A design-to-manufacture case study: Automatic design of post-fabrication mechanisms for tubular components

An automated design-to-manufacture system and its implementation are outlined. The system is described in the context of the design of a mechanism for post-fabrication of miniature metal tubular components. Post-fabrication operations considered include dimpling, bending, slotting, lancing, punching, corseting, and notching. The system has been demonstrated to reduce design-to-manufacturing cycle time by many orders of magnitude. The method outlined encompasses the integration of rule-based expertise with theoretical considerations underlying the manufacturing process. Using an artificial intelligence language, this module is then linked to a computer-aided design system to automatically generate detailed drawings of the mechanism. The system emphasizes the automatic design of the assembly and generation of blueprints and NC code for appropriate mechanical parts. To determine whether a component can be made using current company technology, an advise-on-manufacturability module was developed. Analytical considerations pertaining to springback effects in bending of thin-walled tubular components are addressed as a case study. This paper describes the methodology used in developing this system as well as the difficulties encountered during the development.