Casting Cost Model Enhancements
• aPriori 2019 R2 includes the ability to account for the time and cost of Refractory Coating cores for Gravity Die Cast parts. (Support for refractory coating of molds and cores for sand casting was previously introduced in aPriori 2019 R1 SP1.) Refractory coatings also commonly are referred to as foundry coatings, protective coatings, washes, and blackings. The coating is designed to withstand the high temperatures of molten metal and act as a barrier between molten metal and a core or mold surface, which helps to improve the surface quality of the casting and reduce defects, rework and scrap.
Parts costed with the Gravity Die Cast routing in the Casting – Die process group now will have Core Refractory Coat and Refractory Coat Oven Dry processes automatically included for each core, to accounting for the time and cost associated with both applying and drying the coating for each individual core. Both labor cost and coating material cost are computed. The Routing Selection dialog can be used to exclude refractory coating for the entire part, if needed. The Routing Selection dialog also can be used to specify the drying method; by default, an oven drying process is applied but air drying may be chosen instead. Process Setup Options on the individual coring operations can be used to specify whether a specific core is coated, the application method for the core (spraying, brushing, or flow coating), the number of coating applications, and the preparation time required. Note that refractory coating was added previously to the Casting – Sand process group in aPriori 2019 R1 SP1.
The cost estimate for a gravity die-cast part in aPriori 2019 R2 will increase somewhat compared to the estimate in a previous release due to the inclusion of refractory coating. The amount of increase will vary based on the number and size of cores in the part. For a set of test parts, Piece Part Cost increased by an average of 2.8 and Cycle Time increased by an average of 4.7%.
For more information about the Refractory Coating and Refractory Drying processes, please see the 2019 R2 edition of the aPriori Professional Cost Model Guide.