Delta-volume decomposition for multi-sided components

Abstract

The subdivision of the removal, or delta-volume, of a machined component into meaningful volumes suitable for efficient machining is at present a complex and time-consuming task. An algorithm is presented for recognizing CNC machining volumes from 3D boundary representation solid models. The 2.5D volumes identified are associated with generic depressions and protrusions. The novelty of the algorithm lies in the fact that its success does not depend upon a pre-defined library of features and that it guarantees the accessibility of the volumes found.