Integrating computer aided design and computer aided process planning: a computational techniques model approach

  • Authors:

  • Ionel Botef

  • Affiliations:

  • School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Venue:
  • WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and Applications
  • Year:
  • 2008

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Abstract

One of the most daunting challenges in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is bridging the gap between Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP). Past research into CAPP, considered one of the most important and most complicated computer aided systems, resulted in a wealth of knowledge but unresolved problems still exist. The actual CAPP systems are considered large, complex, and monolithic, with limited extensibility, low-level of integration with other applications, and high development and maintenance costs. Consequently, this paper focuses on a computational technique model for CAD/CAPP integration. Supported by authorities, evidence or logic, it is demonstrated that a limited number of important design and manufacturing features can be used to achieve an integrated product model that provides not only a direct interpretation of CAD data to the CAPP system, but supplies sufficient information for the generation of the correct process plan's operations sequence. The approach simplifies engineering drawing's information complexity, and offers better computability, reusability and improved communication between CAD and CAPP. As a result, the approach is used to develop software applications that apply object-oriented programming as a new way of thinking about solving CAD/CAPP problems and as a promising alternative to other techniques.