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aPriori Technologies

aPriori Technologies

Overview

What is aPriori Technologies?

The aPriori Manufacturing Insights Platform automates and simulates the entire production process for a digital twin CAD model. The heart of the platform is its Digital Factories which generate an array of manufacturing data that can be used by product…

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Recent Reviews

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Sheet Metal-Process Group: Multiple users have praised the Sheet Metal-Process Group module for its ability to provide detailed operation …
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Never turning back!

9 out of 10
February 25, 2019
Presently it is being used within our Cost Modeling organization. The data and results are interpreted and fed into our engineering and …
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Pricing

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aP Pro

Custom

On Premise

aP Design

Custom

On Premise

aP Generate

Custom

On Premise

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

How Much Will My Design Cost? (2023)

YouTube
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Product Details

What is aPriori Technologies?

The aPriori Manufacturing Insights Platform automates and simulates the entire production process for a digital twin CAD model. The heart of the platform is its Digital Factories which generate an array of manufacturing data that can be used by product design teams, cost engineers and sourcing specialists to make better decisions daily.


What are Manufacturing Insights?

aPriori’s Manufacturing Insights Platform simulates each step of the product manufacturing process, including both primary and secondary operations. The data generated by a manufacturing simulation helps product teams to identify and eliminate any potential design or sourcing related issues that would either slow down or stop the production process and cause delays to a product launch or inflation of manufacturing costs.


Identify & Eliminate Manufacturing Obstacles Before They Slow Down Production

Digital Factories provide manufacturability analysis and directional costing that give design teams and engineers an incentive to design for manufacturing (DFM), reduce engineering change orders (ECOs), and launch products on schedule. Digital factories also provide sourcing teams with the capability to compare production environments across an extensive range of manufacturing criteria to evaluate fully burdened manufacturing costs and inform site selection. For a given product design, digital factories can be used to identify and select less expensive raw materials, cheaper manufacturing processes offering faster cycle times, and alternative finishing options.


What is Digital Factory Software?

An aPriori digital factory is a combination of two key elements: aPriori Regional Data Libraries and aPriori Manufacturing Process Models. Out-of-the-box digital factories are a baseline configuration for a production deployment. They provide benchmark estimates and manufacturing guidance. The analyses produced are based on general and reasonable manufacturing practices and average rates not specific to an individual industry. aPriori Digital Factories can be configured to represent specific manufacturing practices and cost structures of your internal facilities or even those of a trusted supplier.





aPriori Technologies Features

  • Supported: aPriori can be configured on-premise or as a cloud-based solution
  • Supported: aPriori solves for manufacturability and cost drivers early in the development process
  • Supported: aPriori measures greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout a manufacturer’s supply chain

aPriori Technologies Screenshots

Screenshot of aP ProfessionalScreenshot of aP DesignScreenshot of aP GenerateScreenshot of aP AnalyticsScreenshot of aP Workspace

aPriori Technologies Videos

aPriori: Making Profitability & Sustainability a Reality for Manufacturers Worldwide
How Manufacturing Simulation Builds a Resilient Product Innovation Process

aPriori Technologies Integrations

aPriori Technologies Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported CountriesUSA, EMEA, APAC

Frequently Asked Questions

Teamcenter, SOLIDWORKS, and FACTON ECP Suite are common alternatives for aPriori Technologies.

Reviewers rate Usability highest, with a score of 8.8.

The most common users of aPriori Technologies are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(16)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-12 of 12)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Abhijeet Singh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
aPriori is used to serve the following purpose: 1. To select strategic suppliers to procure parts 2. For make vs buy decision 3. Design engineers use to identify the cost of design 4. Selection of the right manufacturing process to manufacture a part 5. To validate the right suppliers, right manufacturing process, and the right location to procure. The end objective is to procure parts at optimal cost.
  • Design for manufacturing
  • Bulk cost
  • Vpe development
  • Defining the new Vpe or process
  • User defined costing
  • User defined process can be better
  • N/A
When you have a part this tool gives you multiple options with respect to that manufacturing feasibility. For example, if a sheet metal part can be manufactured using 5 processes this tool gives cost and it also helps to understand what will be challenged with machines and parts.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I found aPriori is a great tool that supports all stakeholders of any product lifecycle in the Design Development of Product Maintenance. Also found it as an excellent tool in the hands of a Designer to understand the impact of design on cost and identify design cost Issues and design rule violations early into the design phase. aPriori is also helping to understand the effect of alternate designs and processes.
  • Easy to understand algorithm.
  • In large databases, join and prune steps are easy to implement.
  • The resulting rules are intuitive and easy to communicate to an end user.
  • Dynamic itemset counting technique can add new candidate itemsets at any marked start point of the database during the scanning of the database.
  • The transaction reduction method reduces the number of transactions scanned in interactions. The transactions which do not contain frequent items are marked removed.
  • The sampling method picks a random sample from the database for frequent itemset. It may be possible to lose a global frequent itemset.
From my experience aPriori is a classical algorithm in data mining. It is used for mining frequent itemsets and relevant association rules. Also, it is devised to operate on a database containing a lot of transactions, for instance, items brought by customers in a store. Whereas aPriori requires high computation if the itemsets are very large and the minimum support is kept very low and the entire database needs to be scanned.
Pankaj Singh Routela | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use aPriori for our product should-costing which can be further used for negotiation with our suppliers. We also use aPriori for our cost down/NPD projects so that we can evaluate the design changes with respect to cost. In our organization, we are the only ones using this tool and supporting all the segments.
  • Excellent cost model maturity level
  • Reliable data library for different regions
  • Precise should-cost have well-defined cost drivers
  • Spreadsheet report flexibility with cost insights
  • Cutting parameters and logic for milling process need to be reviewed and refined
  • Super-finishing processes need to be added
aPriori is well suited for a sheet metal and plastic process group. In machining, it is somewhat good for the turning process but in the case of milling processes, aPriori needs to look seriously and come up with a refinement.
March 05, 2019

Fact-based costing

Narendran Dhanasekaran | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Product Cost Management :
At my organization we started product cost management three and half years ago, and I am responsible for all "cost down" related activities in the organization. We are also responsible for cost avoidance and target costing for the new products. we are all familiar with the tagline "Cost Before It Matters" and had a few workshops where we found the tool is very agile and able to cost using facts and data, which is critically important for survival in this fast moving-world and for being the best in the industry.

aPriori is essential in our department for activities such as:

  • Potential for current parts- Value- Base Negotiation [ Direct Savings from Current Suppliers]
  • Providing target cost for new products [ New Product Development]
  • Speed, innovation, capacity
  • Generating the Technical Ideas during the Supplier workshop , Idea Generation Workshops
Business Problem:

  • To meet the Negotiation Target for the suppliers- [ Fact- Based Negotiation]
  • Supplier Rationalization (Supplier Bench-marking)
  • Cost Break-up for the Parts (Quote Missing)
  • Most Economic ways of Producing the Parts in machining could be analysed
  • Negotiation with suppliers
  • Keeping the target cost for the new products i.e. cost avoidance
  • RFQ benchmarking
  • Producing results quickly
  • Reduced the RFQ response time drastically
  • Sheet Metal-Process Group, Transfer Die is at the Best, which gives detailed operation setup for the Parts as well as shows the number of parts in the Sheet i.e nested Loop thereby reducing the Scrap as well (Scrap Management)
  • Forging-Steel: Very good for for medium and complex medium Hot Forging type parts. Machine overhead data is very detailed where facts are used for the negotiation i.e Electricity Rate, Power, Labour Rate, Maintenance rate, etc.
  • Surface Treatment / Other Secondary Process such as powder coating, wet coat, electro plating: These all work well. We can also use masking options the treatment, In the event of of any leak tests or X-Ray inspections, we can add the process which will then account the pre/post operation time for the treatments
  • 2-Model Machining: Machines and routing combinations are huge and can be used to determine the most economic way to produce these parts. We can also override to find the supplier methodology and cost. It gives very detailed information on the feed rate, speed rate, and power capacity.
  • Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerating (GD&T) can be added on the GCD's which will help detect the super finishing process, which is another advantage. In the current 2016 R2 SP, aPriori can detect it from the CAD Models
  • Design to Cost feature, provides the design engineers as well as cost engineers to understand the which feature take most cycle time and whether changing that feature reduces the complexity in machining thereby cycle time can be reduced
  • Investment Casting Model: We have a basic model where we have captured all the processes involved, but when logic is being missed in the same in process, we have to fine-tune it to make it as effective as other process groups.
  • Powder Metal technology: Similarly, we need more process setup options in order to provide more logic for manufacturing. It does have the basic manufacturing setup
  • Mass Volume Machining: Transfer machines, swiss lathes need to be incorporated for Mass and high-speed machining
  • Forging: Hollow Forging as well as forging of Non-Ferrous metal need to addressed as the Forging cost is too high
I am using aPriori 2016 R2 SP1 currently and it has undergone a lot of updates since I started using it, and I strongly recommend for designers, and strategic buyers to estimate the cost of parts and products.

It integrates with CAD systems and is particularly useful for estimating costs for the following industrial processes:

Forging:
  • Excellent for medium size and medium complex parts
  • Weight range: 2-50 kg
  • Material: Steel
  • Forging: Hot Forging
Die Casting:
  • Best with good routing and machine selection according to the die size and part size
  • Melting Model need very little logic
  • Separate components for Melting and Casting i.e. cost can be derived for each activity
Machining of Casting/Forging:
  • Process group is the best for machining
  • Many routings where we can play with activating the turning setup / setup axis activation
  • We can experiment with different Routing and aPriori tells us why it cannot be done and gives useful data for redesign
  • Gives all Machining parameters i.e machine name, feed rate, speed running, power capacity, etc.
Surface Treatment:
  • We can use the Parts in the barrel or in rack for heat treatment
  • Masking can be done for painting parts
Other Process:
  • Testing processes also available i.e. X-Ray test, leak test etc...
Above all it is really great tool, and big thanks aPriori for enhancing the current technology and digitalization landscape!
February 27, 2019

Awesome aPriori

Andrew Arul Rose A | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
aPriori is used in our cost management team. We are support functions in our organization that are responsible for the cost analyses. Our analyses are used across the organization. The cost analyses used for value-based negotiations, New Product Development pricing, spend optimizations for suppliers, reverse engineering, and value tracking for various commodities etc., Processes are updated to maintain the maturity of the cost results we get from it.
  • Speed and capacity
  • Bulk costing
  • Detailed cost analysis involving complex geometries of parts
  • Cost insight design
  • Product Cost management support
  • Customization of the cost logic is tricky.
  • Full products costing & process involved in the proprietary parts are less or not available for costing
  • Sheet metal logics for costing may be improved.
  • Focus on Electronics Cost models
  • Electronics - Component Costings
On the fly costing is one of the good things aPriori has. Once the engineer does the design, he can check the cost immediately. So the cost avoidance part is very good. An engineer can optimize the design to cost. This helps to avoid engineering wasting time and supplier settlements will happen on time. The negotiations also will be very much fact based & supplier agreement happens faster.
February 25, 2019

Never turning back!

Tony Molica | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Presently it is being used within our Cost Modeling organization. The data and results are interpreted and fed into our engineering and procurement organizations. It addresses the desire to design and procure to specific profit points or better. With this tool, we are better able to hit our profit targets for projects.
  • Ability to model costs in multiple countries. In a short amount of time, we are able to make quick decisions as to a sourcing location, and provide good feedback to our purchasing organization, as well as our designers in relation to trouble areas (or cost driving features).
  • Ability to self develop processes whereby customizing to our own industry. There are many processes that are specific to my business, and in order to better understand the costs for them, we need to develop our own modeling capability. aPriori allows for this to take place seamlessly within their product by writing it into their code.
  • One of the best support organizations I've ever dealt with. I have used them extensively, with great success nearly every time.
  • Branch into more process groups for cost modeling capability.
  • Make system updates easier to integrate. It would be nice to have an update method similar to a Windows update.
  • Revise the material libraries to be globally centric instead of regional centric. This is for an update simplification perspective of data.
Great for running through multiple scenarios of parts for cost opportunities. Meaning, I have a part that I want to understand the cost differences between different grades of material, as well as different thicknesses. I'd also like to understand it's cost differences if it were a metal vs a plastic part. Lastly, for all of these differences, I'd also like to find the lowest cost country to source the part in. All of this is capable by generating multiple scenarios, and changing a few variables within each scenario.
Paul Immanuel | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We can imagine and dream about a product that we like, but when it comes to cost we take a wild guess. Being more realistic about cost by considering all of the parameters is an essential feature required by any customer in modern days—this is being fulfilled by aPriori. It also creates transparency inside the organization and more realistic cost. Greater efficiency/faster with greater accuracy.
  • Creating Transparency
  • Greater efficiency/faster results
  • Greater accuracy
  • Need competent user
In new product development, it is well suited to help show the cost of potential and early visibility to management.
Ricardo W.N. Denigres Fº MSc.PhD. | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use aPriori to have the best parts with a fair price with the right process/supplier. It is great software for NPI and renegotiation tasks. We use the reports to get fair prices and to develop a high-efficiency process at our supplier base.
  • Cost reduction
  • Tooling costs
  • Parts cost
  • Source decision
  • NPI - quotation
NPI is a must have since it is an area where the reports are helpful since we do not have that process in place. For current parts it is easier to decide on suppliers because we just moved to a similar process for suppliers, but it is also helpful to quantify the investments and the best process route.
December 01, 2017

Awesome Software

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
By a department Supply Chain.
  • Great calculating machining times
  • Good definition for part nesting
  • Easy way to compare different types of process
  • Lack of common processes, like roll threads
  • Weak for some sheet metal parts
  • List of materials is limited
The perfect scenario would be a machined piece with simple features and standard stock. Sheet metal without complex bends. Machining from a casting is a great example of the capabilities of the program and how well it can do it.
Marc-André Patry | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
aPriori is mostly used by two differents engineering development teams to know in real time the cost of a part/assembly/product. We have a costing simulation department who uses aPriori to give this feedback cost to the development team.

So, it helps in many ways:

  • Be quicker and more confident when we have a design decision to make for in-house development project
  • Give a fast quote to our customer in a build to print product
  • Remove the number of RFQ to our suppliers
We are also starting to use aPriori to set our manufacturing rate
  • Give visibility to cost really quickly
  • Be able to benchmark other regions of the world or other process/equipment that can be used to do the same part
  • Easily visualize the Geometric Cost Drivers that are more important
  • GIve some hints on where to work to get the cost down
  • Be more easy to customize without that much IT knowledge
  • Give more hints on how to reduce cost
  • Be able to build customize report
[It's] very powerful and useful. It became a must-have/"cannot live without it anymore" [tool[ very quickly throughout all the company. We were at ease waiting 1 or 2 weeks to get a price/quote and now, when people wait more than a day, it's too long for them. So far, we only use 20% of the software and cannot wait to see what we will do with it in the future. It could more be more customizable.
Heath Wall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
aPriori's ability to be calibrated and customized to our specific uses allows us to fill in the gaps. We especially like and use the Cost Model Workbench for the ability to create User Guided models which are not available as well as models we can use when 3D files are not available. One business area we have been able to work on is identifying gaps where we could not model costs in the past. Now we can build cost models to do those. This provides extra resources in providing target costs and is useful in supplier discussions.
  • The ability to create User Guided models which are not available as well as models we can use when 3D files are not available.
  • aPriori gives a lot of data as outputs. Would like to see a cleaner interface and one where we can get to the fields I want to see easier.
  • Customizing reports more simply would be a benefit as well.
I am continually impressed with all the features aPriori allows and has. The more you know...the more you can do. This is especially true within Cost Model Workbench and User Guided cost models. We are creating more and more capability by leveraging what we know along with aPriori's ability to let us code our own logic.
Sakthivel Chandran | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
aPriori helps us to clearly understand the cost structure and to establish the should cost models globally through our department. As it has the capability to calculate the cost directly from 3D models so we can have cost models for a wide range of configurations.
  • Fast cost calculation
  • Wide coverage of process group
  • Good frequency of data update
  • Sourcing
  • New product development
aPriori is well suited for organizations which has a demand in their cost structure.
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