Planning method for processing a 2D element into a 3D final element

1 . A computer-implemented method for planning laser processing of at least one metal element into at least one final element, the method comprising:

providing an element model of a metal element to be processed, wherein the element model has at least a first surface,

providing a final model of the final element,

projecting the final model onto the first surface of the element model,

determining a plurality of processing steps, the total number of processing steps being n, wherein the processing steps comprise:

identifying a base structure of the element model,

identifying at least one processing structure of the element model,

identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, the at least one processing structure and any non-process sections of the element model,

identifying the laser processing to use, in order to process the element model into the final model, the laser processing comprising at least one of a laser cutting process, a laser bending process and a laser forming process, the total number of laser processes to be used being p,

generating laser process specifications for each of the laser processes p,

generating a first set of instructions for processing the element model into the final model, based on the plurality of processing steps n,

providing a measuring device configured to measure at least one of the base structure, the at least one processing structure and a fixation structure during the processing of the metal element into the final element, and

generating at least a second set of instructions from the measurements provided by the measuring device.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

identifying at least one fixation structure of the element model, and

identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, at least one processing structures, the at least one fixation structure and any non-process sections of the element model.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more base structures are identified, the method further comprising:

selecting a primary base structure from the two or more identified base structures, the primary base structure being selected from the following set of rules:

a. the primary base structure must have a connection to the metal element during at least n−1 processing steps, or

b. the primary base structure must be a base structure which enables all of the n−1 processing steps, and

if the primary base structure does not satisfy the rules a or b:

selecting a new primary base structure from the identified base structures.

4 . The planning method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more base structures are identified, the method further comprising:

selecting a primary base structure from the two or more identified

base structures, the primary base structure being selected from the following set of rules:

c. selecting the base structure closest to a center of the first surface of the element,

d. selecting the base structure with a highest number of directly adjacent processing and fixation structures,

e. selecting the base structure which, when the metal element has been processed into the final element, provides a largest possible, connected surface area of the non-processed section of the element,

f. selecting the base structure with a highest number of adjacent fixation structures, or

g. selecting the base structure with a lowest number of adjacent fixation structures, and

determining the first set of instructions based on the selected base structure.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the final model of the final element is a 3-dimensional structure, the method further comprising:

generating an unfolded planar model of the final model, and

projecting the planar model onto the first surface of the element model.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , the laser processing further comprising a laser welding process and the method further comprises:

identifying any laser welding processes, so as to weld at least one of the base structure, the at least one processing structures and at least one fixation structure to each other, during the laser processing steps p.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a temperature sensor,

providing an upper and lower temperature threshold, ut and lt respectively, for the at least one metal element to be processed,

measuring at least a first temperature of a section of the metal element being laser processed, and

generating laser process specification p, to process the metal element into the final element, wherein the temperature of the section of the metal element being laser processed is lower than ut and greater than lt during the laser processing, and

generating a set of instructions for processing the element into the final element.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing an adjustment device configured to adjust a position of the at least one element to be laser processed,

identifying at least one base structure of the at least one model of the at least one element further based on adjusting the position of the at least one element, and

generating the first set of instructions, for processing the at least one model of the at least one element into the final model of the final element, wherein the first set of instructions are generated by determining a plurality of processing steps n, the processing steps further including adjusting the at least one element during the laser processing.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising the final model of the final element, wherein at least one structure of the final model is interlocked with a second structure, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of processing steps n, the processing steps further comprising:

determining a laser cutting process of a section of a first processing structure being connected to the base structure of the final model,

determining a laser cutting process of a section of a second processing structure being connected to at least one of the base structure and the first processing structure of the final model,

determining a bending process of at least one of the first and second processing structure, and at least one of:

determining an interlocking process between the first processing structure and the second processing structure, and

determining an interlocking process between the first processing structure and the base structure, and

determining an interlocking process between the second processing structure and the base structure,

wherein the interlocking process comprises at least one of:

interlocking by at least one of laser bending, laser forming and

laser welding a section of the first processing structure, to interlock

with a section of the second processing structure, and

interlocking by at least one of laser bending, laser forming, laser

welding a section of the first or second processing structure to interlock with the base structure.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first set of instructions is configured to be provided to an associated laser processing device with a processor, so as to enable the associated laser processing device to process the at least one element into the at least one final element from the at least one model of the at least one element and the final model of the final element, by executing the first set of instructions on the processor of the associated laser processing device.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises providing a surface analysis, the surface analysis comprising a backscatter analysis of at least one surface of the metal element.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to control a processor to perform a computer program code comprising instructions arranged to control a laser processing device, when executed on a data processing system, to process at least one metal element into at least one final element from at least one model of the element(s) and final model(s) of the final element(s), by executing at least a first set of instructions, the computer program code being adapted to perform the method according to claim 1 .

13 . A device for laser processing a metal element into a final element, the device comprising:

a data processor,

an input/output device,

a measuring device,

a laser,

wherein the device is adapted to perform the method according to claim 1 .

14 . The device according to claim 13 , further comprising a fixture mechanism adapted to fixate the metal element during laser processing.

15 . The device according to claim 13 , further comprising a position adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust a position of the metal element during laser processing.

16 . A computer-implemented method for planning laser processing of at least one metal element into at least one final element, the method comprising:

providing an element model of a metal element to be processed, wherein the element model has at least a first surface,

providing a final model of the final element,

projecting the final model onto the first surface of the element model,

determining a plurality of processing steps, the total number of processing steps being n, wherein the processing steps comprise:

identifying a base structure of the element model,

identifying at least one processing structure of the element model,

identifying a plurality of connections between the base structure, the at least one processing structure and any non-process sections of the element model,

identifying the laser processing to use, in order to process the element model into the final model, the laser processing comprising at least one of a laser cutting process, a laser bending process and a laser forming process, the total number of laser processes to be used being p,

generating laser process specifications for each of the laser processes p,

generating a first set of instructions for processing the element model into the final model, based on the plurality of processing steps n, and

providing a process conversion table, the process conversion table comprising conversion methods to substitute traditional processing methods into laser processing methods and wherein a traditional processing plan for the final model can be converted into the laser processing steps p, for processing the element model into the final element, by laser processing.