Modeling of machining using relationships between features

Abstract

Integration of engineering activities in advanced, intelligent computing assisted environments constitutes one of the most active research interests in engineering modeling. This is because high level modeling techniques are required and these techniques must be suitable for integration in comprehensive product models. Existing application oriented master model concepts and standards such as STEP can serve this purpose. However, some important models and their relationships with other models have not been made available. One of these is a model of the machining process of mechanical parts that is associative with all of the related models in a comprehensive product model. The authors propose a model that offers full associativity with form feature based part models so that creation of part models can be done simultaneously with the analysis of machinability. The authors refused earlier solutions as the application of separate design and machining features and proposed the application of a second associative reordered feature sequence for machining purposes. Then the fusion or split of the listed shape modifications are applied to fulfil the demands of the machining process. An introduction of the feature based concepts is followed by an outline of the applied modeling method. Following this the creation and handling of Petri net model representations are detailed. After a discussion of the application of the results, the main characteristics of the modeling are concluded.