| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
As a result of this research, a total machining system has been developed that automatically performs the planning of a cutting sequence, cutter selection and generation of cutting data, including generation of the cutter path based on the product model. The automatic machining data generation system receives the product description from the product design stage, extracts machining features, selects the tools to be used, plans the cutting order, and generates cutting control data in the form of NC data. The system is smoothly connected with the CAD system, and by including a machining feature extraction process, it eliminates the requirement of a human operator. In this research emphasis is placed on the discussion of milling feature extraction and tool selection processes for milling of pockets using the product description and machining knowledge. Here, milling feature means the volume machined by a single tool. The system proceeds deriving milling areas by means of cross sections and attributes based on product description, listing of candidates of tools used corresponding to each milling area, calculating milled areas using the tool centre path determination, and grouping milled areas according to tool diameters. Each group corresponds to one milling feature. Toools that are used for rough cutting, intermediate cutting and finish cutting are selected based on groups of milled areas. In these derivations, machining knowledge about cutters and know-how rules are used effectively. The developed system has been applied to the automatic milling data generation of the cavity for a mold with a complicated geometric shape. The milling process was executed using NC data generated by the system. Finally, the effectiveness of the system was certified.
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