Horizontally structured manufacturing process modeling for fixtures and tooling
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling comprising: selecting a contact area geometry; creating extracts from a master process model; generating a tooling model corresponding to the contact area geometry; virtual machining the tooling model to generate the fixtures and tooling; and generating machining instructions and drawings to create the fixtures and tooling; where the tooling model exhibits an associative relationship with the contact area geometry. Also disclosed is a manufactured part created by a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling comprising: a contact area geometry selected from a master process model for tooling or fixture modeling; extracts created from the master process model; a tooling model corresponding to the contact area geometry including virtual machining the tooling model to generate the fixtures and tooling; where the fixtures and tooling are created by machining in accordance with a machining instruction; and the tooling model exhibits an associative relationship with the contact area geometry. Also disclosed is a storage medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing. The storage medium including instructions for causing a computer to implement the method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling and manufacturing for fixtures and tooling. Additionally disclosed is a computer data signal for horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing. The computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling and manufacturing for fixtures and tooling.
1. A method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling, comprising:
selecting a contact area geometry for tooling or fixture modeling;
creating extracts from a master process model;.
generating a tooling model corresponding to said contact area geometry;
virtual machining said tooling model to generate said fixtures and tooling;
generating machining instructions and drawings to create said fixtures and tooling; and
said tooling model exhibiting an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said contact area geometry corresponds to the dimensions of said tool or fixture.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said contact area geometry is two-dimensional.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said tooling model is a three dimensional parametric solid model generated by extruding a reference set geometry of said contact area geometry.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said tooling model exhibits an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said machining instructions and drawings exhibit an associative relationship with said tooling model.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said extracts comprise replicated models of said tooling model at various operations of said manufacturing.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said extracts are used to generate manufacturing process sheets.
12. A manufacturing part created by a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling, comprising:
a contact area geometry selected from a master process model for tooling or fixture modeling;
extracts created from said master process model;
a tooling model corresponding to said contact area geometry including virtual machining said tooling model to generate said fixtures and tooling;
said fixtures and tooling created by machining in accordance with a machining instruction; and
said tooling model exhibiting an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
13. The manufactured part of claim 12 wherein said contact area geometry corresponds to the dimensions of said tool or fixture.
14. The manufactured part of claim 12 wherein said contact area geometry is two-dimensional.
15. The manufactured part of claim 12 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
16. The manufactured part a claim 12 wherein said tooling model is a three dimensional parametric solid model generated by extruding a reference set geometry of said contact area geometry.
17. The manufactured part or claim 12 wherein said tooling model exhibits an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
18. The manufactured part of claim 17 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
19. The manufactured part of claim 12 wherein said machining instructions and drawings exhibit an associative relationship with said tooling model.
20. The manufactured part a claim 19 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
21. The manufactured part of claim 12 wherein said extracts comprise replicated models of said tooling model at various operations of said said manufacturing.
22. The manufactured part of claim 21 wherein said extracts are used to generate manufacturing process sheets.
23. A storage medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling, said storage medium including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method comprising:
creating extracts from a master process model;
selecting a contact area geometry for tooling or fixture modeling;
generating a tooling model corresponding to said contact area geometry;
virtual machining said tooling model to generate said fixtures and tooling;
generating machining instructions and drawings to create said fixtures and tooling; and
said tooling model exhibiting an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
24. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said contact area geometry corresponds to the dimensions of said tool or fixture.
25. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said contact area geometry is two-dimensional.
26. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
27. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said tooling model is a three dimensional parametric solid model generated by extruding a reference set geometry of said contact area geometry.
28. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said tooling model exhibits an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
29. The storage medium of claim 28 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
30. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said machining instructions and drawings exhibit an associative relationship with said tooling model.
31. The storage medium of claim 30 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
32. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein said extracts comprise replicated models of said tooling model at various operations of said manufacturing.
33. The storage medium of claim 32 wherein said extracts are used to generate manufacturing process sheets.
34. A computer data signal for horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for fixtures and tooling, said computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method comprising:
creating extracts from said master process model;
selecting a contact area geometry for tooling or fixture modeling;
generating a tooling model corresponding to said contact area geometry
virtual machining said tooling model to generate said fixtures and tooling;
generating machining instructions and drawings to create said fixtures and tooling; and
said tooling model exhibiting an associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
35. The computer data signal of claim 33 wherein said contact area geometry corresponds to the dimensions of said tool or fixture.
36. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said contact area geometry is two-dimensional.
37. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
38. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said tooling model is a three dimensional parametric solid model generated by extruding a reference ser geometry of said contact area geometry.
39. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said tooling model exhibits art associative relationship with said contact area geometry.
40. The computer data signal of claim 39 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
41. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said machining instructions and drawings exhibit an associative relationship with said tooling module.
42. The computer data signal of claim 41 wherein said associative relationship is a parent/child relationship.
43. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein said extracts comprise replicated models of said tooling model at various operations of said manufacturing .
44. The computer data signal of claim 43 wherein said extracts are used to generate manufacturing process sheets.