Predictika · Precision alloy strip orders

An AI sales agent's copper beryllium strip order, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares an order for Alloy 25 (C17200) copper beryllium strip with its temper, thickness, width, thickness tolerance, tensile strength, bend requirement and age-hardening plan. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the Materion data sheet and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: Alloy 25 (C17200) strip orders: eight tempers, thickness and width range, standard thickness tolerance, typical tensile range, bend limits and age hardening. See everything this validator covers

This validator models orders for Alloy 25 (C17200) strip using the figures in the public Materion Alloy 25 strip data sheet, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Temper and age hardening — the eight tempers the data sheet lists (A, 1/4 H, 1/2 H, H and the age-hardened AT, 1/4 HT, 1/2 HT, HT). Heat treatment is 600 degrees Fahrenheit, with a 3-hour soak for A and 2 hours for the other tempers; ordering an already age-hardened temper and planning to age it again is blocked.
  • Size and tolerance — thicknesses from 0.0020 to 0.188 inch and widths from 0.050 to 16 inches; the standard thickness tolerance depends on nine thickness bands up to 0.0750 inch, a tighter tolerance goes to a sales engineer, and above 0.0750 inch the data sheet gives no standard tolerance.
  • Strength and bends — the typical tensile strength range of the temper the strip will be in (after age hardening if planned), and the minimum bend radius to thickness ratio in the longitudinal and transverse directions, which the data sheet gives only for the A, 1/4 H, 1/2 H and H tempers in strip 0.010 inch and thinner.

Any Alloy 25 strip order that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (Materion does not publish strip prices, so this validator produces no price build-up or line-item quote), whether a temper is stocked in a given gauge, guaranteed property values (the data sheet gives typical values, so strength figures inside the range go to a sales engineer), other strip alloys, and other forms such as rod, bar, plate and tube.

The AI sales agentBuilds the strip order from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Thickness tolerance that depends on nine thickness bandsOnly with care
The standard tolerance is a table by thickness band, and a stated tolerance has to be compared with the band the thickness falls in; the bands stop at 0.0750 inch.		The band, the standard tolerance and the comparison are computed on every call.
Which temper results from age hardening, and the soak timeOnly with care
A, 1/4 H, 1/2 H and H become AT, 1/4 HT, 1/2 HT and HT; the soak is 3 hours for A and 2 hours for the rest, and the strength range depends on the result.		The resulting temper, the soak requirement and the strength range follow from the temper and the plan in any order.
Bend limits by temper and direction, only for thin stripOnly with workarounds
The data sheet gives bend ratios for four tempers in two directions and says they apply to strip 0.010 inch and thinner; every other case needs a person.		Tighter-than-listed bends block; bends with no published data go to approval.
Tensile strength against a typical rangeOnly with care
The data sheet gives typical ranges, not guarantees, so a figure above the range is impossible but a figure inside it needs a person to confirm.		Above the range blocks, inside the range goes to approval, at or below the bottom passes.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order is saved or a step is completed, so a person often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1A strip thickness of 0.0019 inch is outside the 0.0020 to 0.188 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
2The data sheet standard thickness tolerances stop at 0.0750 inch; thicker strip follows ASTM B 248 and the exact tolerance must be confirmed with a sales engineer.
3A strip thickness of 0.1881 inch is outside the 0.0020 to 0.188 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
4A strip width of 0.049 inches is outside the 0.050 to 16 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
5A strip width of 16.001 inches is outside the 0.050 to 16 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
6The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00014 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00015 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
7The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00015 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00020 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
8The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00030 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00040 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
9The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00040 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00060 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
10The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00099 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00100 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
11A tensile strength of at least 86 ksi lies inside the typical range of 85 to 100 ksi; the data sheet gives typical values, not a guaranteed minimum, so a sales engineer must confirm.
12A tensile strength of at least 100 ksi lies inside the typical range of 85 to 100 ksi; the data sheet gives typical values, not a guaranteed minimum, so a sales engineer must confirm.
13The order needs a tensile strength of at least 101 ksi; the typical range for this temper after any planned heat treatment tops out at 100 ksi.
14A tensile strength of at least 195 ksi lies inside the typical range of 165 to 195 ksi; the data sheet gives typical values, not a guaranteed minimum, so a sales engineer must confirm.
15The order needs a tensile strength of at least 196 ksi; the typical range for this temper after any planned heat treatment tops out at 195 ksi.
16The order plans age hardening after forming, but the ordered temper is already an age-hardened temper (AT, 1/4 HT, 1/2 HT or HT).
17The planned age-hardening soak of 1 hour is shorter than the 2 hours the data sheet requires for this temper.
18The planned age-hardening soak of 2 hours is shorter than the 3 hours the data sheet requires for this temper.
19The planned age hardening at 575 degrees Fahrenheit is not the 600 degrees Fahrenheit (315 degrees Celsius) the data sheet gives.
20A bend radius of 0.4 times the strip thickness is tighter than the data sheet minimum of 0.5 times for this temper and bend direction.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Full-hard strip: width and bend: Full-hard strip for connector springs, aged after forming

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the H (TD04) temper, 0.0080 inch thick and 18 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00025 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 190 ksi. The strip is formed with a transverse bend radius of 2.0 times the strip thickness. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 2 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Width outside the listed range. A strip width of 18 inches is outside the 0.050 to 16 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
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  • Bend tighter than the data sheet allows. A bend radius of 2.0 times the strip thickness is tighter than the data sheet minimum of 2.9 times for this temper and bend direction.
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2. Full-hard strip: width and bend: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the H (TD04) temper, 0.0080 inch thick and 16 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00025 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 190 ksi. The strip is formed with a transverse bend radius of 2.9 times the strip thickness. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 2 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. Standard thickness tolerance for this strip is plus or minus 0.00025 inch; typical tensile strength after age hardening is 190 to 220 ksi, with a soak of at least 2 hours.
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3. Annealed strip aged to the top temper: Annealed strip with a short soak and a tensile figure above the range

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the A (TB00) temper, 0.0040 inch thick and 1.2 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00012 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 200 ksi. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 2 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Soak time too short. The planned age-hardening soak of 2 hours is shorter than the 3 hours the data sheet requires for this temper.
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  • Tensile strength above the temper range. The order needs a tensile strength of at least 200 ksi; the typical range for this temper after any planned heat treatment tops out at 195 ksi.
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  • Tolerance tighter than standard. The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00012 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00015 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
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4. Annealed strip aged to the top temper: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the A (TB00) temper, 0.0040 inch thick and 1.2 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00012 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 190 ksi. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 3 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Tolerance tighter than standard. The quote states a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00012 inch; the data sheet standard for this thickness is 0.00015 inch. Tighter tolerances may be available at additional cost, so a sales engineer must confirm.
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  • Tensile strength to confirm. A tensile strength of at least 190 ksi lies inside the typical range of 165 to 195 ksi; the data sheet gives typical values, not a guaranteed minimum, so a sales engineer must confirm.
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  • Order summary. Standard thickness tolerance for this strip is plus or minus 0.00015 inch; typical tensile strength after age hardening is 165 to 195 ksi, with a soak of at least 3 hours.
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5. Annealed strip aged to the top temper: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the A (TB00) temper, 0.0040 inch thick and 1.2 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00015 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 165 ksi. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 3 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. Standard thickness tolerance for this strip is plus or minus 0.00015 inch; typical tensile strength after age hardening is 165 to 195 ksi, with a soak of at least 3 hours.
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6. Temper ordered and aged again: Aged temper ordered and then aged again, in a wide strip

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the 1/2 HT (TH02) temper, 0.0070 inch thick and 17 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00025 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 185 ksi. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 2 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Width outside the listed range. A strip width of 17 inches is outside the 0.050 to 16 inch range listed for Alloy 25 strip.
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  • Age hardening a temper that is already hardened. The order plans age hardening after forming, but the ordered temper is already an age-hardened temper (AT, 1/4 HT, 1/2 HT or HT).
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7. Temper ordered and aged again: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the 1/2 H (TD02) temper, 0.0070 inch thick and 16 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00025 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 185 ksi. The customer will age harden the parts after forming, with a soak of 2 hours at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. Standard thickness tolerance for this strip is plus or minus 0.00025 inch; typical tensile strength after age hardening is 185 to 215 ksi, with a soak of at least 2 hours.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares an order for Alloy 25 (C17200) copper beryllium strip with its temper, thickness, width, thickness tolerance, tensile strength, bend requirement and age-hardening plan. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the Materion data sheet and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote Alloy 25 strip in the A (TB00) temper, 0.0040 inch thick and 1.2 inches wide, with a thickness tolerance of plus or minus 0.00012 inch. The customer needs a tensile strength of at least 200 ksi. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with two findings and one approval, all in one answer. The planned age-hardening soak of 2 hours is shorter than the 3 hours the data sheet requires for this temper. The order needs a tensile strength of at least 200 ksi; the typical range for this temper after any planned heat treatment tops out at 195 ksi.
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  6. The validator returned two blocking findings and one approval in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for which temper results from age hardening, and the soak time, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the tensile strength needed to 190 ksi and the soak to 3 hours.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. Not blocked, but held for a person.
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  12. The two blocking findings are cleared; two approvals remain for a person: tolerance tighter than standard and tensile strength to confirm.
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  13. The agent resubmits once more.
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  14. The revised request. It changes the tensile strength needed to 165 ksi and the stated thickness tolerance as to 0.00015.
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  15. It calls the validator once more.
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  16. This time the validator clears it.
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  17. Both earlier findings are cleared.
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  18. Three problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.