Automatic generation of probe path for surface inspection and part alignment

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a mesh model of at least a portion of a three dimensional model of a part to be manufactured using a computer-controlled manufacturing system;

collecting vertex points from the mesh model to be an initial set of probing points in a three dimensional space of a working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system;

filtering out points from the initial set of probing points based on coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part to produce a final set of probing points in the three dimensional space of the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and

providing the final set of probing points for use in alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises converting the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part into the mesh model using a minimum length for edges between the vertex points defined in accordance with a size of a probe tool to be used in the alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, and the collecting comprises excluding from the initial set of probing points any point in the three dimensional space that is not reachable by the probe tool due to a geometry of the probe tool and one or more available orientations of the probe tool within a working envelop for the part when fixtured in the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the alignment or surface inspection of the part comprises part alignment, and the method comprises:

finding a vector for each vertex point in the initial set of probing points, the vector for the vertex being normal to a surface of the part at the vertex point; and

assigning the vertex points to respective axes of manufacturing available in the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system in accordance with a degree of alignment between the vector for each vertex point and each one of the respective axes of manufacturing;

wherein the filtering comprises ensuring a minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain in the final set of probing points to lock degrees of freedom for the part alignment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the assigning comprises ranking the vertex points in the respective axes of manufacturing, and the filtering comprises:

removing lower ranked points assigned to respective ones of the axes of manufacturing while maintaining coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part; and

ensuring the minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain by not removing any higher ranked points forming a minimum set of points previously identified as required to lock the degrees of freedom.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , comprising producing a set of voxels over the initial set of probing points, wherein a resolution of the set of voxels is determined in accordance with a specified level of point density, and the filtering comprises removing points located within the voxels of the set of voxels until each voxel contains only one point or only points included in the minimum set of points previously identified as required to lock the degrees of freedom.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , comprising receiving user input specifying (i) one or more surfaces, solid bodies or both to indicate the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part, (ii) the probe tool to be used, (iii) the degrees of freedom to be constrained, (iv) the specified level of point density, (v) alignment, surface inspection or both are to be performed, or (vi) a combination of two or more thereof.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , comprising identifying the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom, the identifying comprising:

selecting points from the initial set of probing points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of a first three of the axes of manufacturing;

selecting at least a fourth axis of manufacturing when the selected points are not sufficient to lock the degrees of freedom;

adding, to the initial set of probing points, additional points that are reachable by the probe tool using the at least a fourth axis of manufacturing; and

selecting points from the additional points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of the first three of the axes of manufacturing and complete the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the providing comprises directing the computer-controlled manufacturing system to perform the alignment or surface inspection of the part using the final set of probing points.

9. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus including at least one hardware processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions of a computer-aided design program, the instructions being configured to cause the data processing apparatus to obtain a mesh model of at least a portion of a three dimensional model of a part to be manufactured using a computer-controlled manufacturing system;

collect vertex points from the mesh model to be an initial set of probing points in a three dimensional space of a working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system;

filter out points from the initial set of probing points based on coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part to produce a final set of probing points in the three dimensional space of the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and

provide the final set of probing points for use in alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the obtaining comprises converting the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part into the mesh model using a minimum length for edges between the vertex points defined in accordance with a size of a probe tool to be used in the alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, and the collecting comprises excluding from the initial set of probing points any point in the three dimensional space that is not reachable by the probe tool due to a geometry of the probe tool and one or more available orientations of the probe tool within a working envelop for the part when fixtured in the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the alignment or surface inspection of the part comprises part alignment, and the method comprises:

finding a vector for each vertex point in the initial set of probing points, the vector for the vertex being normal to a surface of the part at the vertex point; and

assigning the vertex points to respective axes of manufacturing available in the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system in accordance with a degree of alignment between the vector for each vertex point and each one of the respective axes of manufacturing;

wherein the filtering comprises ensuring a minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain in the final set of probing points to lock degrees of freedom for the part alignment.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the assigning comprises ranking the vertex points in the respective axes of manufacturing, and the filtering comprises:

removing lower ranked points assigned to respective ones of the axes of manufacturing while maintaining coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part; and

ensuring the minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain by not removing any higher ranked points forming a minimum set of points previously identified as required to lock the degrees of freedom.

13. The system of claim 12 , comprising identifying the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom, the identifying comprising:

selecting points from the initial set of probing points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of a first three of the axes of manufacturing;

selecting at least a fourth axis of manufacturing when the selected points are not sufficient to lock the degrees of freedom;

adding, to the initial set of probing points, additional points that are reachable by the probe tool using the at least a fourth axis of manufacturing; and

selecting points from the additional points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of the first three of the axes of manufacturing and complete the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the providing comprises directing the computer-controlled manufacturing system to perform the alignment or surface inspection of the part using the final set of probing points.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a mesh model of at least a portion of a three dimensional model of a part to be manufactured using a computer-controlled manufacturing system;

collecting vertex points from the mesh model to be an initial set of probing points in a three dimensional space of a working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system;

filtering out points from the initial set of probing points based on coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part to produce a final set of probing points in the three dimensional space of the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and

providing the final set of probing points for use in alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the obtaining comprises converting the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part into the mesh model using a minimum length for edges between the vertex points defined in accordance with a size of a probe tool to be used in the alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, and the collecting comprises excluding from the initial set of probing points any point in the three dimensional space that is not reachable by the probe tool due to a geometry of the probe tool and one or more available orientations of the probe tool within a working envelop for the part when fixtured in the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the alignment or surface inspection of the part comprises part alignment, and the method comprises:

finding a vector for each vertex point in the initial set of probing points, the vector for the vertex being normal to a surface of the part at the vertex point; and

assigning the vertex points to respective axes of manufacturing available in the working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system in accordance with a degree of alignment between the vector for each vertex point and each one of the respective axes of manufacturing;

wherein the filtering comprises ensuring a minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain in the final set of probing points to lock degrees of freedom for the part alignment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the assigning comprises ranking the vertex points in the respective axes of manufacturing, and the filtering comprises:

removing lower ranked points assigned to respective ones of the axes of manufacturing while maintaining coverage of the at least a portion of the three dimensional model of the part; and

ensuring the minimum number of points in each of the respective axes of manufacturing remain by not removing any higher ranked points forming a minimum set of points previously identified as required to lock the degrees of freedom.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , comprising identifying the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom, the identifying comprising:

selecting points from the initial set of probing points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of a first three of the axes of manufacturing;

selecting at least a fourth axis of manufacturing when the selected points are not sufficient to lock the degrees of freedom;

adding, to the initial set of probing points, additional points that are reachable by the probe tool using the at least a fourth axis of manufacturing; and

selecting points from the additional points based on each point's vector alignment with at least one axis of manufacturing to ensure good alignment for each of the first three of the axes of manufacturing and complete the minimum set of points required to lock the degrees of freedom.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the providing comprises directing the computer-controlled manufacturing system to perform the alignment or surface inspection of the part using the final set of probing points.