MANUFACTURING CODE GENERATION IN A PRODUCT MODEL ENVIRONMENT

In recent years the integration of design and manufacture software applications has received significant research effort as it has major potential to improve industrial performance. Product modelling is becoming accepted as the mechanism by which a central source of product data can be captured to provide an integrating mechanism between a range of design and manufacture functions. This paper describes the exploration of a product model environment as an integration mechanism for a number of manufacturing code generation functions, namely a machine planner, an inspection planner and a feedback system. These provide an integrated preproduction proving facility. The software implementation concentrates on the machining and inspection of two-and-a-half-dimensional prismatic components using a three-axis vertical machining centre and a coordinate measuring machine.