Force, and Number of Mold Cavities, and Mold Dimensions.

To manually select a machine for a given process, select Edit > Routing Selection in the Manufacturing Process pane, right-click on the process in the Routing Selection window, and select Machine Selection from the context menu (see also Selecting a machine for an operation in Manufacturing Process Information).