aPriori Releases New Software

aPriori, provider of design for manufacturability and cost (DFM/DTC) solutions, has released aPriori 2019 R2. This new software version includes upgrades to the company’s flagship product, aPriori Professional, plus a host of enhancements to the Cost Insight family of cloud-based applications. aPriori’s physics-based approach to simulating the manufacturing process for new product designs allows manufacturers to produce higher value products that capture greater market share, the company reports.

“Our customers are growing increasingly more sophisticated in their deployment of simulation software for product performance analysis in the early stages of design creation,” says aPriori Chief Product Officer Julie Driscoll. “Along with that, they are discovering the need to understand manufacturing cost as part of that analysis. Our recent announcement about our partnership with Autodesk and their Fusion 360 Generative Design platform underscores this growing trend towards quick, easy manufacturability analysis.”

Highlights of aPriori 2019 R2 Release

The new release expands the company’s portfolio of out-of-the-box (OOTB) manufacturing simulation cost models with the introduction of a new composite cost model and a new aluminum extrusion cost model. This release includes a host of upgrades to cloud applications Cost Insight Design and Cost Insight Report. aPriori 2019 R2 also provides a new approach for managing and updating Virtual Production Environment configurations and upgrades more efficiently. This latest release also includes more than 250 individual product enhancements driven through collaboration with the company’s global customer base.

New cost models available with this release include:

Composites: a new composites cost model is available for estimating the manufacturing cost of parts made from continuous fiber-reinforced composite materials. The initial release is targeted at part types, material types and layup processes common to the aerospace industry. The cost model supports both solid laminate parts and sandwich-structure parts containing honeycomb cores, made with thermoset resin materials (epoxy and phenolics).

This new cost model will provide customers with the capability to design and manufacture composite material products at optimal cost without compromising on safety or quality, according to the company.

Watch how aPriori can generate a detailed cost estimate in seconds for a new composite design.

Extrusions: a new extrusions cost model is now available for estimating the cost of parts made from custom aluminum extrusion profiles. It accounts for the cost of manufacturing the custom extrudates themselves, as well as the sawing, punching and machining operations needed to remove material and any bending operations needed to produce the finished part.

This new cost model will help companies simulate tradeoffs between traditional manufacturing processes (such as sheet metal forming/bending and/or machining) with more modern types of manufacturing techniques such as extrusions using aluminum material.

New Capabilities Added to Cost Insight Design 

aPriori 2019 R2 continues the company’s commitment to grow the suite of capabilities available for manufacturing simulation and costing in the cloud. New capabilities have been added to the Cost Insight Design application that enable design engineers to cost complete assemblies, control costing inputs and deliver expanded design for manufacturability and cost feedback. In addition, aPriori’s Cost Insight Report application for comprehensive management reporting & analysis is now available in the cloud.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.