A Feasibility Study on Mixed Reality-Based Visualization and Interaction Tool for Performance Improvement of Metal Cutting Processes

Abstract

Modern CNC machining industries rely on the application of high-technology virtual simulations such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to become economically competitive, improve productivity, and ensure sustainability. However, the traditional way of using FEA in CNC machining industries is to perform the virtual studies at a completely offline location, that often leads to erroneous results, along with massive wastage of resources, time, and money. Real-time FEA is an emerging technique that generates real-time solutions in response to actual load variations. This research aims to integrate real-time FEA results with the corresponding real CNC machining process using Mixed Reality (MR) technologies to facilitate the machining operations to be economically competitive with higher efficiencies and improved sustainability. The proposed MR-based system enhances the real-time decision-making capability of the CNC machine operator. The preliminary results show that the use of real-time FEA could significantly improve the CNC machining results.