Machines and materials

Machine parameters

Every machine has a technology, an hourly rate, a work envelope, a number of axes and a minimum tool radius. Technologies:

• milling;
• turning;
• mill-turn centre: a turning centre with driven tools, which can also mill prismatic parts once its milling work zone is entered;
• sliding-headstock bar automatic.

These values determine both the price and the feasibility. A part larger than the work envelope, or with an internal radius smaller than the smallest available cutter, goes to review instead of receiving an automatic price.

The “How this machine runs” section holds the cost parameters of the machine: setup effort, tools cutting in parallel, operator attendance in minutes per piece, minimum cycle and, on a lathe, the minimum length-to-diameter ratio. An empty field does not mean zero: the value is then derived from the technology, and the field shows that default as its placeholder. Fill in only the fields that differ on the given machine. The minimum batch is under “Your figures”, next to the hourly rate. The guide bushing and the driven tools are under “Capabilities (affect the price)”.

The editor of a new machine opens with a search of the machine catalogue. Picking a model copies the manufacturer's published figures: class, travels, spindle, magazine and table load. The hourly rate, the minimum batch and the tooling are not copied; the shop sets them. A later correction in the catalogue does not change a machine that was already added.

A machine can have a tool list. Once the list contains endmills (on a lathe, turning inserts), the smallest of them replaces the entered minimum tool radius, and holes, pockets and threads are priced with the tools in the list. The panel shows the resulting radius under the tool table. An empty list changes nothing: every feature is then priced with generic tooling. Without a tool list, a hole up to 25 mm in diameter is priced as drilled and a larger one as circle-milled (interpolated). To have a larger hole priced as drilled, add a drill of that diameter to the list.

A rotational part is priced on a mill only when it is a disc (length up to 0.5 × diameter) or the mill has at least 4 axes. Longer rotational parts (bushes, shafts) are priced on lathes only; when no lathe can take one, the quote goes to review with a refusal stating the length-to-diameter ratio. Turned parts are priced from commercial bar stock:

• the diameter is rounded up to a stockist's catalogue series: 1 mm steps from 3 to 20 mm, wider steps above that, up to 300 mm;
• a minimum purchase length applies (500 mm by default) up to a bar diameter of 150 mm; above it the blank is a sawn slice with no surplus.

Material parameters

A material requires a price per kilogram, a density and removal rates (MRR for roughing and a separate one for turning). The starter library contains 39 grades with EN, DIN and W-Nr designations: aluminium, structural and free-cutting steels, alloy and tool steels, stainless steels, brass, bronze and copper, and plastics. For a library material, overwrite only the supplier price. A new material can also be created from scratch.

The kind of material determines what the customer is offered: plastics get no ISO 286 hole fits and no Ra 0.8 finish, because neither the standard nor machining practice provides for them. Added to the material price:

• a fixed procurement cost per order line (20 by default);
• optionally, a percentage overhead (0 by default), intended only for a shop that entered a list price instead of the price it actually pays;
• for a blank sawn to size, two charges: one per order and one per piece (both 0 by default).