Geometric Inputs

This section covers the Process Setup Options (PSOs) that serve as substitutes for the geometry extraction performed by GCD-driven cost models.

The following start part image provides an overview of the relevant, user-supplied, geometric values:

Follow these guidelines to ensure that your part will cost:

1 Create a virtual part and use the settings from an approriate start part (select or search for the start part scenario from the Recently Used Settings menu of the Cost Guide’s Production Scenario tab—see Using Settings from a Start Part).

2 Open the User Guided node in the Process and Machine Options tab of the Cost Guide. Supply a nonzero value for the required PSO Part Volume.

3 Open the Sheet Metal PG node in the Process and Machine Options tab of the Cost Guide. Supply a nonzero value for all the following required PSOs:

o Thickness of Part

o Length of the flat pattern’s Smallest Enclosing Rectangle

o Width of the flat pattern’s Smallest Enclosing Rectangle

Ensure that Length of the flat pattern’s Smallest Enclosing Rectangle is greater than or equal to Width of the flat pattern’s Smallest Enclosing Rectangle.

4 If your routing includes surface treatment or other secondary processes, supply nonzero values for all the following PSOs (the Sheet Metal PG node):

o Length of the finished part’s Bounding Box

o Width of the finished part’s Bounding Box

o Height of the finished part’s Bounding Box

Ensure that Length of the finished part’s Bounding Box is greater than or equal to Width of the finished part’s Bounding Box, and that Width of the finished part’s Bounding Box is greater than or equal to Height of the finished part’s Bounding Box.

5 If your routing includes surface treatment, supply a non-zero value for the PSO Surface Area of Part (in the Sheet Metal PG node).

6 Open the Stage Tooling Routing node. Supply a non-zero value for Perimeter of the flat pattern blank. Supply a value for all the other required PSOs; if you or your start part supplies a value greater than 0, also supply consistent values for the associated, conditionally required PSOs. Each required PSO’s associated conditionally required PSOs are listed below, together with their consistency requirements.

7 Open the Stage Tooling node. If you or your start part supplies values for the optional PSO Number of Flanged or Countersunk Holes, also supply consistent values for the associated, conditionally required PSOs Number of UP Flanged or Countersunk Holes and Number of DOWN Flanged or Countersunk Holes, and ensure that the UP and DOWN values sum to the total number of flanged or countersunk holes.

The following table lists the Progressive Die Routing node required PSO’s. Any associated conditionally required PSOs are shown together with their consistency requirements:

Stage Tooling Routing node Required PSO	Associated Conditionally Required PSO
 Perimeter	None
 Number of Holes	 Total Perimeter
 Number of Bends	 Total Length  Number of UP Bends  Number of DOWN Bends Ensure that total perimeter is nonzero and that the number of UP and DOWN bends sums to Number of Bends.
 Number of Forms	 Total Perimeter  Total Depth of Forms  Number of UP Forms  Number of DOWN Forms Ensure that total perimeter is nonzero and that the number of UP and DOWN forms sums to Number of Forms.

The following table lists the Stage Tooling node optional PSO that has associated conditionally required PSOs. The associated conditionally required PSOs are shown together with their consistency requirements:

Stage Tooling node Optional PSO	Associated Conditionally Required PSOs
 Number of Flanged or Countersunk Holes	 Number of UP Flanged or Countersunk Holes  Number of DOWN Flanged or Countersunk Holes Ensure that these values sum to Number of Flanged or Countersunk Holes.

The Progressive Die node has several other important geometric PSOs. All the geometric PSOs are described in detail in the following sections:

 User Guided Node

 Sheet Metal PG Node

 Stage Tooling Routing Node

 Stage Tooling Node

Non-geometric PSOs are described in Additional User Inputs.