Manufacturing process models for AI should-cost
Matterize models 50+ manufacturing processes across 200+ materials - from sheet metal stamping and welding to casting, forging, injection molding and CNC machining - to generate accurate, bottom-up should-cost and design-for-manufacturability analysis directly from a 3D CAD model.
Processes we model
Jump to any process to see what Matterize models and the cost drivers it captures.
Sheet Metal Stamping
Matterize models tandem and transfer stamping for medium-to-high-volume sheet-metal parts, from blank nesting through to final form.
What Matterize models
- Blank size, nesting and strip layout
- Press tonnage and strokes per minute
- Number of forming stations and die complexity
- Material utilization and scrap
Typical cost drivers
Materials
Cold-rolled and HSLA steel, stainless, aluminum.
Welding
MIG, TIG and spot welding modeled from joint geometry and weld length through cycle time, consumables and fixturing.
What Matterize models
- Weld length, passes and joint preparation
- Arc-on time and cycle time per joint
- Wire, gas and consumable usage
- Fixturing and weld inspection effort
Typical cost drivers
Materials
Carbon and alloy steel, stainless, aluminum.
Casting
Die casting, sand casting and investment casting are modeled from cavity layout and gating through to yield and machining allowance.
What Matterize models
- Cavity count and cycle time
- Gating, runners and yield
- Tooling / pattern amortization
- Post-cast machining allowance
Typical cost drivers
Materials
Aluminum, zinc, magnesium, ductile and grey iron, steel alloys.
Forging
Open- and closed-die forging modeled from billet sizing and forging force through die life and trimming.
What Matterize models
- Billet mass and pre-form
- Forging force and number of blows
- Die life and amortization
- Heating energy and flash / scrap
Typical cost drivers
Materials
Carbon and alloy steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium.
Injection Molding
Thermoplastic injection molding modeled from cavitation and cycle time through mold cost and part geometry.
What Matterize models
- Cavitation and cycle time
- Mold / tooling cost over volume
- Wall thickness and cooling
- Material grade and regrind
Typical cost drivers
Materials
ABS, PP, PA (nylon), PC, glass-filled and engineering polymers.
CNC Machining
3- to 5-axis milling and turning modeled from stock removal and material removal rate through setups and tolerances.
What Matterize models
- Cycle time from material removal rate
- Number of setups and fixturing
- Tooling and tool wear
- Tolerance and surface-finish effort
Typical cost drivers
Materials
Aluminum, steel, stainless, titanium, brass, engineering plastics.
Plus 50+ more processes including laser and waterjet cutting, tube bending, extrusion, additive manufacturing, heat treatment and powder coating.
See it in action on the Should-Costing or via CAD-to-cost.
Frequently asked questions
Which manufacturing processes does Matterize model?
How does Matterize model cost for each process?
Can Matterize compare processes for the same part?
Which materials are supported?
Cost your part, whatever the process
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