Institute for Systems Research

Given an interpretation of the design as a collection of machinable features, our approach is to generate alternate machining features by making geometric changes to the original features, and add them to the feature set of the original part to create an extended feature set. The designer may provide restrictions on the design indicating the type and extent of modifications allowed on certain faces and volumes, in which case all redesign suggestions generated by our approach honor those restrictions.

By taking combinations of features from the extended feature set generated above, we can generate modified versions of the original design that still satisfy the designer's intent. By considering precedence constraints and approach directions for the machining operations as well as simple fixturability constraints, we can estimate the setup time that will be required for each design. Any modified design whose setup time is less than that of the original design can be presented to the designer as a possible way to modify the original design.

In this paper, we survey of current state of the art in automated manufacturability analysis. We describe the two dominant approaches to automated manufacturability analysis and overview representative systems based on their application domain. Finally, we attempt to expose some of the existing research challenges and future directions.

In this paper, we provide a survey of current state of the art in automated manufacturability analysis. We present the historical context in which this area has emerged and outline characteristics to compare and classify various systems. We describe the two dominant approaches to automated manufacturability analysis and overview representative systems based on their application domain. We describe support tools that enhance the effectiveness of manufacturability analysis systems. Finally, we attempt to expose some of the existing research challenges and future directions.

To achieve any improvement in setup time, first we need to estimate the setup time accurately. In this paper we propose a methodology to estimate the setup time for machining prismatic parts in a three axis vertical machining center. We consider three major factors in estimating the number of setups, namely---the precedence constraints among machining operations, the feasibility of work holding using vise clamping, and the availability of datum faces for locating the workpiece.