Intelligent engine for managing operations for a computer numerical control (CNC) machine in a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system

1. A method comprising:

determining a valid insertion area to insert machine operations in a machine program channel, wherein the valid insertion area starts after a previous operation occurring on the same part and belongs to the same channel of a multi-channel machine;

determining an insertion position within the determined valid insertion area, wherein the insertion position is based on at least one of: an operation using the same tool, an operation minimizing orientation change, and an operation occurring on the same part;

searching for previous operations occurring on the same part, wherein the searching is on the operations occurring in all channels of the multi-channel machine;

determining whether inserted machine operations are simultaneous in time, then performing:

if the inserted machine operations are not simultaneous in time, then:

adding a synchronization event between two channels of the multi-channel machine, thereby to prevent violation of any part operation order; and

if the inserted machine operations are simultaneous in time, then:

adding a synchronization event on creation of a new operation;

searching in all channels of the multi-channel machine for the next operation occurring on the same part;

determining if any simultaneous machine operations exist in other channels of the multi-channel machine and if simultaneous machine operations have intersecting kinematics chains, then determining if operations are compatible, if the operations are not compatible, adding a synchronization event to prevent operations from occurring at the same time; and

executing the inserted machine operations by the multi-channel machine to perform material removal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the valid insertion area ends before the next machine operation occurring on the same part.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine operation minimizing the orientation change is an operation where the rotary axis motion is minimized compared to other operations.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the machine operation minimizing the orientation change is further based on an axis priority based on machine kinematics.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-channel machine comprises a plurality of channels.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the valid insertion area belongs to the same channel.

7. A device comprising:

a processor and addressable memory, the processor configured to:

determine a valid insertion area to insert machine operations in a machine program channel, wherein the valid insertion area starts after a previous operation occurring on the same part and belongs to the same channel of a multi-channel machine;

determine an insertion position within the determined valid insertion area, wherein the insertion position is based on at least one of: an operation using the same tool, an operation minimizing orientation change, and an operation occurring on the same part;

search for previous operations occurring on the same part, wherein the search is on the operations occurring in all channels of the multi-channel machine;

determine whether inserted machine operations are simultaneous in time, then perform:

if the inserted machine operations are not simultaneous in time, then:

add a synchronization event between two channels of the multi-channel machine, thereby to prevent violation of any part operation order; and

if the inserted machine operations are simultaneous in time, then:

add a synchronization event on creation of a new operation;

search in all channels of the multi-channel machine for the next operation occurring on the same part;

determine if any simultaneous machine operations exist in other channels of the multi-channel machine and if simultaneous machine operations have intersecting kinematics chains, then determine if operations are compatible, if the operations are not compatible, add a synchronization event to prevent operations from occurring at the same time;

execute the inserted machine operations by the multi-channel machine to perform material removal.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the valid insertion area ends before the next machine operation occurring on the same part.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the machine operation minimizing the orientation change is an operation where the rotary axis motion is minimized compared to other operations.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the machine operation minimizing the orientation change is further based on an axis priority based on machine kinematics.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein the multi-channel machine comprises a plurality of channels.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the valid insertion area belongs to the same channel.