JP2000003384A - Device and method for distributing design/manufacture information over whole sheet metal manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for managing and distributing design and manufacture information over the whole of a factory for promoting the manufacture of parts such as bent sheet metal parts by making the device include a bending plan storage system for storing the bending plan for parts based on a bending order and the preparation of tools. SOLUTION: The respective places of a design office 10, an assembly workshop 12, a shipping work field 14, a punching workshop 16, a bending workshop 18 and a welding workshop 20 in a factory 38 are provided with executing tools corresponding to a manufacture stage/processing for the manufacture of parts. An appropriate CAD/CAM system is used for the design office 10 for promoting the design of sheet metal parts based on the specification of a customer, for example. The system generates and displays a bending order input window on a display device and the bending order input window has the two-dimensional pictures of parts. Important design and the management/ distribution of manufacture information are executed by electronically storing and distributing the design and manufacture information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Related Application Data This application filed on May 6, 1996, entitled “Sheet Metal Manufacturing Equipment”
Apparatus and method for managing and distributing design and production information throughout
U.S.M. S. Provisional application No. 60 / 016,94
8 and by referring generally to its specification
It is alleged that it is expressly incorporated herein. Copyright noticeSome of the specifications in this patent document are subject to copyright protection.
ing. The copyright holder is U.S.A. S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent
By some of the patent specifications in the aisle or record
Copy will not be challenged, but other
In addition, the copyright holder reserves all copyrights. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to the field of manufacture and to sheet metal parts such as metal parts.
It relates to the production of parts. In particular, the present invention
Design and production information to facilitate the production of sheet metal parts
Equipment and methods for managing and distributing throughout the factory
Things. Background information Traditionally, for example, songs in advanced production facilities for sheet metal
The production of sheet metal involves a continuous production manufacturing stage. No.
The first stage is the design stage, based on customer specifications
A sheet metal part is designed. Usually customers have specific sheets
Order production in equipment of metal parts. Customer order
Examples, product and design information needed to manufacture parts in the factory
Contains. This information can be, for example, the geometric dimensions of the part.
Method, materials required for parts (eg steel, stainless steel)
Steel or aluminum), special molding information, quantities,
May include delivery date. Requested by the customer
Sheet metal parts are designed and manufactured for a wide variety of applications
I can do it. For example, manufactured parts will eventually
Computer cases, switchboards, aircraft armrests,
May be used for car door panels. design
In the stage, the design of sheet metal parts is
Assisted design (CAD) system for manufacturing equipment design department
Made in. Depending on the customer's specifications, the programmer can
Two-dimensional (2-D) modeling of sheet metal parts using the D system
You can also create Dell. Customer is usually important for parts
Provide blueprints with various geometric dimensions. This blueprint
Is a special molding or symbol included in the part or sheet metal
It may also indicate holes or other openings on the surface of the part. Design professional
Glamor creates a 2-D model with a CAD system
I often use this blueprint. This 2-D model is
Also includes bending line and / or dimensional information for sheet metal parts
It may include a top view and one or more perspective views.
You. Before actually starting bending of sheet metal parts,
Stamping and / or cutting parts from raw materials
There must be. Punching when processing stock materials
Control press or plasma or laser cutting machine
Computer numerical control (CNC) or number
Value control (NC) is used. Process this inventory material
For ease of use, the design programmer is
Manufacturing (CAM) system or CAD / CAM system
To create a control code based on the 2-D model
Rukoto can. This control code includes a stamping press
And / or sheeting from stock material for use in cutting machines
Component professional for punching or cutting metal parts
Grams may be included. Next to the manufacturing process
Step is the bending planning stage. At this stage, bending
A work plan is made by the bending operator at the workshop.
You. Operators usually have one cut or stamped
Or a blueprint or
A 2-D drawing is passed. Bending operation with these materials
The data defines the tool to be used and the bending procedure to be performed.
Make a machining plan. Operators are in the bending shop
Data based on the bending code entered or the bending plan
Like a CNC press brake that can create customized programs
Also includes a CNC metal bending machine. Bending plan created
The operator performs an initial test of the bending sequence.
A work place for In this test phase,
Or the cut material is manually incorporated into the press brake
Press brakes are manufactured according to the programmed sequence.
Operated to bend the work. The operator
Analyze the finished bent sheet metal parts to meet customer specifications
Check for conformance. This press brake
Depending on the results of the initial work on the
They may edit the system and modify the bending order. Operating
Also ensure that the design of sheet metal parts can be modified appropriately.
In some cases, the results are fed back to the design department. Te
The strike is a design specification that normally requires bent sheet metal parts
It continues until it falls within. End of the production process
One of the stages is the bending stage. A bend plan is created,
After being tested, the bending operator can
Equipped with a tool, the bending plan and the stored bending program
Activate the press brake according to the system or code. Song
The required amount of stamped or cut material
Delivery as specified and other work is ensured
A work schedule has been created as if it had been completed by
You. The work schedule is in the early stages of the production process and / or the whole process
Created or modified by the workshop supervisor in parallel
There is also. When the production of the last bent sheet metal part is completed,
Parts are collected and packed for delivery to the customer.
You. Normal manufacturing and manufacturing processes have some drawbacks and disadvantages.
is there. For example, each customer's design and manufacturing data is usually
(For example, in a file cabinet with paper)
Stored electronically (eg on disk or magnetic tape)
However, such data is usually stored separately.
Not easy to search. In addition, in many factory environments
Distribution of important work information is distributed throughout the factory
In the form of work or planning papers As a result, the data
Often lost or damaged, to previous or similar work
It becomes difficult to search for design / manufacturing data. Join
However, due to the lack of data storage methods,
Valuable to all factories' workshops and other locations.
Time is lost. Also, the design of parts and the creation of bending plans
Mainly performed by design programmers and bending operators
It depends largely on personal knowledge, skills and experience
Production time between sheet metal parts and bending planning
Lost. In recent years, customary sheet metal manufacturing processes have been improved
Development and attempts to improve efficiency throughout the process
Has been done. For example, a commercially available CAD / CAM system
Two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) in systems
Manufacturing and manufacturing of bent sheet metal through the use and development of modeling.
The process and modeling was facilitated and improved. Now the design plan
Logramers and operators use 2-D and 3-D displays
Better understand the shape of the part, and
Code order can be created more efficiently.
You. The ability to electronically store and transfer data
Improved the flow of information from the design department to the workshop. Con
With the advancement of computer and data communication networks,
Place old paper tapes or magnetic disks in cabinets or
It is no longer necessary to find out from the file. Such progress
Despite the existing design across the organization and factory environment
And there is still a need to improve the organization and flow of manufacturing information.
For example, in a conventional manufacturing system, each customer's
Key design and manufacturing information can be easily accessed anywhere in the factory.
Accessible and searchable.
Not. Previous systems also featured sheet metal parts.
Job information based on various characteristics, such as signs and characteristics
No search function. For example, the same or similar parts
You can search for previous work information based on the search for
Being able to search greatly enhances the overall production process
And reduce the required manufacturing time for future work. Past attempts
Can also be provided by design programmers and shop floor operators.
Lack of ease of designing sheet metal parts. 2-
With D and 3-D modeling systems, designers can
You can better understand the shape and geometry of the product
However, this system allows design programmers and
The burden imposed on pererators has not been reduced. for example
These systems allow design programmers to survive
Easily convert 2-D CAD models to 3-D display
It is not possible. In addition, the bending operation plan is given to the workshop operator.
2-D and / or 3-D drawings of parts to help build
Provided, the operator has the necessary tools and bending procedures
Must be determined by hand and / or by trial. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In light of the above, the present invention relates to one or more of the inventions
Aspects, examples and / or features
Through one or more of the following components:
It is intended to provide the above objectives and advantages. Book
The general object of the invention is to provide components such as bent sheet metal parts.
Design and manufacturing information across all factories to facilitate
Management and distribution devices and methods. further
The object of the present invention is, for example, for advanced sheet metal fabrication.
Prevent loss or destruction of important work information in equipment
Equipment that promotes effective utilization and organization of accumulated specialized knowledge
And methods are provided. Another object of the present invention is to
Logically store both customer order design and manufacturing information
By equipping the equipment and method, everywhere in the factory
To make it easily accessible and searchable.
You. Yet another object of the present invention is to store job data
Central database or file server for all factories
Search logically so that you can easily search and search anywhere.
A device that manages and distributes stored design and manufacturing information
In providing the method. Job data is based on work-related design
To perform not only manufacturing information but also necessary bending operations
Can also provide the actual bending code. Still further according to the invention
The purpose is design and manufacturing information based on various search criteria.
Providing a device and a method for searching for previous job information including
You. Search criteria are, for example, sheet metal to be manufactured
It can include the features and characteristics of the parts, thereby
Or previous work information related to similar parts
Available to reduce the overall production time of the job. Of the present invention
Another purpose is the traditional documentation associated with each customer order
Instantly apply work or planning papers from anywhere in the factory
By replacing it with an accessible electronic job sheet
is there. Electronic job sheets can be displayed anywhere
2D and / or 3-D model images of parts, tools
Selection, optimal bending procedure, necessary staging information and barco
Important work-related design, including code or identification number
And manufacturing information. This electronic job sheet contains songs
Same or similar work again by future operator
Special instructions or procedures that may be helpful when doing
Audio and / or video components
available. Another object of the present invention is to provide a thin metal part 2
By providing -D and 3-D computer images
An object of the present invention is to reduce the time required for analyzing a part drawing. solid
3-D image mode, 3-D wireframe image mode,
Various, including 2-D planar image mode and orthographic image mode
Image can be provided. Zoo useful for analyzing thin metal parts
Various types including mining, panning, rotation and automatic dimensioning
Various different image functions are also provided. Furthermore, the present invention
To facilitate the design of sheet metal parts and the production of bending plans.
With the purpose of providing an arrangement and method. For example, the existing department
Easily produce 3-D representations of parts from 2-D models of parts
It is also an object of the present invention to be able to Sa
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a bending plan and a program.
To reduce the time to create rammed bending codes
There is a graphics interface. This departure
Ming will therefore use the graphical user interface to
System and method provided for generating a balance plan
Turned to Here the bending plan is
Configured to be used in the manufacture of parts
You. The system displays a bend order input window on the display device.
Including a bending order display system for generating and displaying
The order input window has a two-dimensional planar image of the part
You. A tool display system is further provided, which is on the display
Provided with input devices to generate and display tooling information
The bending order is based on a two-dimensional image of the part.
And tooling information displayed on the display device
Select a tool stand based on. In addition, the system
Bending plan for the part based on the
Stores tooling input and selected by force device
And a bending plan storage system for storing. Of the parts
The two-dimensional planar image includes a representation of each bend line of the part.
And the input device is the two-dimensional plane image of the part
By selecting each of the bend lines displayed in
It is configured to input a bending order. The input device
Also bends based on the order in which bend lines are selected
It is configured to input the order. Instead of the above
Or in combination with them, the input device can also
When a bend line is selected, it is input by the input device
Configured to enter the bending order based on the bending order number
ing. As disclosed herein, with the system
The input device used is a joystick device or mouse.
Includes hardware devices. The system further includes the input device on the display device.
Of the bending line based on the bending order input by the force device
Bending order number to display the bending order number for each
Including display system. The input direction determination system
Insertion direction information for each of the bent lines
Provided for determining and displaying on the device. The insert
The entry direction information represents the insertion direction for each bend line.
Includes the displayed arrow. Further, each of the bending lines
The part is separated into two surfaces, and the insertion direction determination system is
The system is placed in front of the part with smaller predetermined dimensions.
Insertion method for each of the bending lines based on the notation
Direction information is determined. The predetermined dimension is directly related to the bending line.
Related to the length of each intersecting face or
It is related to the area of each connected surface. Bending order display system
Further displays the parts on the display device based on the bending order.
Are generated and displayed.
Here, each of the plurality of images is one in the bending order.
And the expression of the part in the stage. Expressed
Are displayed in order corresponding to the bending order.
You. A drag / drop editing system,
Based on the change of the display order of the multiple images above
In addition, it is further provided to correct the bending order.
This drag-and-drop editing system uses the
One of the images is selected by the input device and displayed.
Displayed when moved to a different position in the
The order is changed. Of the present invention
According to one aspect, the displayed tooling information comprises:
Including a plurality of tool icons displayed on the display device.
No. Here, each of the tool icons represents a predetermined tool.
You. The displayed tool stand information may further include the display device
Includes a table of tool data displayed above. The tool
Each entry in the data table is associated with a given tool.
You. According to one feature of the invention, the tooling information comprises:
Through a series of continuously displayed screen displays
Displayed by the tool stand display system. By this
At least one of the continuously displayed screen displays
Is displayed based on the previous selection by the input device.
You. For example, the tool stand display system includes the display device.
A first screen containing a plurality of tool type icons on the table
The display is configured to display an on-screen display. Here
Each of the tool type icons represents one tool type. Previous
The tool type is punch or die or die holder or
Is associated with at least one of the rails. The tool stand
The display system also provides one of the tool type icons
Optionally, a second screen display on the display device
Is configured to be displayed. Here, the second switch
The clean display includes multiple tool shape icons and
Each of the tool shape icons is selected by the input device.
Associated with the tool type icon to be used. The tool stand display
The system further provides for the selection of one of the tool shape icons
Accordingly, a table of tool dimension data is displayed on the display device.
It is configured to express. Here is the tool dimension data
Data is associated with a plurality of tools, each of said tools
Associated with the tool shape icon selected by the device. Previous
At least a part of the tool stand is a part of the tool dimension data.
To the input device based on the selection of data from the table
Selected and entered. Another feature is the device of the present invention.
Included. For example, the tool stand information includes the bending profile.
In the bending machine for each tool used in the run
Includes tool installation information related to tooling position at
Further, the tool stand display system is configured so that the input device
In order to enter tool installation information,
Configured to generate and display a fixture mounting window
Have been. In addition, the system provides a two-dimensional
The plane image and the plurality of images of the parts are displayed on the display device.
It is configured to be displayed simultaneously on the screen. The invention
According to yet another aspect of the graphical user interface
A method is provided for generating a bending plan using
You. The method includes the following steps. Song on display
Creating and displaying a reordering input window, where
The bending order input window displays a two-dimensional plane image of the part.
Including. Based on a two-dimensional planar image of the part using an input device
Inputting the bending order based on the
Generating and displaying information, wherein said tooling
The information relates to a plurality of tools. By the input device,
Tool based on the tool stand information displayed on the display
Select the stand, and enter the input into the storage device
Of the part based on the bending order and the selected tooling
To store bending plans for. According to the method,
The two-dimensional plane image of the part is
A representation, and wherein the bending order is a two-dimensional plane of the part
In selecting each of the bend lines displayed in the image
Input from Especially, the bending order is selected by each bending line.
Based on the order given or when each bend line is selected,
The input is based on the bending order number input by the input device.
Is forced. Used in this manner as disclosed herein
Input devices include a joystick device or mouse device.
Including. The method further includes the step of: displaying the input device on the display device.
Bending order of each bending line based on the bending order entered by
Including displaying the issue. Other steps are further provided.
Insertion for each bending line of the part, for example on a display
Determining and displaying direction information. Of each bending line
Insertion direction information is separated by the bending line,
Based on the surface of the part having a smaller predetermined dimension
It is determined. In addition the displayed insert for each said bending line
The decision information is an arrow related to the insertion direction for the bend line
including. According to another feature, the invention is further based on bending order
Generate and display a plurality of images of the part on the display device
The steps shown. Here each of the multiple images of the part
Are related to the representation of the parts at each stage in the bending sequence.
You. Drag and drop edit step before the display
The song is changed based on a change in the order in which the plurality of images are displayed.
It is provided to change the order. The display order
Is the order in which at least one of the plurality of images is displayed.
Changed by moving to a different position in the Soshi
The representation of each of the plurality of images and the parts is
It is regenerated and displayed based on the updated bending order.
The method also includes a series of continuously displayed screens.
Displaying tooling information via the display. here
At least the screen display that is displayed continuously
One is displayed based on the previous selection by the input device.
It is. The displaying step includes displaying a plurality of tool tags on a display device.
Display the first screen display containing the
Each tool type icon has one tool
Indicates the type. Further, the method may also include the input device.
Selecting and selecting one of the tool type icons
The display device according to the selection of one of the tool type icons.
Displaying the second screen display on the device
Including. Here, the second screen display includes a plurality of tools.
Shape icons, each of said tool shape icons
Related to the tool type icon selected by the input device
I do. The method also includes providing the tool shape with the input device.
Selecting one of the shape icons and the tool shape icon
Depending on the selection of one of the tools,
Displaying a data table. The tool dimensions
The data relates to multiple tools, each of the multiple tools
Related to the tool shape icon selected by the input device.
You. According to yet another aspect of the invention, a graphical user interface is provided.
System to generate the bending order by using the interface
System is provided. This system bends on the display
Bending order display system for creating and displaying the order entry window
Including stem. Here, the bending order input window is
2D plane image of the part and 2D plane image of the part
Input device for inputting the bending order based on the image.
No. The bending order display system is input by the input device.
Generate multiple images of the part based on the force bending order
And is configured to display. And the
The multiple images of the parts are parts at each stage in the bending order.
Related to the expression. The system also includes the input device.
Bending order of the part based on the bending order input by
Has a bending order storage system for storing the bending order. The song
The order is displayed in a two-dimensional plane image of the part.
By selecting each of the bend lines of the part,
Input by force device. Bending order number display system
Bending line based on the bending order input by the input device
Display the bending order number on the display device for each of
Provided for. In addition, the insertion direction determination system
Insertion direction information is displayed for each bending line of the part
Provided for determination and display on the device. Said
Multiple images on the display to change the bending order
Change the bending order based on the change in the order in which
Drag and drop editing system
You. The drag-and-drop editing system includes
One of the plurality of images is selected by the device and the display order is selected.
When moved to a different position in the turn, the displayed
It has means for changing the order. The bending order display system
The stem may also include the composite based on the modified bending order.
Regenerate and display a number of images and representations of each of said parts
Means for indicating. Graphical user interface
A method is also provided for generating a bend sequence using
ing. Here, the bending order is used to manufacture parts in equipment.
Is configured to be used. The method is
It includes the following steps. Bending order input window on the display device
Generating and displaying a bend order input window
The window includes a two-dimensional planar image of the part. Input device
Using the two-dimensional plane image of the part
Step of inputting the order. Each of multiple images of the part
This is a representation of the part at some stage in the bending order
As related, the music input by the input device
Generating and displaying a plurality of images of the part based on the
Steps to show. According to yet another aspect of the present invention,
Processing for parts through the use of the user interface
A system for generating a fixture is provided. This
The stem generates tooling information on the display and
A tool stand display system for displaying is included. This
The tooling information is a series of continuously displayed screens.
Lean display and tooling information displayed on the display device
Via an input device for selecting a tool stand based on information
Is displayed. The continuously displayed screen display
Is at least one of the previous selections by the input device
Displayed based on The displayed tool stand information,
A plurality of tools associated with a plurality of tools and displayed on the display device.
Contains a number of tool icons. Here, the plurality of tool icons
Each of the buttons represents a given tool. The displayed tool stand
The information is also the text of the tool data displayed on the display.
Cable included. Here, each of the tool data in the table
The description relates to a given tool. According to the present invention,
Tools for parts by using the user interface
A method for generating a stand is also provided. This way
Generates tooling information on a display device with the following steps:
Generating and displaying, wherein the tooling information is a series
Is displayed on a continuously displayed screen display. Previous
Input based on the tooling information displayed on the display device.
Selecting a tool stand using a force device. The above method
In addition, part of the previous selection made by the input device
Based on the screen display that is continuously displayed
Including displaying at least one. The display process is
A first screen having a plurality of tool type icons;
The display is provided to display a display on the display device.
Each of the tool type icons represents a tool type. Change
The method may include the step of inputting the tool type eye using the input device.
Selecting one of the tools and the tool type icon
A second screen on the display in response to one selection
Displaying a display. Here, the second script
The icon display includes a plurality of tool shape icons.
Each of the shape icons is a tool selected by the input device.
Related to the type icon. The method also includes the input device.
Selecting one of the tool shape icons by position
The display device is selected according to the selection of one of the tool shape icons.
Displaying a table of tool dimension data on the table.
No. The tool dimension data is associated with a plurality of tools, and
Each of the tools is a tool shape selected by the input device.
Related to the icon. In addition to the above features, further features
And / or variations thereof, for example,
Various combinations or reassembly of the features described above in the invention
And / or some features described in the detailed description below.
It can be applied to re-combination with
Wear. Those listed above and other objects, features and features of the present invention
The advantages and benefits are described in more detail below. APPENDIX SUMMARY To further facilitate the detailed description of the present invention, the limitations of the appendix
Of the invention along the example of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is not
Examples of source code for various features, operations and functions,
See a number of appendixes with comments:
A is, for example, feature extraction when searching for one similar part
Typical source code for performing operations; Appendix B
For example, similarity index calculation when searching for some similar parts of the present invention
Is a typical source code that exercises
A typical source code for performing a bending line detection operation according to the invention.
Appendix D supplements the 2-D cleanup of the present invention
Is a typical source code for
2-D drawing of 3-D model of metal part from original 3 directions
Appendix E contains the
Various view modes and functions are added to the bending model viewer.
Typical source code to fill; Appendix F, G,
H and I are references for implementing the automatic sizing feature of the present invention.
Appendix J is the present invention with typical source code and comments.
Visibility of parts and entities in bending model viewer
Typical source code for supplementing functions; appendix
Record K is a book about the implementation of the bending model and the configuration of the part structure.
Includes general comments based on various lessons of the invention,
Appendix L gives a 3 based on the dynamic calculation of the axis of rotation for a given part.
-Typical replenishing D-operation and navigation system
Source code. The present invention is limited in the following detailed description.
Many examples of preferred embodiments of the invention
It is described with reference to the drawings.
Reference numbers indicate similar parts in all figures.

APPENDIX SUMMARY To further facilitate a detailed description of the present invention, examples and comments of source code relating to various features, operations, and functions of the present invention, along with examples of the non-limiting preferred embodiments of the present invention, are provided. Reference is made to a number of the following appendices, noted: Appendix A is typical source code for performing feature extraction operations, for example, when searching for one similar part; Appendix B is, for example, some similarities of the present invention. Appendix C is a typical source code for performing a similarity index operation when searching for parts; Appendix C is a typical source code for performing a bend line detection operation in the present invention; Appendix D is a 2-D cleanup of the present invention. Typical source code to execute, which can be used to create 3-D models of sheet metal parts based on the original 3-D drawings from three directions; Exemplary source code for implementing various view modes and functions in the bending model viewer of the invention; Appendixes F, G,
H and I are exemplary source code and comments for implementing the automatic sizing feature of the present invention; Appendix J is for implementing the part / entity observability function of the bending model viewer of the present invention. Typical source code; Appendix K contains general comments on the implementation of bending models and the construction of part structures, based on various lessons of the present invention, and Appendix L contains the dynamics of the rotation axis of a given part. FIG. 1 is a typical source code for performing a 3-D operation and a navigation system based on statistical calculation.

The present invention has been described with reference to a number of drawings, which are illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are not limited by the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals in the drawings refer to like parts throughout the drawings. Show parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with aspects of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method for managing and distributing design and manufacturing information throughout a factory and facilitating the manufacture of parts within the factory. This feature of the present invention can be used in a wide range of factory environments and equipment, and in particular, the present invention can be used to satisfy factory environments where a series of manufacturing steps are performed at different locations. Through non-limiting examples and various examples, the present invention will be described with reference to, for example, fabrication of bent sheet metal parts in an advanced sheet metal manufacturing facility.

FIG. 1 illustrates, in block diagram form, an advanced sheet metal manufacturing facility 38 generally in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet metal manufacturing facility or factory 38 has a number of locations 10, 1 distributed throughout the factory.
2,14. . . It has 20.

These places include a design office 10, a shipping work place 14, a punching work place 16, a bending work place 18, and a welding work place 20. The sheet metal factory 38 depicted in FIG. 1 has only six separate locations, but of course the factory may have six or more separate locations, and each type of office depicted in FIG. Or the workplace may occupy more than one place. For example, depending on the size of the equipment 38 and the required production capacity, one or more
A bending station 18 and / or a welding station 20 can be provided. In addition, the factory 38 has one or more design offices 1
0, may have an assembly station 12 or a shipping station 14, and may have other types of locations to facilitate the fabrication and manufacture of bent sheet metal parts.

Each location 10, 12, 1 in the factory 38
4. . . 20 includes tools for performing and performing one or more discrete fabrication steps or processes associated with the fabrication of the part. For example, the design firm 10 may have a suitable CAD / CAM (CAD / CAM) system to facilitate the design of sheet metal parts based on customer specifications. The CAD / CAM system may include one or more personal computers, a display, a printer, and commercially available CAD / CAM software. By way of non-limiting example, the CAD / CAM system of the design firm 10 may be an Autocad or Cadkey, or an Amada AP40 or AP60CAD available from Amada America (formerly known as US Amada, Inc.) Villena Park, Calif. / CAM system. In addition, Windows-based CAD systems such as Beerm available from Ashler can be used. Using this CAD / CAM system, a design programmer can create a 2-D model and / or a 3-D model of a sheet metal part based on drawings and data in a customer order. The design programmer also creates a control code based on the design of the sheet metal part, whereby a part program for controlling a CNC stamping press and / or a cutting machine, for example for punching or cutting sheet metal parts from a workpiece. Can be created.

The punching station 16 and the bending station 18 are each provided with any combination of CNC and / or NC machine tools. For example, the punching workshop 16
Amada of the Koma series and / or Pega series
The turret stamping press, or one or more other commercially available CNC and / or NC stamping presses, may be provided, and the bending station 18 may include an RG series Amada press brake or other commercially available multi-axis press. It may have one or more CNC and / or NC press brakes, such as gauging press brakes. In addition, the welding station 20 can be equipped with suitable welding equipment to perform any necessary welding to sheet metal parts. The punching station 16, the bending station 18 and the welding station 20 can be installed at any place in the factory of the equipment 38, and also include a machine that can be manually operated by a skilled operator (for example, a punching press operator, a bending machine observer, etc.). . Fully automatic or robotic aids, such as the Amada Cell Lobomini and the Amada Promcam, can also be provided at these locations. The required punching and bending operations, or any necessary welding operations, can be performed during the fabrication process at these workshops.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the advanced sheet metal equipment 38 also includes an assembly station 12 and a shipping station 14.
The assembly work area 12 and shipping work area 14 also include the packaging, route assignment, and / or transportation equipment needed to facilitate assembly and shipping of manufactured parts to customers. The assembly and shipping of parts is manually exercised or managed by factory personnel, but can also be machine automation and / or machine assistance. Further, the assembly workshop 12 and the shipping workshop 14 may be physically located near a factory workshop (e.g., close to a stamping workshop 16, a bending workshop 18 and / or a 'welding workshop 20') or separate from a sheet metal factory 38. In any facility or area. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the management and distribution of important design and manufacturing information is accomplished by electronically storing and distributing the design and manufacturing information. By replacing or supplementing traditional paper work setups or worksheets with electronic job sheets that can be instantly accessed from anywhere in the factory, the present invention improves the overall efficiency of the factory. Can be. In addition, various aspects and features of the present invention improve the organization and access of stored design and manufacturing information. Further, access and retrieval of previous work information for similar or identical sheet metal parts is made possible through various features of the present invention.

To this end, various aspects of the invention include:
The server module 32 and the database 30 are stored in a number of locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20 by providing a communication network 26 that connects to each of them. As discussed below, each location 10, 12,
14． . . 20 has a station module that interfaces to a communication network 26 and a database 30. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show non-limiting examples of these features and implementations of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the communication network 26 includes various locations 10, 12, 14. . . 2
0, server module 32 and database 30
Is tied. Communication network 26 stores data and information at locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20 can be transmitted between the server module 32 and the database 30
Any network may be used. Transmission may be electronic or optical, by radio frequency transmission or far infrared transmission. As a non-limiting example, the communication network 26
Can be configured with a local area network (LAN), ethernet or similar network structure. As described further below, locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 2
0 also transmit and receive information over the communication network 26 via network termination devices (eg, computers, minicomputers or workstations) and / or peripherals (eg, display monitors or screens, printers, CD-ROMs, And / or a modem). The network terminators and peripherals include hardware and appropriate software or program logic for interfacing with the communication network 26 and, as will be discussed in more detail below, for providing various features and aspects of the present invention. When the computer is installed at a location in the factory, the computer may be a stand-alone type, a personal computer, or a general-purpose computer that is a part of an interface device of equipment or machinery at the location. For example, the computer may be an IBM compatible personal computer or a computer that is part of an interface / control system of machinery such as Amada AMNC.

Server module 32 and database 3
0 is also connected to the communication network. Server module 32 includes a personal computer, minicomputer, or miniframe with appropriate hardware and software to interface with communication network 26. The server module 32 also includes software and firmware that will meet various aspects of the invention, as will be described in detail below. Further in accordance with aspects of the present invention, server module 32 may have a database 30 for storing design and manufacturing information associated with customer orders. The database 30 may comprise a commercial database with sufficient storage capacity to store factory customer design and manufacturing information and other data, tables, and / or programs. For example, the database 30 may include a scuzzy (SCSI) memory disk having a storage capacity of 4 GB or more. The design and manufacturing information stored in the database 30 is accessed and various locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20 can be distributed.
Various data formats, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), can be used to access or store data in database 30. Further, the information stored in the database 30 can be backed up and stored in various types of storage media, for example, a magnetic tape, an optical disk or a floppy disk. Server module 32 and database 30
The connection with the communication network 26 may be at a separate area or location within the factory 38 (eg, see FIG. 1) or at a predetermined station (eg, within the design office) or at a location in close proximity thereto. It can be carried out.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the database 30 is depicted as being part of the server module 32 and interfacing with the communication network 26 through the server module.
2 and can be connected via a communication network 26 and a network database module 34 as shown in FIG.

As a non-limiting example in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server module 32 and each location 10,
12,14. . . 20 has a 100-200 MHz, central processing unit (CPU) including a Pentium or equivalent microprocessor, and a high resolution display screen such as an SVGA monitor with at least 32 MB storage capacity and 800 × 600 resolution on the market, IB
Includes personal computers such as M compatibles. Server module 32 and locations 10, 12, 14. . . 20 also includes a joystick or mouse and sound blaster or alternative sound and game port adapter card for interfacing with and controlling the display of information. Execution system software for supporting communication is also provided. For example, server module 32 includes Microsoft Windows New Technology (NT) or Windows 95 execution system software (both available from Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.), And each location 10, 1
2,14. . . 20 is Microsoft Windows 95
Execution system software can be included. Further, the server module 32 and the locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20 can support multiple languages (eg, English, Japanese, etc.) and can provide full support for object links and embedded (OLE) servers such as the OLE2 server.

[0121] Various database languages and management systems are also used to create, maintain, and view information stored in databases. A database language such as Structural Query Language (SQL) can be used to determine, manipulate, and control data in database 30. For example, an SQL server (a retail product available from Microsoft) can be used to practice the present invention. In addition, the present invention can facilitate access of information from database 30 over communication network 26 by providing an open database connectivity open database connectivity (ODBC) compatible driver. For more information about ODBC, see the Microsoft Open Database. Connectivity Software Development Kit Available in Programmer's Reference Manual.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an advanced sheet metal manufacturing facility constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the database 30 and the server module 32 are installed separately, and the database 30 is connected to the communication network 26 via the network database module 34. As described above, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The database 30 and the server module 32 can be installed together (for example, as shown in FIG. 1), and the function of accessing the database of the network database module 34 is provided. Can be incorporated into server modules. FIG. 2 also illustrates the various locations 10,12,
14． . . Station module 3 that can be installed on 20
6 is shown. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 2 illustrates a station module 36 mounted on the bending station 18. Although not shown in the example of FIG. 2, a similar station module 36 can be located elsewhere in the facility 38.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the modules (the server module 32, the network database module 34, and the station module 36) can be connected to the communication network 26 via a network interface card or port 42. The network interface card 26 is vendor specific and can be selected based on the type of communication network selected.
Each module 32, 34, 36 is connected to a communication network 26.
And may include network software or programmed logic to interface with the network. The communication network 26 is an Ethernet (Ethernet).
t), 10 bases / T (twisted pair), 10 bases / T
Many types of commercially available cables, such as 2 (coaxial) or 10 base / 5 (thick film cable), using a cable of the type selected based on the size of the equipment 38 and the required cable length. Is also good.

In FIG. 2, the server module 32 may include a display monitor or personal computer having a CRT 44 and input / output devices including a keyboard, mouse and / or joystick. The network interface card 42 can be inserted into a provided expansion slot or a port of the personal computer 40. In addition, the personal computer 40 may include a Pentium or Pentium Pro microprocessor with a processing speed of 100-200 MHz. The personal computer 40 may also include, for example, 32 MB or more main storage and 1.2 GB or more random access storage (RAM). The display 44 may include a high resolution display screen, for example, a commercially available SVGA monitor with 800 × 600 resolution. The personal computer 40 is used to support various graphics and information displayed on the display 44.
May also include commercially available graphics cards, such as PCI graphics cards. Further, the computer 40 includes a sound blaster or compatible audio and game port adapter card,
Input / output device 46 may include a keyboard, joystick and / or mouse.

To implement the various features of the present invention,
The server module 32 is provided with software and various package software. For example, the server module 32 is a Microsoft Windows NT
(Workstation type) or Windows 95. In addition, server module 32 can include software or routines with programmed logic to provide the server module with features and features unique to the present invention (see, for example, FIG. 4). As will be discussed in more detail below, these routines can be created by a high-level programming language such as C ++ and object-oriented programming. The server module 32 also has a 2-
To enter and / or create D and 3-D drawings,
It includes or is capable of interfacing with CAD or CAD / CAM software such as Velm or Amada AP40 or AP60 software. For this reason, the server module can be located at the design office 10 of the manufacturing facility 38. To access data from the database 30, the server module 32
It has an ODBC driver, such as the Microsoft ODBC driver, and can use SQL as a data access standard. OLE like OLE2 server
A server can be provided to link the data.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the database 30 is provided separately from the server module 32, and is connected to the communication network 26 via the network database module 34. As mentioned above, the database 30 may include a SCSI disk (e.g., 1-4 GB) with a suitable storage space selected based on the size of the factory 38 and the amount of component information to be stored in the database. it can. The network database module 34 may include a personal computer 40, such as an IBM compatible with a pentium microprocessor, and an expansion slot with a network interface card 42 for interfacing with the communication network 26. The database 30 can be connected to a personal computer 40 via a data bus, which also includes a standard display or display monitor or input / output devices such as a CRT and keyboard (not shown in FIG. 2).

To facilitate access to the database 30 based on SQL, the personal computer 40 of the network database module 34 can be installed with a commercially available SQL server, such as a Microsoft SQL server or an Oracle SQL server. .
An OLE server, such as an OLE2 server, can be provided for linking data. PC 40
Can be equipped with various software such as DOS and Microsoft Windows NT (server version). The embodiment of FIG. 2 includes a typical implementation of one station module 36. In this embodiment, the station module 36 is mounted on the bending station 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the station module 36 includes the same hardware as the server module 32. That is, each station module (eg, the other stations shown in FIG. 1) includes a computer 48 having a display monitor or CRT 44 and an input / output device 46 including a joystick or mouse. The network interface card 42 is a computer 40
Can be plugged into an expansion slot or port provided in the device. As discussed above, the computer of station module 36 may be a stand-alone or a personal computer or a general-purpose computer that is part of an interface device of equipment or machinery located on site. For example, computer 48
The computer 48 may be a self-contained personal computer such as an IBM compatible machine with an operating speed of 200 Hz and a Pentium or Pentium Pro microprocessor, or the computer 48 may be part of a machine interface / control system such as the Amada AHNC system. Alternatively, it may be a computer incorporated in the system. Computer 48 may also have, for example, 32 MB or more of main memory and 1.2 GB or more of random access memory (RAM). The display 44 may include a high resolution display screen, a commercially available SVGA monitor with a resolution of, for example, 800 × 600. A computer 48 is provided to assist with the various graphics and information displayed on the display 44.
Can include a commercially available graphics card, such as a PCI graphics card. In addition, the computer 48 may include a sound blaster or joystick or mouse for compatible sound and game port adapters and input / output devices 46 to support it.

To implement the various features of the present invention,
The station module 36 includes software and various commercially available software. For example, the station module 36 is provided with basic software such as Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT (workstation version). further,
In order to provide the station module with features and features unique to the present invention (see, for example, FIG. 5), the station module 36 is provided with a software or programmed logic routine. As will be discussed in more detail below, these routines can be developed by using high-level programming languages, such as C ++, and object-oriented programming techniques. To access and link data, the station module 36 uses a microshift OBCD driver and OLE2
An OLE server such as a server is included. Like the server module 32, the station module can also use SQL as a basis for accessing data from the database 30.

When the station module 36 of the bending station 18 is provided as a self-contained personal computer, the bending machine 25 is used to generate bending code data.
(E.g., CNC or NC controlled press brake) can be equipped with software to interface. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the computer 36 is implemented as a personal computer, and is depicted as having software that interfaces with the bending machine 25 through a standard RS-232-C wiring interface. This interface is used when the station module 36
Equipped to communicate with the bending machine 25 through the -232-C interface and to send and receive bending codes. The execution of this interface is for vendors,
It depends on the data format and instruction set used for the bending machine 25. Bending machine 2 from station module 36
All data sent to 5 must be formatted according to the machine instruction set specified for the machine. The computer 48 of the station module 36 is provided with commercially available CNC or NC software for bending code generation, thereby providing an embedded computer of a CNC or NC system (eg, Amada AMNC) for such machinery. Can simulate the usual functions.

FIG. 3 shows a server module 3 for data.
2 is a typical example showing the flow of data between the database 30 and the sheet metal manufacturing equipment 38; For the sake of illustration and to facilitate the description of the respective data flows in the embodiment, FIG.
2 and database 30 (network database
(Integrated in module 34) are each separately connected directly to communication network 26, and the flow of data between these components occurs through the communication network. Of course, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a wide variety of data flow schemes may be used between these components; And information can be communicated directly from the server module to the database without using the communication network 26. Further, for ease of description, the communication network 26 of FIG. 3 has been simplified, and only the punching station 16 and the bending station 18 are shown in the figure. However, locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20
The flow of data exchange (including any other location or area within the factory) can be performed in a manner similar to that shown for the punching station 16 and the bending station 18.

Design / manufacturing information related to each customer's order is as follows:
They can be organized and stored in the database 30. When an order is first received from a customer, basic product and design information is entered into server module 32 and then transmitted to database 30 for storage. As discussed previously, server module 32 includes suitable means for inputting data, such as a personal computer with a keyboard. When a personal computer is used in the server module 32, software for generating a menu-based screen can be provided to facilitate data entry by factory personnel. The data entry program may be, for example, a Microsoft Windows-based application with help and / or menu screens. By way of non-limiting example, data entered and / or created in the server module 32 and transferred to the database 30 may include component information, bending models, feature extraction data, and bending data, as generally shown in FIG. Line information can be included.

The part information can include, for example, the part or order reference number, the customer's name, a brief description of the part, the size or quantity of the batch, and the expected delivery date. The bending model data includes information on the part material such as, for example, the overall dimensions of the part (eg, width, height, depth) and material type (eg, steel, stainless steel or aluminum), thickness, and tensile strength. Can be included. In addition, feature extraction data can be manually entered and / or generated automatically to identify key features of the part,
Facilitates searching for similar parts in the database and other searches. The feature extraction data can be stored in another file of the database 30, or can be stored together with the bending model data and the work information of each part. The feature extraction data may include, for example, the number of surfaces or surfaces, the number of bend types (eg, positive folds between two surfaces, or negative folds between two surfaces), relationships between surfaces, and / or holes or other Number of openings of the following types. As will be discussed in more detail later, such data is stored in a feature-based component matrix and / or
Alternatively, it can be expressed and organized by a sequential search key (see, for example, FIGS. 6-10 below). Finally, the bend line information can be input to the server module 32 for storage in the database 30. The bending line information includes, for example, a bending angle, a bending length, and a bending inner radius (I) of each bending of the part.
R), reduction amount and bending direction (for example, forward or backward)
Including key bend line information.

To transmit / receive data to / from the database 30 through the communication network 26, each of the locations 10, 12,
14． . . 20 may include a station module (such as station module 36 previously described) connected to a communication network. FIG. 3 shows a punching station 16 and a bending station 18.
Is generally shown in block diagram with station modules. As discussed previously, station modules include, for example, software or control logic and stand-alone personal computers, or general-purpose computers that are part of the equipment or machinery provided on site.
In accordance with each customer's order, design and manufacturing information (including part information, bend line information and bend model data) can be accessed and searched by entering a predetermined reference number or code. The reference number or code can be entered manually (eg, via a keyboard or digital input pad) or by scanning the bar code with a bar code reader or scanner provided on the station module. Further, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, previous work information may be retrieved from database 30 at any of the locations 10, 12, 14,. . . Even from 20, access is made by performing a similar parts search,
Searchable. As discussed in the detailed description that follows, the search for similar parts is performed using feature extraction data or database 3.
This can be done on the basis of a search key stored at 0, whereby previous work information on the same or similar parts can be retrieved and used to reduce the overall production time of future work.

The manufacturing information retrieved from the database 30 is used by the workshop operator to create and test bending plans. For example, a bending operator at bending station 18 can access and retrieve part information, bending line information, and bending model data from database 30 to determine the tools and optimal bending procedures required for sheet metal parts. . In accordance with aspects of the present invention, ODBC
Providing a driver allows each station module to interface with the database 30 and display information stored in the database. Further, the network module of the server module 32 or the database 30 can include an SQL server to facilitate access and retrieval of data stored in the database. Once the bend code is programmed based on the final bend plan, the bend code, along with the bending procedure,
Bending station station module 18 through communication network 30 as generally shown in FIG.
To the database 30. This information is stored along with other design and manufacturing information related to the job.

[0135] Other information can also be stored in the database 30. For example, 2-D and / or 3-
The D image representation can be stored with the bending model data. This 2-D or 3-D image representation is created using a CAD / CAM system at the design station 10 or elsewhere and through the communication network 26 via the station module at the design station (or other suitable location). , To the database 30. Alternatively, the 2-D or 3-D image is processed by the server module 32, as described in more detail below, with an appropriate C
It can be created by performing a series of functions or operations using an AD / CAM system or modeling software.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the server module 32 and each of the locations 10, 12, 14,. . . The processes and operations programmed and executed in 20 will be described in detail. 4 and 5 show locations 10, 12, 14,... In server module 32 and sheet metal manufacturing facility 38, respectively. . . 20 is a flowchart of the flow of basic logic executed in 20. FIG. 5 is for a typical process or operation performed at, for example, bending station 18, but it will be understood that other processes or steps may be performed depending on the operation performed at a particular location within facility 38. I can do it. The processing and operations described below can be implemented using software or one of a variety of programming languages and techniques. For example, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, the processing and operations described below with reference to the associated figures may be performed using a high-level programming language such as C ++ and object-oriented programming techniques. Further, as a non-limiting example, Visual C ++, a version of a programming language created by Microsoft for Windows-based applications, may be used.

FIG. 4 illustrates a server server in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart of basic processing and operations performed by a module 32. FIG. 4 is a basic logic flow of the processing and operations performed by the server module 32 by software or programmed logic. The server module 32
Tools and tools to assist the operator or user in selecting and executing various processes and operations of the server module
It may include a Windows-based application with a bar, help and / or menu screen.
The processing is performed in step S.1 when a customer order is received at the sheet metal manufacturing facility 38. It starts from 1. Customer orders typically include product and design information needed for parts to be manufactured in the factory. This information also includes, for example, the geometric dimensions of the part, the materials required for the part, and other design information. Based on the information received from the customer, the server module 32 proceeds to step S. A search for previous work information stored in the database 30 is performed, as depicted in FIG. The job information stored in the database 30 can be searched based on various search criteria. For example, the information can be searched based on a predefined reference or job number, or a search for similar parts can be performed based on certain design features of the part, whereby previous job information for the same or similar parts can be retrieved for the current job. Searchable and available for. A more detailed description of the available similar parts search is described below with reference to FIGS. 6-10.

Step S. At 5, the database search results are analyzed to determine whether the current customer order is a new part, a part similar to a previous job, or a repetition of a previous job. If the same match is found (for example, the same part or reference number is found), the customer's current order is a complete repetition of the previous job performed at the factory, and no further modifications to the job information are necessary. ,
The previous job information is accessed from the database 30 and step S. As shown in FIG. 11, it can be used to fulfill the current customer order. A search of the database provides a part or reference number and / or file name of a previous job so that operators at the server module 32 or any station module can access the job information from the database. When only a part or reference number can be obtained, by providing a conversion table, an operator can determine and access a file name of previous work information by inputting a part reference or a work number. Thus, for example, an operator at the server module 32 may analyze the geometry of the part by accessing work information and 2-D and 3-D modeling information from the database 30 to determine that it is similar to a repeat order. You can check. Once the order is confirmed to be a repetitive order, the bending operator at the station module of bending station 18 will have access to further previous work information and bend manufacturing information including bending code data and tool setup information. And can be used for the production of parts. By utilizing such stored expertise, it is thus possible to produce repetitive orders more efficiently and without the need for previously entered and developed work information.

However, step S. At step S.5, if it is determined that the current customer's order is similar to or the same as the previous job, but a correction is required, for example, a job or reference number or batch size. The previous job information data found in the search in step 7 is database 3
It is retrieved from 0 and edited and modified by the operator at server module 32. By providing an edit function, previous job data can be edited and modified to create new job data, which can be stored in the database 30 for the current customer order. The amount of editing required
Depends on the degree of similarity between previous and current work. The amount of editing can range from mere correction of reference or job number or batch size to / or including more extensive corrections, such as editing part dimensions and defined bending procedures. When editing of the previous work information is completed, the corrected work information is stored in step S. 9 and stored in the database 30. The modified task information can be stored with a new reference or task number. Further, by providing various database management functions (copying, deleting, storing, renaming, etc.), it is possible to retain the previous work information in the database 30 or to erase or overwrite the previous work information by inputting a special command. .

If there is no similar or identical match for the current job, and thus it is determined that the current customer order pertains to the new job, the logic flow proceeds to step S.1 shown in FIG. Proceed to 15. In this case, since the current job is related to a new job, the design and manufacturing information must be created and input independently. Server module 3
Providing menus and / or help screens from 2 can assist the operator in entering all necessary work information. In line with aspects of the present invention,
The operator of the server module 32 can create a new file by first entering basic part information for the new job. The part information includes, for example, a reference or job number, the name of the customer, a brief description of the part, the size or amount of the batch required for the job, and the expected delivery date. The feature extraction data or search key is also stored in step S.
This data can be automatically created or extracted simultaneously with the creation of the bending model data, as described below. Other data and information are also stored in step S. 15 or after or during input of bending model data such as bending line information including bending angle, radius and length of each bending line of the part. Step S. Fifteen
Subsequently, the logical flow is as shown in FIG.
2 and developed as input.

The development and input of the bending model depend on the original drawings and information provided by the customer. Customer orders may include, for example, a 2-D one-way plan view of the manufactured part and / or a 2-D, three-dimensional view of the part (eg, top, front, side views).
May contain. Occasionally, customers may provide 3-D wireframes of parts with or without part material thickness shown in the figures. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the bending model data is based on the development (2-
Both (D-plane display) and folding (3-D display) information are included. Thus, if the customer provides only a 2-D plan, the 3-D drawing must be created, for example, by applying a folding algorithm or process to the 2-D drawing. In contrast, when a 3-D drawing of a part is provided, a 2-D plan must be created by applying an unfolding algorithm or process to the 3-D drawing. According to another aspect of the invention,
The 2-D and 3-D models stored in the bending model can be created and represented with no sheet material thickness (ie, no thickness). This is possible due to the symmetry inherent in all sheet metal parts. The provision and representation of the 2-D and 3-D drawings without thickness provides a model and simulation diagram of the part that is more easily interpreted and understood by design programmers, bending operators and other users. Omitting the thickness information also reduces and improves the processing time required to implement and achieve the various features of the present invention described herein in server and station modules. A more detailed description of such features, as well as folding and unfolding algorithms that can be used in the present invention, will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 shows general processing and operations performed when developing a bending model. The various types of drawings developed based on received or customer orders and which can be entered to create bending model data are generally described in Step S. 19, S.M. 23, S.M. 27 and S.M. 31. Tool icon bars and menus and / or help screens can be provided by the server module 32 to assist an operator in selecting and performing each of these steps. The process of creating 2-D and 3-D models of the part for the bending model from these drawings depends on the type of drawing originally provided. These drawings can be manually entered or created on the server module 32 or downloaded from tape or disk. The server module 32 may, for example, interface with a CAD / CAM system at the design office 10, or the server module 32 may have a stand-alone CAD / CAM system. Further, the 2-D and 3-D drawings are stored as DXF or IGES files and imported into server module 32.

When a one-way plan view is provided, the process of creating a bending model includes the steps S. and S. as shown in FIG.
You can start with 19. Step S. At 19, the received or created 2-D plan view is input to the server module 32. Other bending model data, such as the overall dimensions (width, height, depth) of the part, and part material information are also included in step S. 19 can be entered. Then, using a folding algorithm or process, step S. As shown generally at 21, a 3-D model (without material thickness) can be created based on the original 2-D-direction drawing. Examples of processes and operations performed to create a 3-D model from a 2-D plan view will be described later with reference to FIGS.

If a 3-D wireframe diagram (without material thickness) of the part has been accepted or created, the information in the diagram will be as follows: 27. In addition, other bending model data, such as the overall dimensions (width, height, depth) of the part, and part material information are also stored in step S. 27. Thereafter, step S. As shown at 27, a deployment algorithm or process is performed at server module 32 to create a 2-D model of the part. 2
Examples of processes and operations performed to create a -D model from a 3-D drawing (without thickness) will be described later with reference to, for example, FIG.

The 2-D and 3-D model representations of a part are stored as part of the bending model for that part. In addition, as noted above, other bending model data (such as component material information and other manufacturing information) is also entered between the creation and storage of the 2-D and 3-D models, Together with the data. The various functions and data structure arrangements that can be implemented to organize and store bending model data are described in more detail below (see, for example, FIGS. 26 and 27).

As shown in FIG. 4, if a simple 3-D drawing (without material thickness) was not originally created or accepted, the unfolding algorithm required to create the final 2-D model Or, before processing, additional processing is required to create a 3-D model (without thickness) of the part. Step S. 23, S.M. 25, S.M. 31 and S.I.
33 is a step S.33. Before executing the unfolding algorithm at 29 and creating the 2-D model, the additional processing and operations commonly performed at server module 32 are shown.

For example, if a 2-D, three-way drawing (three-view drawing) of a part is first provided or created, step S. At 23, the drawing can be entered or incorporated into the server module 32. In addition, other bending model data, such as overall dimensions (width, height, depth) of the part, and part material information are also included in the S.A. 23. Continue with step S. At 25, a simple 3-D plan view of the part can be created based on the input 2-D three-dimensional drawing. The created 3-D drawing is, as shown in FIG.
29 is used to create a 2-D model. 3-D
An example of processing and operation for creating a model from a 2-D three-dimensional drawing will be described later with reference to, for example, FIG.

However, if a 3-D drawing containing the material thickness was originally received or created,
Before applying the development algorithm, the drawing information is stored in step S. for further processing. 31 can be entered.
Other bending model data, the overall dimensions (width, height, depth) of the part and the material information of the part are also stored in step S. 31 can be entered. Then, step S. At 33, a thickness deletion procedure can be performed to delete the thickness in the 3-D drawing. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, server module 32
Indicates the thickness in the drawing and indicates which surface (outside or inside) when the operator or user performs the thickness removal procedure
You may be asked to indicate if you want to save. FIG. 24 shows a thickness deletion procedure that can be used in the present invention.
This is described below with reference to (a) and 24 (b). Step S. After the thickness of the 3-D drawing has been deleted at 33, the logic flow proceeds to step S.33. Go to 29, where the final 2-
Revised Thickness 3 to Create D Model
An appropriate expansion algorithm or processing is performed using the D model. The development process and various processes and operations for creating a 2-D model from a 3-D drawing will be described below with reference to, for example, FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, after all important information has been created and entered, the part information, bending model information and other data associated with the customer's order are stored in step S. At 35, the data is transferred from the server module 32 to the database 30 and stored therein. The data stored in the database 30 also includes feature extraction or search data that can be used when performing a database search. As described below, the feature extraction or search data also includes data indicating the basic or main features of the part associated with each job, thereby providing job information and specialized information on the same or similar parts stored. You can search for knowledge. The data and information entered into the server module 32 can be transferred directly to the database 30 or over the communication network 26, for example, as shown in FIG. As described above, a detailed description of various processes and operations that can be performed on various drawings when creating bending model data will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 5 shows the locations 10, 1 of the sheet manufacturing equipment 38.
2,14. . . 20 shows a flowchart of basic processes and operations provided in each station module. For illustration, FIG.
8 shows an example of the basic logic flow of the basic processing and operation performed by the station module located in FIG. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the present invention, the logic flow shown in FIG. 5 can, of course, be modified at each station module depending on the nature of the operations and processes performed at each location. is there. Further, like the server module 32, the processing and operation at the station modules described below can be equipped with software or programmed logic. In addition, the station module includes a Windows-based application with toolbar icons or help and / or menu screens to facilitate selection and performance of various processes and operations by an operator or user. be able to. Such help and / or menu screens
It can also be provided to facilitate data entry or transfer in the station module.

As shown in FIG. After initializing the station module at step 51, the operator proceeds to step S.51. At 53, one or more database search criteria or key items can be entered. Search criteria can be entered to find previous job information stored in database 30 or job information for a new or current job. The operator can enter a predetermined number or code, for example, to retrieve specific job information from database 30. For example, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, information can be accessed by applying a barcode to a routing sheet or to a perforated material and scanning with a barcode reader at the station module.
Alternatively, the reference code or number can be manually entered at the station module via a keyboard or digital input pad. By providing a conversion table, previous job information can be determined by inputting a part reference or a job number by an operator. Further, it is expected that a similar part search of the previously stored work information is performed by inputting a search criterion or a key. Such a search can be performed based on various design characteristics or feature extraction data of parts. A description of a similar component search that can be performed in accordance with aspects of the present invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 6-10.

The search criterion is set at step S. After inputting at step 53, the station module proceeds to step S.53. 55,
Communication network 26 and network database
A search of the database 30 can be performed via the module 34. The result of the search is returned to the station module, and step S. At 57, it is analyzed to determine if the operator or user has requested information about a new job or similar previous job, or if the request is for a complete repetition of the previous job.

If the same is found (eg, the same part or reference number is located), the repetition of the previous job is determined and the stored design and manufacturing information about the job is transferred from database 30 to the station module. Transferred to step S. As generally indicated at 59, the operator is displayed for viewing. The station module has one or more menu display screens or directories so that the operator can select and display various information retrieved from the database 30. The operator reviews the displayed information and proceeds to step S. Run various simulations, such as the 3-D bending simulation at 61, and observe the various stages of the bending procedure of the job,
Understand the geometry of parts. The operator can also review other information, such as required tools and other special instructions and messages recorded in the work information. Upon confirmation of the job information, the operator can bend or configure other required machinery (assembly) and operate the machine to produce the specified sheet metal part. The work information retrieved from the database 30 includes, for example, final bending plan data including bending codes that control the machinery of the bending station 18. The configuration and actual operation of the machinery are thus described in step S. Performed by an operator, as shown generally at 63.

If the same or similar job information is not found, the information is for a new job (ie, only preliminary job information is entered into server module 32 and complete job information has not been created). If so, the partial part information and bending model data are retrieved from the database 30 and sent to the station module where it is sent to step S. Observed by the operator at 77. Since the requested information relates to a new job, the operator must create and enter a bend plan that includes the necessary tools and bend procedures. As will be described in more detail below, the station module can include a graphical user interface (GUI) and other features to facilitate the creation of a bend plan by the bend operator. The GUI can be, for example, tool selection,
It can be provided to assist the operator in creating a bend plan by displaying an automated check for potential inconsistencies between parts and tools, and a simulation of each intermediate stage of the proposed bend procedure. The operator who has created and entered the bend plan in the server module, proceeds to step S. At 80, the bending procedure is programmed to generate a bending code (a CNC or NC code for performing the bending procedure on a bending machine). The bending cord is directly connected to the server
Input by module or CNC or N of bending machinery
It can interface with the C controller and incorporate it into the server module. Thereafter, the operator proceeds to step S. At 81, a bend work station can be set up to test the bend plan. When all necessary tests and necessary corrections for the bending plan are completed, step S. At 83, the final bending data is input to the database 30 and stored. The final bending data includes the bending program and the bending procedure and tool configuration information. This information is sent from the station module of the bending station 18 to the database 30, for example.
Stored along with other design and manufacturing information about the new job.

Step S. of FIG. 57, if it is determined that the information relates to a similar part or the same part of a previous job, but has, for example, a different reference or job number or batch quantity, the logic flow proceeds to step S. 65
Proceed to. Step S. At 65, previous work information is retrieved from the database 30 and displayed at the bending station 18. The bending operator or user looks at the data and decides what data changes are needed for similar parts. Again, the station module is provided with a series of menu display screens or directories (directories) to allow the operator to select the information to display and how to display or modify the information. For example, step S. At 69, a 3-D bending simulation based on the retrieved information can be provided to facilitate the operator in creating a bending plan for similar parts. After reviewing the previous job information, the operator proceeds to step S. At 70, the tool and bend information are modified along with the bend program. Other job information such as part dimensions, reference numbers and batch quantities are also included in step S. 70 can be modified and edited. When this is completed, step S. 71
The actual tool set-up and testing is performed by the operator at the workplace to test the modified bend plan. When the test and further modification of the bending plan are completed, the operator proceeds to step S. At 73, the final bending data is entered and given a new reference or work number and stored in the database 30. As described above, previous work information can also be maintained in the database 30 along with other stored work files. In addition, various database management functions can be provided for storing, deleting, renaming, etc., files stored in the database.

Next, an example of a similar part search function which can be executed according to the teachings of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a similar parts search procedure utilizing a feature-based morphological similarity search algorithm searches for previous work information from database 30;
Be prepared to search. Similar parts search may include searching for identical and / or similar parts based on design features and / or manufacturing information for the part being manufactured. Similar parts searching can also be performed, for example, by using software or programmed logic in the server module 32 and / or various station modules in the factory 38. Similar parts search can be performed on locations 10, 12, 14,. . . 20. C ++ or Microsoft Visual C ++
High-level programming languages, such as programming languages, and object-oriented programming techniques can be used to perform various processes and operations for searching for similar parts.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the logic flow of available similar part search algorithms or processes. As shown in FIG. 6, important part model data files are stored in step S. 1
00 is accessible. The part model includes, for example, bending model data created by a CAD system located in the design office 10 and / or data created and input by the server module 32. The part model includes, for example, part form data (part topology data) representing the directions, geometric relationships, and relative positions of various surfaces or faces of the part and bending lines. After the part model data has been retrieved or the bending model data has been manually entered, step S. At 102, a feature extraction operation can be performed to automatically derive feature extraction data based on the bending model and / or component morphology data for the component.

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, feature extraction data can be derived by analyzing various features of a sheet metal part. For example, analysis of various surfaces of a part can determine whether adjacent surfaces have open or contact corners. Other features, such as parallel bends, series bends, collinear bends or opposed bends can also be analyzed to determine and extract distinct and unique features of each part.

Table 1 shows the characteristics of various bends and surfaces analyzed when performing a similar part search. The extracted features that must be included in the feature extraction operation are the contact corner and open corner features along with the positive and negative bend features. In addition, the feature extraction operation must include at least the feature analysis of parallel bending, series bending, collinear bending, heterophase collinear bending, and thickness offset bending.

Step S. The feature extraction operation performed in step 102 is a series of operations including analysis of the bending model data and the form (topology) of each feature, modification of the form, and creation of a feature base matrix (matrix based on the feature) based on the form for future analysis. May also be included. For illustrative purposes, FIG.
9 (d) shows a feature extraction operation for a 4-fold box component having a contact corner and a 4-fold box component having an open corner.

[0161]

[Table 1] ★ For the sake of illustration, FIGS. 8A to 9D show feature extraction based on a corner relationship between adjacent surfaces. FIG.
Regarding the closed four-fold box having five faces (1-5) shown in FIG. 8A and the open four-fold box having five faces (1-5) shown in FIG. The same simple surface configuration as shown in FIG.
This configuration can be stored and provided with the part or bending model data. However, FIG.
The simple surface form (surface topology) of
It gives only basic information on the relationship between 5) and does not give information on various features of the part, such as the relationship between corners between adjacent surfaces and the type of bending. Therefore, during the feature extraction operation, the basic surface morphology is modified to include additional information about the various features of the component by analyzing the associated morphology stored with the part or bending model data. be able to.

For example, by examining the parts or bending model data of the closed four-fold box shown in FIG.
The corner between adjacent surfaces can be analyzed, and the modified surface morphology shown in FIG. 9A can be created, thereby indicating the state of the contact corner between each surface. Similarly, FIG.
By examining the part or bend model data of the open four-fold box shown in (a), a modified surface morphology as shown in FIG. 9 (b) is created, thereby producing various adjacent surface parts. The open corner relationship between them can be shown. As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), a special connection line can be added to the surface morphology to indicate the relationship (eg, contact or open) of the corners of the surface. Other data can also be added to indicate other features (eg, types of bends present) and to create feature base surface morphologies. After modifying the morphology to include the feature-based information, a matrix can be created to more easily analyze and compare the extracted information. For example, based on the feature base surface geometry of FIG. 9 (a), a matrix shown in FIG. 9 (c) is created, thereby showing various features of the closed four-fold box of FIG. 8 (a). it can. Similarly, for the opened four-fold box, the matrix shown in FIG. 9D can be created based on the feature base surface form shown in FIG. 9B, for example. Other feature extraction data, such as bending characteristics of the part (eg, 90 ° positive bending angle or 90 ° negative bending angle, etc.) can also be shown in the matrix.

As described above, step S. The feature extraction operation of 102 can be performed to determine whether various features are present in the part by analyzing the bending model data and morphology. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a feature extraction operation can be performed on the bending model and morphological data provided for the part. This data includes sheet metal, bend line data (e.g., bend line length and position, etc.), plane-to-bend line relation data, bend angle data, and special feature data (e.g., Z-bend, edging, etc.). All important geometry and position data for the part (eg, 2-D space (X, Y) and / or 3-D space (X.
Y. Z)). Lines, bend lines, and other components can be defined by endpoints and / or vectors. For example, each 2D line is a set of 2D endpoints (eg, X1, Y1 and X2, Y2), each 3D
The line is a set of 3D endpoints (eg, X1, Y1,
Z1, and X2, Y2, Z2).
The bend line can be represented by a vector that indicates the direction of the bend line along with its location in 2D or 3D space. further,
2D arcs are represented by 2D spatial data (eg, center X, center Y,
Radius, start angle, end angle) and 3D arc can be specified by 3D spatial data (eg, center X, center Y, center Z, view matrix, radius, angle start, angle end). Part morphology data can also be provided to indicate the location of the various faces and bend lines of the part and the geometric relationships between them. Each surface can be defined by a set of lines and / or arcs or a linked data list.

In order to extract the feature of the part, it is possible to determine whether or not a certain feature exists in the part by performing and analyzing a feature extraction operation of the bending model and the morphological data. This process can also include analysis of the bending model and morphological data based on various features and relationships between each feature to be extracted. Analysis of the bending model and morphological data to determine the features and relationships of each feature can detect the presence of certain features (eg, contact corners between surfaces, open corner characteristics, or parallel or series bending characteristics). Different processes may be provided for detecting specific characteristics and relationships of each feature in a feature extraction operation. Several processes can be combined or created to check whether one or more features are present in a part based on the similarity of properties and relationships between each feature being analyzed.

As a non-limiting example, step S. 10
The following describes a process that can be performed to extract and detect corner features, for example, two contact corner features having the same bending direction (TouchCnr features in Table 1) during the feature extraction operation in FIG. The process described below involves the detection of other features, such as the contact corner feature of two faces with reverse bending direction (touchCnr feature in Table 1) or the open corner feature of two faces with the same or reverse bending direction (Table 1). OpenCnr and openCnr
Feature). By modifying the process, other features can be detected (eg, parallel bending,
Series bending etc.). In addition, data for each possible combination of surfaces can be analyzed to know the properties and relationships of each extracted feature.

For example, To having the characteristic of the contact corner
For uchCnr, the features or relationships to be detected are: two faces with a common face; the same bend line direction; the bend line with the same vertex (or a vertex whose distance between vertices is within a predetermined range). Including. Touc with contact corner features
In the case of hCnr, similar properties or relationships must be detected; not just surfaces with bending lines in the same direction,
The faces must have opposite bending lines (see, for example, Table 1). Open corner features OpenCnr and openCnr can be detected as well, but each feature has an open corner between the faces instead of a contact corner relationship (eg, the bend lines of the faces are separated by more than a preset range distance). And the same or opposite bending line directions (eg, OpenCnr and OpenCn in Table 1 and Table 1)
(see definition of r) must be detected and analyzed.

The contact corner feature (for example, Tou in Table 1)
In order to detect (chCnr feature), first, two surfaces are analyzed to determine whether the two surfaces are connected to a common surface. This can be detected by searching the bending line data of each surface and the bending line one-side relation data of each bending line to determine whether or not a common surface exists. If the two surfaces are connected to a common surface, the bend line direction of each surface is analyzed to determine whether the surfaces have the same bend line direction (or the opposite bend line direction if, for example, a touchCnr feature is detected). to see.
This is determined, for example, by analyzing vector data indicating the bending line direction of each surface.

When it is determined that the two surfaces have a common surface and have the same bending line direction based on the bending model and the morphological data, it is detected whether or not the bending lines are parallel by inspecting the data. . Various methods can be used to detect whether the bend lines are parallel based on the bend model and morphological data. For example, parallel bend line detection is determined by taking the cross product of the vectors that define the bend line direction. If the cross product of the vectors is zero (or approximately zero), the bend lines are determined to be parallel. If the cross product of the vectors is non-zero (or approximately non-zero), the bend lines of the two faces are not parallel.

After it is determined that the two surfaces have a common surface and that the bend line directions are the same and the bend lines are not parallel, to determine the corner relationship between the surfaces (eg, contact or open), The bending model data is analyzed. The corner relationship between the two surfaces is determined by detecting from the bending model data whether the bending lines of the surfaces have a common vertex. If the bend lines have a common vertex, the two surfaces are in the same bend line contact corner relationship (Touch C in Table 1).
nr characteristic). The bend lines have a common vertex, but if it is determined that the bend line directions of the two surfaces are different, the two surfaces are in the opposite contact corner relationship (for example, t 1 in Table 1).
touchCnr feature).

Even when the two surfaces do not have a common vertex, if the distance between the vertices is within a predetermined range,
It can be determined that the two surfaces have a contact corner relationship. Often, a minimum amount of space is provided between adjacent surfaces of the part, for example, as a clearance for passing a punch tool. This space is usually determined by the width of the tool at the height of the flange. As an example, if the distance between the vertices of the bend lines of the two surfaces is within 0-5 mm, the presence of the contact corner feature can be determined. If the space between the corners of the two faces is greater than a predetermined range, the presence of an open corner feature can be determined (eg, the OpenCnr or openCnr features in Table 1).

The above process can be performed for any combination of parts surfaces to determine the corner features of each surface. Other features associated with part faces and bend lines can be similarly performed by analysis of part geometry and morphological data. Step S. Exemplary code for performing the feature extraction operation at 102 is provided in Appendix A. This code is written in the C ++ programming language and includes various processes for extracting and detecting features as described in Table 1. The code in Appendix A has comments to facilitate analysis of the logic and algorithms used. Also, in this example code, the same feature terms as in Table 1 are used to help understand the various features.

When various features of the part are detected, the basic form of the part is modified and the extracted features are included. While it may be useful to provide feature-based features, it is not easy to compare such features to each other. Instead, the inventors of the present application have found that comparing feature extraction information provided in the form of a matrix is more efficient and easier. Therefore, as one feature of the present invention, a feature base component matrix (such as the typical matrix shown in FIGS. 9 (c) and 9 (d)) based on the detected features during the feature extraction operation is provided. Created. The created feature-based matrix of the part is compared with other predetermined stored matrices to determine what basic shapes and features are included in the part.

A feature base matrix is created and stored for each component after detecting and extracting various features of the component.
As shown in FIGS. 9C and 9D, the matrix is a symmetric 2
A dimension matrix with an order equal to the number of faces of the part. The matrix contains all detected feature information of the part, and various features between each face are provided at each location of the matrix. The feature-based matrix is temporarily stored in a storage device of the server or the station module, and is used only when performing a similar part search, and can be compared with a predetermined matrix. Alternatively, the feature-based part matrix can be permanently stored in database 30 along with other work information, so that it can be accessed anywhere in the factory.

Returning to FIG. 6, after performing the feature extraction operation,
The extracted feature extraction data matrix can be compared with a predetermined feature extraction data matrix provided in the feature form library. The feature form library may be a database such as database 30 as another data file,
Alternatively, it can be stored in a server module or a station module. The feature library comprises a predetermined matrix containing feature extraction data corresponding to or defining the shape of a basic or basic part (eg, a four-fold box, bridge, etc.). Each predetermined feature base matrix is
It can be stored as an ASCII or text file with the feature-based part matrix. Step S. The comparison in step S. As shown at 106, a determination is made to determine the basic or basic shape / characteristics present in the sheet metal part. A stored look-up table can be provided to indicate which underlying shapes correspond to each predetermined feature matrix. If a match is found, step S. A lookup table is accessed at 106 to determine which underlying shapes exist. The matching matrix present in the predefined library is of the same order as the feature-based part matrix (in this case the part contains only one basic shape and is determined to correspond exactly) or the part matrix (In this case, a part may contain one or more basic shapes).

A recursive programming technique can be used to compare a feature-based component matrix with a matrix in a predefined library. When comparing the information contained, by swapping the matrix indices, the use of data allocation is avoided and the required process time is reduced. Swaps of recursive programming techniques and indices also
Facilitates comparison of matrices with different orders and different base planes.

In accordance with the aspects of the present invention, step S. 10
The comparison operation performed at 4 consists of a series of comparisons, starting with a matrix comparison for more complex shapes (eg, shapes involving complex shapes such as multiple bends or tabs), and starting with less complex shapes. (Eg, less or less complex bends, shapes with fewer numbers of faces). This series of comparisons is performed until a predetermined number of basic shapes have been found in the part. For example, a comparison operation can be performed to extract the three most complex features or shapes of a particular part. Further, the operation could begin with a series of comparisons to a group of matrices for shapes that are often or often common for sheet metal parts and then proceed to less common shapes.
To compare parts to a predefined library, various methods can be performed to obtain useful results.

For example, a series of comparison operations is first applied to a right-angle group of matrices containing basic shapes with right-angle bends, such as rectangular or square shapes with many right-angle bends or simple parts with right-angle bends. Can be. This group of matrices can be transformed from more complex matrices in the group (eg, matrices corresponding to quarter-fold boxes with tabs) to simpler matrices in the group (eg, matrices for simple hat parts). The search can be based on a series of comparisons that proceed. A series of comparisons can then be applied to the matrix of polygon part groups and further to the matrix of special feature groups. The polygon part group may include a matrix defining parts having five or more sides and at least one bend of at least 90 degrees. The matrix of the special feature group is Z
-Can include matrices in a predefined library relating to parts with special features or shapes, such as bends or edge bends. Again, a series of comparisons between the feature base matrix of the part and the predetermined matrix of each group are performed according to a decreasing degree of complexity. Thereafter, other groups of the predetermined matrix can be compared, such as multiple feature groups having two or more features on one side of the part.

By comparing a part with a matrix of a predefined library according to the degree of complexity, and by performing a series of comparisons of groups of matrices based on realization and frequency of use, the basic shape present in the part can be determined. A more effective and effective comparison with the library. Further, duplicate detection features are prevented, and only more complex shapes are identified.

In steps S and 108, a characteristic relation operation is performed to determine a relation between basic characteristics or shapes in the part. The relationship between features or shapes is determined by distance. The distance between the two shapes is determined based on the number of bend lines or surfaces between the base surfaces (basic surfaces) of each shape. Alternatively, the relationship between the features can be determined by the physical distance or actual dimensions between the features by geometrically analyzing the relative position and spacing of the part and the basal plane of each feature.

For illustration, step S. The three most complex features or shapes of the part determined at 106 are shown in FIG.
Suppose there is a 4-fold box, a bridge, and another 4-fold box shown in (a). For such components, a feature relationship operation can be performed, for example, to determine the number of bend lines between the base surface or plane of each basic feature. As shown in FIG. 10B, the characteristic relationship between the base (1) of the first four-fold box and the base (2) of the bridge is the distance between two bending lines. Furthermore, the base (1) of the first four-fold box and the base (3) of the second four-fold box
Is the distance between four bend lines, and the relationship between the base (2) of the bridge and the base (3) of the second four-fold box is the distance between two bend lines.

By various processes, the number of bending lines between the basal planes of the basic shape of the component can be determined. For example, using the feature base part matrix and the predetermined shape matrix, step S. At 108, a feature relationship can be determined. First, a base plane corresponding to each basic shape in the component matrix is found. This can be performed by correlating the base surface of the predetermined shape matrix with the surface index of the component matrix.
As discussed earlier, the predetermined shape matrix separated by the comparison operation may be a sub-matrix of the parts matrix. In order to find the base surface corresponding to each basic shape in the component matrix, the correlation between the position of the shape matrix in the component matrix and the index of the matrix is analyzed. Since the base surface of each basic shape is predetermined and located in the first column of the shape matrix, the corresponding position and base surface in the component matrix can be found.

After determining the base surface of each basic shape in the feature base part matrix, the distance between the base surfaces of each shape is analyzed in order to determine the characteristic relationship. This analysis involves a search process that identifies the distance between any two basal planes. By looking at the features and bend line information in the parts matrix, the number of bend lines between any two base planes can be determined.
If more than one path is possible between the two planes, the minimum distance is used and step S. At 108, a feature relationship can be defined.

The logic flow after the characteristic relation operation is completed is described in step S. Continue to 110. As shown in FIG. At 110, a database search key is identified in order to determine a search key used for searching for a similar part in the database. The search key may include any combination of features or feature relationships identified for the part. Further, any reference hierarchy can be used to assemble the search key. As a non-limiting example, a search key can be created according to the following criteria: (i) the first and second complex features or shapes identified in the part;
(Ii) the distance or feature relationship between the two most complex features; (iii) the third most complex feature or shape identified in the part; and (iv) the most complex feature and the third identified in the part. Feature relationships or distances between the second most complex features,
And the distance or feature relationship between the second and third complex features. FIG. 10C shows a search key developed based on the example of FIG. 10A.

To facilitate searching the database,
The search key can be represented by a sequence of integers having predetermined codes assigned to various basic shapes defined in the shape library. For example, the integer code "1"
6 "and an integer code" 32 "is assigned to the bridge, in which case the search key in the example of Fig. 10 (c) is the integer string" 16, 16, 4, 32, 2, 2 ".
2, where "4" and "2" represent various distances between basic shapes or features.However, the display of search keys is not limited to an integer sequence, but may be any type. A combination of integers and / or character strings can be used to display a search key.

The search key for each part can be stored in a database, for example, the database 30, together with the task information (in another file or in the same file). Representative search keys for feature extraction data can be entered manually or automatically created as described above. Additional feature extraction data, such as a feature-based component matrix, can be stored using search keys. When the search keys are stored in another file, a reference table for finding out the component information associated with each set of search keys can be prepared. Alternatively, the search key may be stored with the data field identifying the component information (eg, by component or reference number).

Step S. At 112, a cooperative search of the database is performed based on the identified search key. Cooperative search is a search that uses a cooperative database search technique. The collaborative search technique searches for parts having similar search keys as well as parts having the same search key. Thereby, similar and identical parts in the database can be identified. When a search is performed for a particular part, the search key identified as that of the part can be compared with other search key data in the database. Step S. The collaborative search performed at 112 identifies items in the database that match or are most similar to the particular part identified by the search key by loosening or modifying the order of the search keys. It is configured to Various processes and methods can be used to match search keys in a collaborative search. For example, assume that a database search is first performed to identify a component having a search key order that exactly matches the component identified as the component to be searched. This is done by comparing the identified search key to a search key stored in a database. After identifying the part (if any) having the same search key, a search of the database based on a different modified search key order can be performed to continue searching for other similar parts. Items or criteria that are less important or sensitive (such as feature relationships or distances) that are initially in the search key are modified before more important or sensitive search items (such as basic features or shapes in the part). Can be modified and searched. Further, each of these items can be modified according to the item's importance, giving higher weight or importance to items associated with the first and second most complex features or shapes in the part. For example, a subsequent first search may be performed after modifying the defined distance between the third most complex feature and the first and second most complex features. This distance is determined by a predetermined number of bending lines (for example, 1-
3) can be changed or modified by defining a predetermined range of distances based on the current distance. Thereafter, the distance between the first and second complex features or shapes can be changed to provide another modified set of search keys for searching the database. After modifying the feature key or distance search key of the part, the identified shape can be changed to derive additional modified search keys in the collaborative search. For example, a search key entry for a third most complex feature or shape can be changed to a related but less complex shape depending on the feature or shape of the one currently being handled (eg, a four-fold box with tabs replaced with a simple four-fold box). In a folding box). Further, by changing the search keys of the first and second complex features in the same manner, a modified search key for a collaborative search can be added.

The distance and feature / shape related to the search key
Modifications during a collaborative search can be performed by various methods and techniques. As described above, how much the distance is changed depends on the current value of the distance. The magnitude of the distance (eg, four bend lines) can be modified over a range of distances (eg, 3-5) to extend the search and make it more cooperative. Search keys can also be modified for features or shapes to identify similar parts. Features or shapes can be modified through a hierarchy of feature types. For example, a feature type currently being handled (eg, a four-fold box) may be modified to a less complex feature type (eg, a three-fold box) that is related and belongs to the same feature type. The hierarchical structure used to modify the features / shapes can be predefined and created based on a number of different techniques, such as the Type Abstraction Hierarchy (TAH). More information on TAH and the TAH generation can be found, for example, in Chu et al., Wesley, W (CH
UWesley W. ) "Cooperative Query Response by Type Abstraction Hierarchy" (Cooperative Qu
ery Answering via Type Ab
Structural Hierarchy) CSD-9
00032, October 1990, University of California, Los Angeles (University of Cali)
fornia, LosAngeles, October
1990) and 1995, Ph.D. in Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, Quoron Tiang, "Automatic Generation of Type Abstraction Hierarchy for Collaborative Query Responses" (CHIA
NG, Kuorong, Automatic Gene
ratio of Type Abstraction
n Hierarchies for Coopera
liveQuery Answering, and is incorporated herein by reference to all of the information disclosed therein.

Other processes and steps can be performed during the collaborative search. For example, in addition to searching the database based on a search key identified as being related to the feature of the part, the search may be performed based on a search criterion related to the manufacturing information of the part. For example, an additional search key can be used to compare the required machine configurations for each part, for example. The machine configuration information includes the type of machine or the machinery required to make the part, the tools used to make the part, the tool configuration and / or the backgaging settings of the machine. Additional search keys can be developed based on machine configuration information and / or other manufacturing information and can be used with the identified search keys in the collaborative search of the present invention. as a result,
Parts that are the same as or similar to the part being manufactured can be identified based on both the design and manufacturing characteristics of the part.

In order to select the most similar part, the search for the selected part is performed in step S. This is executed at 114, and a more detailed comparison of the results of the collaborative search and a predetermined number of parts that are the same or most similar to the searched parts are selected. The selected part search may involve analysis of additional information and characteristics for each part identified in the collaborative search. This involves the analysis of various features of the located component, such as the dimensions of the component and the shape of the holes and openings in the component. It may also include a comparison of the manufacturing information for each part found, such as the mechanical configuration required for each part. As described above, the machine configuration information is the type or machinery of the machine required to manufacture the part, the tool or tool configuration used to manufacture the part,
And / or backgaging settings for machinery. In order to perform a selected part search, a bending model and other work information of each part are accessed from a database based on the search key identified in the collaborative search. As mentioned above, a look-up table or additional data fields can be provided to provide a work reference number or code corresponding to each search key set. After retrieving part information from the database, additional information for each part (e.g., part dimensions, material type, special molding, part holes or openings, etc.) is used to determine which parts are most similar to the searched parts. Can be analyzed to determine This process is optional and can serve as an additional selection process for selecting and aggregating parts that are most similar to the part in the database. By analyzing and matching the additional information or characteristics of the part, a selected part search can be performed to identify or select a predetermined number or set of most similar parts. For example, in the selected part search, five most similar parts can be identified based on the number of matching search keys and the matching of the additional part characteristics.
The number of components selected in the selected component search is not limited to five, and can be selected based on the necessity of the factory and the number of components actually stored in the database. This number can be selectively modified to obtain more useful and useful search results, and can also give the user the opportunity to modify this number to change the search set.

After performing the search for the selected part, step S. 1
A similarity index can be calculated to rank the parts at 16 (according to similarity of features and number of matching search keys). The similarity index is determined in step S. Calculated at 116 and provided as an output of the server or station module, which allows the user to select which work files are retrieved from the database and displayed on the screen. The similarity index allows the selected parts to be ranked (e.g., ranks 1 to 5 with the work or reference number of each part) based on the degree of similarity between the features of the selected part and the searched parts. To do this, the feature base matrix of each part is compared with that of the search part. Comparison of the feature-based matrices better indicates the similarity between the selected part and the searched part. As before, the feature-based component matrix can be stored with the search key for each component. However, storing the feature-based component matrix of each previous job permanently with the search key occupies an unnecessarily large storage space (especially if the database contains a large number of components). Therefore, only the search key data of each part is stored,
It is only possible to automatically generate a feature base matrix of each selected part when performing a similar part search. Therefore, after retrieving the bending model of the selected part and other job information, the process proceeds to step S. As noted for 102, the feature-based matrix is created through the feature-based extraction operation of the present invention. After that, the feature base matrix of the search component temporarily stored during the similar component search can be compared with each of the created feature base matrices of the selected component. A variety of methods and processes are available for comparing feature-based matrices of parts and determining similarity between parts. For example, for a feature-based matrix for each selected part, the location in the matrix can be compared to that of the search part. Each location in the matrix can be compared based on a recursive programming technique. The information in the matrices can be compared by locating the corresponding base plane in each matrix and exchanging the matrix indices. The selected part may correspond to or have the shape of the sub-feature of the searched part, and if the indices of the matrix are not the same,
Alternatively, since the same numbering may not be given, when comparing the included information, it is necessary to search for a surface that can be compared in the parts matrix and to change the index.
Further, if there is more than one sub-feature in the search component, one or more pseudo-planes (rows of the matrix) may be used to provide a matrix of the same order when comparing the information in the matrix. And columns with no or blank information) may need to be introduced.

When comparing the matrix information, a plurality of different ordering schemes can be used to determine the degree of similarity between each selected part and the searched part. For example, a penalty-based ordering scheme that assigns a predetermined penalty level or amount to each inconsistent location in the matrix can be used. After comparing all the information in the matrix, the degree of similarity can be determined using the total penalty level of each selected part. The selected part having the lowest penalty level is determined to be the part most similar to the searched part. Other selected parts can also be ordered based on the total penalty level assigned to each part (eg, the lower the penalty level, the higher the similarity index).

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a penalty level for each non-aligned location can be assigned based on the type of information at that location. The penalty level can be varied in integer amounts depending on the significance or significance of the inconsistent information. For example, a high penalty level or amount may be assigned to non-matching locations for different, unrelated feature groups (e.g., parallel versus series bending features). In contrast, different but similar feature groups (eg, contact corner features having the same bend line direction versus contact corner features having the opposite bend line direction). The penalty level or amount is predefined and categorized according to the type of information present at the non-matching location and the type of difference.

Step S. Exemplary code for the similarity indicator operation at 116 is shown in Appendix B. This code is written in the C ++ language and includes various processes and operations for comparing matrices described above and assigning penalty levels to non-matching locations. As noted above, the resulting total penalty level for each selected component compared can be used to derive and display a similarity measure. The code resting in Appendix B also includes comments to help understand the typical program code described.

The development of a bending model and the development of 2-D and 3-D models of parts based on various 2-D and 3-D drawings will now be described with reference to FIGS. Write in more detail along the point of view. As discussed previously, the bending model data for each sheet metal part is the part's 2-D, 3
-Contains data related to both D representations. Various folding and unfolding algorithms and other processes are available for developing 2-D and 3-D models based on the type of original drawing provided or created based on the customer's order. In particular, FIGS. 11-18 illustrate an example of the logic flow of a folding algorithm that can be used to create a 3-D model based on an original 2-D one-way drawing (two-dimensional single drawing) of the part. FIG. 19 shows a 2-D plot based on the original 3-D drawing (without thickness).
4 shows an example of a basic logic flow of an expansion algorithm and other processes used to create a D model. Finally, FIGS. 20-24 and FIG. 25 show the 3-D drawing without thickness from the 2-D three-dimensional drawing (two-dimensional three-view drawing) and the 3-D drawing with thickness.
Here is an example of the logic flow of various processes and operations that can be performed to create a model. The 3-D model (thickness) obtained by these processes and operations can be used to create a 2-D model based on a development algorithm or process, as specified in the text.

FIG. 11 shows the logic flow of the process and operation for creating a 3-D model from a 2-D-direction drawing using a folding algorithm. The functions and operations performed in the flowchart of FIG. 11 can be implemented, for example, by software or program logic residing in server module 32. Step S. At 120, the provided or newly created 2-D one-way plan view based on the customer's specifications is entered or imported into the server module 32. The 2-D floor plan is created using CAD software and entered into the server module 32 or a suitable CAD or CAD / CAD /
It can be incorporated into a server module by interfacing with a CAM system. 2-D
The drawings may illustrate stamped and / or cut material that is stored and bent, for example, as a DXF or IGES file. The 2-D drawing can also show the location of the bend lines, holes or openings in the surface or surface of the sheet metal part. In preparation for later processing of the 2-D drawing, step S. 124 and the next surface detection process in step S.124. Before performing the bending line detection operation in step S 126, step S. At 122, the server module 32 can also perform an automatic cleaning or cleanup function.

The automatic trimming and cleanup functions of the present invention are provided to prepare a 2-D plan view for processing. The 2-D plan view is a 2-D representation of the unfolded state of the sheet metal part, including part elements (entities) such as lines and curves that constitute and represent the geometry of the part, and openings or holes present in the part. Indicates the position of. Usually, the components (entities) of such a 2-D plan view are:
Input and create using CAD or CAD / CAM system. However, when creating a 2-D plan,
Such elements are often misconnected or superimposed, and one element may be used to denote one or more surface boundaries. Further, the outer lines that define the boundaries of the part are broken at adjacent corners of the boundary, making it difficult to detect the outer dimensions of the part and each side. further,
The 2-D plan view may include non-essential information such as dimensional information and text. Such an anomaly makes it difficult to accurately analyze the original 2-D drawing and to uniformly detect the faces and bending lines of the part. With the automatic trimming and cleanup operations of the present invention, each surface can be represented by a unique set of connected elements. as a result,
The 2-D plan view can be more simply and efficiently analyzed for subsequent processing and finally folding for creating a 3-D model representation.

As shown in FIG. 12, no trimming between planes is performed in the original 2-D drawing, and one line element in the drawing defines an outer boundary or a plurality of boundaries of one or more planes. May be. As discussed above, such an arrangement makes it difficult to detect each face. The automatic trimming function of the present invention determines the connectivity information and analyzes the end points and intersections of each component element (such as lines, arcs, and bend lines) in order to break such elements at intersections. Provided. Such a trimming function also has a function of setting the end point of each cut element to a predetermined intersection. For example, FIG.
By trimming the intersection shown in FIG. 2, three elements (two lines and one bend line) are obtained, each sharing an end point at the intersection. By providing such a trimming function, it is possible to more easily detect the surface of the component based on the element analysis and the connection. A more detailed description of the surface detection operations that can be performed is shown below in FIG.
-16 (c).

The intersection of the elements in the 2-D drawing can be detected using various processes and operations. Such a process can be created based on the format and arrangement of the data in the file in the 2-D drawing. Typically, a 2-D plan includes geometric data (defining various component elements) and non-geometric data (eg, text). Geometric data can be distinguished from non-geometric data by keywords in each row or sequence of data. Such keywords are set according to the data format of the 2-D drawing. 2-D,
DXF and TGE as formats often used for 3-D drawings
There is an S format. By analyzing the geometric data of each element, the end point and intersection of the element can be detected, and trimming can be performed if appropriate.

As discussed above, lines, bend lines and other elements can be defined by endpoints and / or vectors. For example, in a 2-D plan view, each 2-D line can be identified by a set of 2-D endpoints (eg, X1, Y1 and X2, Y2),
The bending line can be represented by a vector indicating the direction along with the 2-D space position of the bending line. Further, the 2-D arc is a 2-D spatial data (eg, center X, center Y, radius, start angle,
(End angle). Geometric data can also include various types of line elements (eg, arcs, solid lines, dashed lines,
It has an attribute that distinguishes between dashed lines. Typically, arc elements are used to indicate holes or openings in sheet metal parts, and solid lines are used to indicate the boundaries or shapes of the parts. Bending lines are usually indicated by dashed lines, and the center line of the part is indicated by dashed lines.

Analyze the geometric data of the original 2-D drawing,
The intersection of each element can be determined. Various data analysis techniques, such as data allocation and data repetition, can be used to analyze the geometric data of each element of the 2-D drawing. Based on the endpoints of each element and / or other 2-D spatial data, a simple geometric analysis can be performed to determine if lines or other elements intersect. If it is determined that the two elements intersect, each element is cut off at the determined intersection, and the end point of the remaining element can be assigned a common point defined by the intersection.

The trimming method is performed based on the type of the element that is detected to intersect. For example, when it is detected that two solid lines intersect, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), by cutting off each line element, four line elements that are in contact at a predetermined intersection are obtained. When it is determined that the line element and the arc element intersect as shown in FIG. 13B, by cutting off each element, two line elements and two arc elements having a common end point can be obtained.
However, trimming may not be required even if element intersection is detected. For example, if it is determined that any element intersects a centerline (eg, a dashed line element), there is no need for trimming because the centerline of any part does not define or distinguish the face or bendline of the part. . Even elements that are not connected can be cut if the open intersection or area is within a predetermined tolerance. For example, the end point of a potentially intersecting line may actually be intersected with another element by a predetermined tolerance or distance ε (eg, 0.0-0.01 mm or 0.0-
Within 0.001 inch), the element may be treated as intersecting at the projected point; and the element can be cut off, for example, as shown in FIG. 13 (c).

After automatic trimming, the resulting data can be processed by a clean-up function to detect and correct unconnected elements. However, the invention is not limited to such processing alone; to reduce processing time, a cleanup function can be performed simultaneously with the automatic trimming function while each element is being analyzed. During cleanup, the geometric data of the 2-D drawing is analyzed to detect open intersections or regions between adjacent elements. Similar to the automatic trimming function, the end point of each element and other 2-D spatial data can also be analyzed to detect open intersection regions between elements. By applying a simple geometric analysis to such data, the endpoints of the elements can be defined at a predefined tolerance or distance (0.0
-0.01 mm or 0.0-0.001 inch). If it is determined that the end points of the elements have such open intersections, the elements can be linked together and assigned a common end point as shown in FIG.

Again, how the cleanup function is performed depends on the type of element that has been detected to have an open intersection. If it is detected that the two solid lines have open intersections, each endpoint can be assigned a common endpoint (see, for example, FIG. 14). However, when it is determined that an element has an open intersection with the part centerline (eg, a dashed line element), the elements should not be connected or assigned a common end point, and the centerline must be ignored. Also, the cleanup function may include additional processes or operations to remove non-geometric data (such as text) from the 2-D drawing. As described above, non-geometric data can be distinguished from geometric data based on keywords provided with the 2-D drawing data. The cleanup function may also incorporate other cleanup functions, as will be described in more detail below with reference to the 2-D cleanup function of the present invention (see, for example, FIGS. 21-23 (b)). ).

Step S. After performing the automatic trimming and cleanup functions in step S122, the process proceeds to step S.122. A surface detection procedure can be performed on the 2-D drawing processed at 124. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the surface detection procedure involves detecting and defining the surface of the component based on element (line or arc) and loop analysis. FIGS. 15A to 16D show examples of various processes and operations performed in the surface detection procedure. Loop detection techniques can be used in the present invention to detect and determine the surface of a part. The surface detection procedure may be implemented, for example, by software or programmed logic residing in server module 32.

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, each of the faces can be detected using a minimum or inner loop analysis of the part, followed by a loop detection analysis of the outer boundary of the part. Due to the unique geometry of sheet metal parts, the openings in the faces and parts
It can be detected by analyzing the order of relative maxima (eg, outer) and minimal (eg, inner) loops. As discussed below, loop analysis can be performed based on the connectivity of the line and arc elements of the part. Performing a loop analysis from the outside of the part to the center of the part allows the opening or face of the part to be defined based on the boundaries between the loops defined according to a circular sequence (eg, face material, openings, face material, openings, etc.). Can be detected.

Suppose that a 2-D plan view including various line elements on each surface shown in FIG. 15A is provided. As described above, the loop and the element analysis are performed so as to start from outside the component. Any element at the outer boundary of the part may be the initial reference point. As a non-limiting example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the leftmost line element is detected and used as an initial reference point. The leftmost line element can be detected by comparing the geometric data of each element in the 2-D drawing and determining which element has the smallest X coordinate value. After detecting the leftmost line element, the appearance of the component is derived from the point P1, and the outer boundary of the component is detected as shown in FIG. To determine the point P1, any end point of the leftmost line element may be used. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15C, the upper end point (that is, the end point having the largest Y coordinate value) is used as the point P1.

Conventional loop analysis techniques can be used to guide the appearance of the part, or the loop around it. For example, the lead vector can be projected from the end point of the element connected to the start point P1 as the appearance of the component is traced. Each time an element is detected and passed, a flag may be set to indicate that the element was selected (eg, a flag in memory may be set to 1 to indicate that it was selected once). Do). The path of the loop can be started in both directions from the start point P1. For example, the lead line vector can be projected from point P1 in a counterclockwise direction (for example, the lead line vector is projected in the Y coordinate direction). The loop is completed when the loop path returns to the start point (that is, point P1).

As described above, the lead vector can be projected counterclockwise from the start point P1 (for example, by starting the first lead vector in the Y coordinate direction). In order to continue to detect the first element on the path of the loop, the angle between each undetected element and the lead vector around the point P1 is measured based on the coordinate frame, and analyzed and analyzed. Choose an element with. In the outer loop, each angle measures the outer angle that the element line makes with the lead vector. The elements around the point P1 are as follows.
It depends on whether the end point is shared with 1. The unselected status of each element can be determined by analyzing a flag attached to each element. As shown in FIG.
In the -D drawing example, two element lines (one in the X coordinate direction and one in the Y coordinate direction) are around P1. In the analysis of these elements, the angle (0 degree) between the line element in the Y coordinate direction and the lead line vector is the angle (270 degrees) between the other line elements.
It is chosen because it is smaller.

Subsequently, the loop analysis proceeds to the end point of another selected line element, and a flag is set to indicate that the line element has been selected. At that endpoint, another lead vector is projected, and by comparing unselected elements around that point, it is determined which element has the smallest angle with the lead vector. Again, the angle is measured from outside the lead and the magnitude of the angle is determined using a coordinate frame. If an arc element is encountered, the angle from the outside of the lead vector to the tangent to the arc must be measured. Also, if there is only one element at the next end point (such as the corner position of a part), there is no need to compare, and that element may simply be selected and included in the loop.

As the loop path progresses along the appearance of the part, each selected element can be included in a linked list to indicate the connectivity of the elements in the loop. When the path returns to the starting point P1, the cycle is complete and the loop can be defined as (L4) based on the appearance and the linked list of elements or lines indicating the outer boundaries of the part. Each line or element in the loop L4 can be connected at each end point. Loop L4
In order to indicate the direction of the outer loop, FIG.
As shown in (d), it can be changed in the opposite direction (that is, clockwise). The direction of the loop can be defined based on the order in which the lines are linked in loop L4; thus, the direction can be changed by reversing the order of the linked list.

After completion of the outer loop, the inner loop of the part can be analyzed in a process similar to that used for the outer loop analysis. However, in the inner loop analysis, each unselected element is compared based on the angle that each element makes with the inside of the lead vector. Furthermore, even if the inner loop analysis indicates that both elements around a point are already selected (for example, when comparing two outer line elements bordering a plane), the two elements are already Unless a degree is selected (two flags set), the two elements can be compared. No comparison is made for elements that have been selected at least once (eg, outside elements) and elements that have not been selected, and non-selected elements are selected as part of the loop. FIG.
6 (a) -16 (c) illustrate an inner loop that can be used to detect and define the surface of the component shown in FIG. 15 (a).

The inner loop analysis can be started from the end of any outer element or by detecting an unselected element. For example, point P1 can be selected as the starting point of the inner loop analysis and used to project the lead vector; or one of the inner line elements not selected during the outer loop analysis can be used as the starting point of the analysis. it can. As in the outer loop analysis, the lead vector can be extended in a counterclockwise direction (for example, the first lead vector starts in the Y coordinate direction). The elements around point P1 are then compared to determine which element has the smallest angle with the lead vector. A coordinate frame can be used to determine the angle formed with the lead vector. As described above, in the inner loop analysis, the comparison of elements is performed based on the angle between each element and the outside of the lead line vector, not the outside. Once the first element has been selected and included in the linked list of the loop, the analysis can proceed by incrementing its flag by one and projecting the next lead vector. This process continues until the loop returns to the first starting point, where the first inner loop is defined (eg, L1) by a linked list of corresponding elements.

Further, it is possible to proceed inside the component and perform the inner loop analysis in the same manner. The next starting point can be chosen by deciding which element has been selected only once. An element with a flag selected twice indicates that the element is already an outer element (e.g., L4) and an outer element selected in at least one of the inner loops (e.g., L1). Again, as each element is selected, the flag is incremented by one to indicate that it has been included in the linked list of the inner loop.

After all inner loops are determined (for example, after all elements are selected twice in the example of FIG. 16C), a loop tree (loop tree) is created using the obtained loops. be able to. FIG. 16D shows an example of a loop tree created based on the detected loops L1 to L4. The outer loop (L4) of the part is defined as the root of the tree, and each inner loop (L1-L3) having elements common to the outer loop is defined as a child of the root. The presence of common elements can be detected by parsing and comparing linked lists of elements defining each loop. If additional elements (for example, holes or openings) are detected in the inner loop, these loops are replaced by the children of the inner loop in which they are located (ie, the grandchildren of the root of the loop tree).
Can be defined as

Step S. After performing the surface detection procedure in step S124, step S.124 is performed. At 126, a bend line detection operation can be performed. For example, as shown in FIG.
When detecting and analyzing component loops at 124, the face detection logic of the present invention utilizes the loop tree to define the face information and store the detected faces as nodes in the bend graph data structure. be able to. The face of the part can be detected from the order of the outer and inner loops in the loop tree. As mentioned above, each loop contains a linked list of elements or lines. These elements are used to delimit each side of the part. Therefore, step S. At 126, a bend line detection operation can be performed to determine the relationship between the surface of the part and the bend line. Step S. The bend line detection operation at 126 may include bend line detection logic that detects all bend lines between the various surfaces of the part by detecting an edge or line element shared by some two adjacent surfaces. . Also, for surfaces that are connected in one or more regions (eg, where a bend line detection algorithm is applied to a 3-D model—see, for example, FIG. 19 discussed below)
Various heuristics can be applied to detect and select the minimum number of bend lines for a part. The detected bending line can be stored and generated as a connection agent between surface nodes (nodes) for creating a final bending graph data structure as shown in FIG. 18, for example.

The bend line detection operation of the present invention can be performed by, for example, software or programmed logic provided in the server module 32. The purpose of the bend line detection operation is to detect and select the bend lines of a part so that the parts are connected by the fewest number of bend lines. Bend line detection operations can be provided for both 2-D and 3-D versions of the part. The application of bend line detection on the original 3-D model is discussed below with reference to FIG.
As described above, the detected bend lines can be stored as connected agents between the nodes of the surface to create the final bend graph data structure. This final bend graph data structure can be used to fold from the 2-D data model to create a 3-D version of the part.

Step S. of FIG. The 2-D drawing provided as input at 120 may not include the bend line information, or the bend line information may be ambiguous and not uniquely or consistently defined. In that case, a bend line detection operation can be performed to detect the bend line and detect its relationship to the detected surface of the component. During this process, the linked list of elements (entities) that define each face can be analyzed to determine the adjacent edges or line elements that each face has with the other faces of the part. This can be done by analyzing all possible contacts between a given two surfaces. Contact is caused by the presence of a common line element (or a plurality of line elements with a predetermined distance tolerance from each other) of length 0 or more (that is, the line element is not a point but an actual line). Can decide. By analyzing the geometric data in the linked list, it is possible to determine the existence of such a contact between all two faces of the part.

If a particular surface has only one end or contact area in common with the other surface, the element common to both surfaces can be defined as a bend line. For surfaces that have a common contact in one or more regions (eg, a 3-D model, but can also occur in a 2-D model), use a variety of heuristics to minimize the number of bends in the part. Lines can be detected and selected. The heuristics used must be such that the faces are connected by a bend line so that a continuous loop over the faces is not formed (since fabrication of such bent sheet metal parts is not possible).

An example of a heuristic that can be used is to select the one with the longest contact area in the common area as the bend line. If a surface has one or more common ends with other surfaces, this heuristic allows the common element with the longest length to be chosen as the bend line of the surface. This heuristic is based on the principle that it is usually better to have a long contact area when making bent sheet metal parts. Another heuristic that can be used involves different combinations of possible bend lines (such as when determining bend lines in a 3-D model). In this heuristic, when all possible common areas are detected and different combinations of bend lines are selected, the combination with the smallest number of bend lines in the bend line combination is selected.

When the bending line is detected, the bending line determined as the surface of the part is displayed to the operator for confirmation. If the operator is not satisfied with the selection of the part bend line,
By providing a manual selection function for the bend line detection operation,
The server module 32 allows the operator to optionally indicate the preferred bend line for the sheet metal part. The operator can use a suitable input means such as a mouse or a keyboard to instruct whether to keep or change the bending line. Then, using the modified bend line selected by the operator, the final 3-D
(Or 2-D) parts can be created.

Various processes and operations can be provided to perform the bend line detection operation of the present invention. An example of code for performing a bend line detection operation is provided in Appendix C of Appendix. The example code is written in the C ++ programming language and includes comments to help understand the logical flow of the description. Example code is 2-D or 3
Examples of bend line detection operations that can be performed on the -D model, including heuristics (as described above) to determine the optimal selection of bend lines.

The detected surface and bend line information can be used in the folding and unfolding process of the present invention. Performing a three-dimensional rotation about each bend line during folding or unfolding results in a 3-D or 2-D model. To accomplish this task, a matrix transformation including rotation and translation may simply be performed on each side of the part and other elements. Various commercially available expansion and folding software application characteristics can be used to implement the basic expansion or folding steps of the present invention. For example, AMADA UNFORD and FOOD system software can be used to perform these basic operations. AMADA UNFORD and FOUND SYSTEM Software are owned by Amada America (formerly known as US Amada), Bayuna
Available from Park, California. Information about Amada Unford and the Fordos system software can be found at Amada Unfordo for AutoCAD.
The manual (March 1994), the Amada Unfold Manual for Cadkey (May 1994) and the Amada Windows Unfold Manual for Cadkey, are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Explicitly incorporated into this document. A folding operation for creating a 3-D model from a 2-D model will be described later in step S. This is discussed with reference to 132. Returning to FIG. 11, the bending line detection operation is performed in step S.
After doing at 126, the server module 32 may instruct the user on key bend and deduction information for subsequent folding processes.
For example, step S. At 128, the server module 32 may prompt the user for a bend angle (including forward, backward, etc.) and / or an indication of the bend height (bend amount) of each bend line including the bend inside radius.
Step S. At 130, the server module 32 may also require the user to enter a V-width, material type, and / or deduction height. This information can be used to compensate for the bending difference (bending reduction amount) in the folding operation. Due to the bending angle and the V-width of the dies used, as well as the thickness and type of material, the actual sheet metal part tends to be stretched by the net height when folding the sheet metal part.

To compensate for this effect in the model,
When the 3-D model is created by the folding operation using the subtraction height information, the dimension of the surface of the component is extended by half of the subtraction height on each side of the bending line. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, this deduction is added by the user to server module 32.
(For example, with a keyboard). Alternatively, a material table can be displayed to the operator that includes a deduction amount based on the material type and thickness of the part. The bill of materials shows different deductions for different bending angles and V-widths. The user can automatically set the deduction by selecting the appropriate V-width and bend angle from the bill of materials displayed on the server module 32 (eg, using a mouse or keyboard). The inner radius of the bend angle can also be set automatically by the user via the bill of materials when choosing the appropriate V-width. The subtraction height entered by the operator (or converted after the input by the operator) is in the same length unit (for example, mm) as that representing the part geometry data. During the folding operation,
The length dimension of each surface on each side of the bend line is increased by half the deduction of the bend line of interest. The length dimension perpendicular to the bend line of the surface can be increased by stretching the endpoints of the elements delimiting the surface on each side of the bend line. Such deduction compensation may be made for each of the other bend lines of the part, based on the deduction provided by the operator for each bend.

Step S. At 132, the processed 2-
Based on the D plan view, a folding operation including a subtraction height compensation is performed to create a 3-D model. As described above, the folding procedure can be accomplished by conventional geometric modeling techniques, including using a matrix transformation and using each bend line defined in the final bend graph data structure for the axis of rotation. it can. Further, when compensating for the effect of the deduction height, when folding a sheet metal by actually stretching the face of the part by half the deduction height on each side of the bend line during folding to create a 3-D model. The change in the dimension of the surface can be more accurately reflected.

For example, in step S. When performing the folding operation at 132, part geometry and morphological data (or bend graph structure) may be utilized, along with bending parameters (eg, bending angle, inner radius). 2-D
A transformation matrix can be calculated for each face, bend line, hole and forming of the part represented in space. The usual matrix transformation is
By applying to a plan view, 3-D spatial data can be obtained. Transformation generally involves translation following rotation.
As described above, the rotation is performed around each bending line axis according to the magnitude of the bending angle. The translation operation is performed by moving or moving geometric data in space. Such a translation operation is determined based on a bending radius, a bending angle, and a subtraction height of each bending. During folding, deduction compensation is provided by extending or increasing the dimensions of the surface by half the deduction on each side of the bend line, as described above. Such deduction compensation provides a 3-D representation of the part that more accurately reflects the dimensions of the 2-D sheet metal part being bent in the bending machine.

Further information on geometric modeling and transformations can be found in, for example, Mortenson, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Michael M., Geometric Modeling, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1988) and Foley et al., James System Programming Series: Basics of Interactive Computer Graphics, Adaison Wesley Publishing, Reading, Mass. See Chuusets (1983). Mortenson, Chapter 8, discusses geometric transformations, including translation and rotation (see, eg, pages 345-354). Furthermore, Foley et al., In Chapter 7, pages 245-265, provide information on geometric transformations, including matrix representations of 2-D and 3-D transformations. Additional information on modeling and geometric transformations is expressly incorporated herein by reference to its specification, by Manteira and Marutte, Introduction to Solid Modeling, Computer Science Publishers, Rockville, Maryland (1988). For information on coordinate transformation, see Mantaira 365-3
It is on page 67.

Next, with reference to FIG. 19, the process and operation for creating a 2-D model based on the original 3-D plan view without the thickness will be described in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. Similar to the folding process described above with reference to FIG. 11, the various processes and operations for expanding the 3-D drawing and creating the 2-D model are performed by software and / or programs residing in the server module 32. It can be implemented using chemical logic. As shown in FIG. 19, the original 3-D drawing provided and created based on the customer's specifications is shown in step S. At 140, the server module 32
Is entered or incorporated into The 3-D drawing is stored as a DXF or IGES file and can be entered from the server module 32 to interface with or utilize a CAD or CAD / CAM system.
After inputting the 3-D drawing, step S. 142 at the server
An automatic trimming and cleanup operation is performed by module 32 to prepare the drawing for subsequent surface detection and other processes.

As discussed in connection with FIGS. 12-14, the automatic trimming and cleanup functions separate or connect components and surfaces so that the various surfaces of the part are properly detected and defined. Or

The above-described automatic trimming and clean-up operations in connection with FIGS. The same can be applied to the geometric data of the 3-D drawing input at 140. Instead of analyzing the data in 2-D space (as in the 2-D plan view),
Each component (for example, a line, an arc, and the like) illustrated in the D drawing can be analyzed based on the 3-D coordinates and spatial information in the drawing. The intersection and the open intersection area can be analyzed by individually analyzing each component (entity) and comparing it with each of the other components. Again, basic geometric analysis of component endpoints and other attributes can be used to determine intersections and open intersection areas within tolerance.

After executing the automatic trimming and cleanup functions for the three-dimensional drawing, step S14 is performed.
At 4, a face detection operation is performed to detect and define each of the faces of the sheet metal part. Surface detection for the three-dimensional drawing is performed by analyzing and detecting each surface in two-dimensional space and generating a loop tree in the same manner as described above. Surface detection is performed by starting at any given entity. For example, the leftmost entity (ie, the entity with the smallest x coordinate) is used as the first entity. Thereafter, one face is defined by taking out the first line segment entity and other connected or adjacent line entities (ie, any entity that has a common endpoint with the first entity). Next, the surface detection operation is performed as shown in FIG.
This is done using loop and entity analysis as described above in connection with -16 (d). As each entity is detected in the defined two-dimensional plane, various outer and inner loops are defined, and the entity is marked (ie, by setting or increasing the flag of the selected entity). ), Indicating that they were selected and included in a linked list defining one of a plurality of loops in the surface.

The subsequent loop analysis is performed on another two-dimensional plane constituting the three-dimensional drawing. To perform a loop analysis of the other entity,
An additional plane is defined by searching for unmarked or unselected entities in the dimensional drawing. Such a plane is defined between two unselected entities or between an unselected entity and a previously selected entity. Additional 2
In each of the dimensional planes, a further loop analysis is performed to detect the inner and outer loops. Again, a linked list of linked entities is maintained, and as each of the plurality of loop paths is defined, the selected entity is marked (i.e., by increasing a flag associated with the selected entity). ).

After all entities have been detected, the resulting loops are used to generate a loop tree for each of the two-dimensional planes already analyzed.
As already mentioned, a loop tree is provided to define multiple faces and openings and holes in a sheet metal part. For a three-dimensional drawing, a loop tree is generated for each face of the sheet metal part. The loops detected in each plane are grouped and analyzed to generate each loop tree. The root of each tree is defined as the outer loop detected in the plane. Each inner loop of the plane having a common entity with the outer loop is defined as a child of the tool. The presence of the common entity is detected based on analysis and comparison of the list of linked entities defining each loop. When additional entities (i.e. holes or openings) are detected in the inner loops of the plane, these loops are defined as children of the inner loop in which they reside (i.e. grandchildren of the root of the loop tree). You. The generated loop trees are then used to detect all faces of the three-dimensional drawing. The detected faces are then stored as nodes in the bend graph data structure.

The resulting bend graph structure is supplemented by the connecting bend line connection agent after performing the bend line detection operation in step S146. The bend line detection operation and the generation of the final bend graph structure or part topology are performed in a manner similar to that described above with reference to FIGS.

As noted above, exemplary code for performing the bend line detection operation is provided in Appendix C, attached hereto.
Provided to This sample code is 2D or 3D
5 is an exemplary implementation for a bend line detection operation performed on a dimensional model, including heuristics (eg, as described above) for determining an optimal selection of a bend line.
The bend line detection operation includes a manual selection feature that allows an operator at the server module 32 to selectively specify a preferred bend line for the sheet metal part when the detected bend line is not satisfied. The operator instructs to maintain or change the bend line using appropriate input means such as a mouse or a keyboard. The revised bending line selected by the operator is used to generate the final two-dimensional part.

Before performing the unfolding process around the plurality of bend lines of the final bend graph structure, the user is prompted in step S148 for the V-width, material type and / or amount of reduction. As mentioned above, the dimensions of the three-dimensional part are slightly larger than those of the two-dimensional plane part, since the sheet metal has a tendency to stretch when bent. Therefore, during the development of the sheet metal part, the dimensions of the part are reduced or reduced by a reduction amount based on the selected material type and V-width. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, when a three-dimensional model is developed, a reduction operation is performed to more accurately generate the dimensions of the two-dimensional model and its surface. As described above, the material table is displayed so that the reduction amount is directly input by the user or the user can automatically set the reduction amount by selecting a desired V width and bending angle. Is done.

The reduction amount input by the operator is a unit (for example, millimeter) having the same length as that expressed by the part geometric data (or converted into the unit after input by the operator). During the unfolding operation, the dimensional length of each side of the bend line is reduced by half the amount of reduction entered for the given bend line. The dimensional length of the surface orthogonal to the bend line is reduced by reducing the endpoints of the entities defining the boundaries of the surface located on either side of the bend line. The reduction compensation is performed at each of the other bending lines of the part based on the reduction provided by the operator for each bend.

After inputting all the necessary data, in step S150, an expansion process is performed to generate the two-dimensional model. Conventional methods are used to develop the three-dimensional bending model, including the use of a matrix transformation using each of the plurality of bending lines as a rotation axis. During this deployment process, each bending angle is measured and the part is deployed by the bending angle amount to generate the planar bending model. Further, based on the input reduction amount, the reduction amount on both sides of the bending line to more accurately simulate the physical properties of the sheet metal material and the difference between the three-dimensional and two-dimensional models. Is reduced or reduced by only half of the surface.

When executing the developing step in step S150, the dimensions and topology data (or bending graph structure) of the part are used together with the bending parameters (eg, bending angle, inner radius, etc.). A transformation matrix is calculated for each face, bend line, hole and formed part in the part represented in the three-dimensional space. A normal matrix transformation is applied to the three-dimensional data to obtain the two-dimensional spatial data. The transformation generally involves a rotation, followed by a translation. As described above, the rotation is performed around each bending line according to the bending angle amount. 180 between the two surfaces for deployment
The rotation is performed in the opposite direction until there is an angle (ie, until the plane is flat). Translation is performed to shift and move the geometric data in space. Such translation is determined based on the bend radius and bend angle and the amount of reduction for each bend. During unfolding, shrinkage compensation is performed to shrink or reduce the dimensions of the faces by half of the shrinkage amount on either side of the bend line, as described above. Such reduction compensation provides a two-dimensional representation of the part that more accurately reflects the dimensions of the sheet metal part before it is folded during the bending process.

Again, information on geometric modeling and transformations can be found in Mortenson, Folly et al. And Mantilla. As noted above, Mortenson Chapter 8 provides a discussion of geometric transformations, including transformations and rotations (see, for example, 345-354). Furthermore, Foley and others, Chapter 7-2
45-265 provides information about geometric transformations, including matrix representations of 2D and 3D transformations. Further information on coordinate transformation can be found in Mantilla pages 365-3
Found on page 67.

As described above with reference to FIG. 4, when a two-dimensional three-view drawing or a three-dimensional wireframe drawing having no thickness is first provided or generated based on the customer's order, Further steps are needed to generate a three-dimensional model without any additional features. Then, the generated three-dimensional model without the thickness is then used to generate a two-dimensional model by applying a development process or algorithm. 20-24 illustrate various processes or operations applied to generate a three-dimensional model based on an initial two-dimensional three-view diagram. FIG. 2
FIG. 5 illustrates additional processes or operations applied to generate a three-dimensional model without thickness from an initial three-dimensional wireframe diagram with thickness in accordance with another aspect of the invention. Again, the various processes and operations illustrated in FIGS. 20-25 are performed, for example, by software and / or program logic residing on the server module 32.

Referring to FIG. 20, according to the teachings of the present invention, the logic of the operation or process performed to generate a three-dimensional model (without thickness) based on an initial two-dimensional three-view drawing. A description of the flow is provided. First, in step S160, a two-dimensional three-view drawing is input or carried into the server module 32. The first two-dimensional three-view diagram includes various views of the part (eg, front and plan views and right side views, see, eg, FIGS. 22 (a) and 22 (b)), and 3 is a CAD drawing such as a DXF or IGES file downloaded or imported. Then, step S162
Then, a two-dimensional cleanup operation is performed by the server module 32 in order to create a drawing for a subsequent operation on the three-dimensional model. This two-dimensional cleanup operation is performed to eliminate extra and non-geometric information that does not represent the actual geometry of the part, including text and centerlines and dimension lines.
The two-dimensional cleanup operation is also performed to connect all outer segments, for example, at their connection ends, or to cut or trim any intersecting lines or entities. FIG. 21 illustrates an example of the logical flow of various processes performed when the cleanup operation is performed by the server module 32.

As shown in FIG. 21, first, a two-dimensional drawing is prepared by the server module 32 in step S18.
0 reads or loads from the data file. Then, in step S182, the server module
Analyze each entity or geometric data in a two-dimensional drawing and divide the various entities to create a drawing for the next step. The split or trim function performed in step S182 is performed in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the automatic trim and clean up function of the present invention. Therefore, in step S182, all geometric data in the two-dimensional three-view drawing is analyzed to detect intersections of entities and blank (open) intersections within a predetermined error range. Any intersection lines are broken and the resulting entities meet at a common endpoint defined by the intersection. Furthermore, it is within a predetermined error range (for example, 0.0-0.01 mm
Alternatively, for entities having blank intersection areas, those entities are combined in a manner similar to that described above, for example, in connection with FIGS. 12-14.

In step S184, the periphery of the two-dimensional drawing sheet is searched, and arbitrary external line segments or data (for example, boundary lines, coordinate grids, numbers, etc.) are deleted. As shown in FIG. 22 (a), a two-dimensional three-view drawing is often provided on a drawing sheet. The drawing sheet contains extra and non-geometric information that is not needed to generate various drawings of the sheet metal part. Therefore, step S184
Using the two-dimensional cleanup process of the present invention, this type of information is detected and erased from the two-dimensional drawing when developing the three-dimensional model.

The two-dimensional drawing data includes a keyword or type field for indicating the type of data contained therein (eg, geometric or non-geometric / text). Thus, these keyword or type fields, which are provided based on the data format of the drawing file, are used to remove various extra information, such as text or other non-geometric data. However, additional operations are usually required to correctly delete all unnecessary drawing sheet data.
Often, the boundaries or other outer information is stored as entities (eg, line segments, etc.), which cannot be easily identified based on the data keywords or type fields. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a connectivity graph structure is generated when analyzing the data of the two-dimensional drawing. The connectivity graph structure shows a list of multiple ancillary vertices and a list of connected entities for each entity. For each vertex, a list of adjacent vertices and a list of the entities with which it is associated are provided. This graph structure determines which entities are connected by the sticking endpoints (although it is generated when performing the split and trim function of step S182). As a result, extra data such as borders and information boxes and other non-geometric data is removed. This is because this data typically does not consist of and does not include connected entities.

As mentioned above, a two-dimensional three-view drawing contains extra information such as dimension lines and arrow lines and center lines and text, which do not represent the actual geometry of the part. These entities are detected in step S186 and deleted from the two-dimensional data file to create a two-dimensional drawing for the next step. Detection of these extra entities is performed automatically by the server module 32 (eg, by detecting entries in the two-dimensional data file that are not related to the actual geometry of the part). For example, using the connectivity data graph structure, entities that are open at both ends (eg, lines used to underline text or indicate the centerline of a dimension or part) are detected and erased. You. Other entities, such as arrows, are also detected based on the presence of floating endpoints or other features of such entities. In order to effectively delete all unnecessary data, the server module 32 may indicate (by a mouse or a keyboard, for example) to the operator which item in the two-dimensional drawing should be deleted. Provide a manual editing function to enable it. With this assistance or confirmation of the operator, additional extra information is removed from the drawing.

After step S186, the various views of the two-dimensional drawing are grouped and defined in step S188. According to one aspect of the present invention, the server module 32 is pre-defined in a plan view (top view) and front view as shown in FIGS. Or support standard figures and orientations. Other views and layouts, such as a top view and a front or back view and a right or left view, may also be supported. As described further below, the server module 32 may also rotate the view of the two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional representation of the part (eg, FIG. 23).
(See (a)). In any case, at least two (and preferably three) parts with a thickness representation are required to construct a three-dimensional model of the part.
Different figures need to be provided. By analyzing the connectivity and grouping of the entities in a connectivity graph structure, the server module 32 classifies the plurality of figures based on the relative position and / or coordinate position of each of the plurality of figures and Define.

As a non-limiting example, the definition of the figure by the server module 32 may be a predefined or normal arrangement or a layout for analyzing the figure in the data file and / or the orientation of the plurality of figures. And superimposition of various dimensions of the part in each of the figures of the figures. Predefined or standard forms, such as those shown in FIG. 23 (b), are used to determine and define each of the figures according to the type of potential figure. A geometric comparison of the relationships between the various endpoints and the entities defining each group is performed to perform step S188. The diagram detection characteristics (figure detection function) of the server module 32 may include a label on each of the drawings according to one of a plurality of potential drawing types (eg, top view, front view, back view, left view, right view). wear.
The detection of each of the plurality of figures is based on a predefined or standard figure arrangement or shape and the detected relationship between each of the existing figures. Various processes or operations are used in step S188 to classify and define the plurality of views in the two-dimensional three-view drawing. For example, after accessing the processed two-dimensional three-view drawing, the server module 32 first specifies the plan view of the part in the drawing data. The plan view is detected based on a predefined or standard shape or figure arrangement (such as in FIG. 23 (b)). If three different views are detected in the horizontal or vertical direction, the middle view is defined as a plan view. Further, if three separate views are not detected and only two separate views are detected in the vertical direction, the upper view is defined as a plan view. Again, the connectivity and grouping of the entities in the connectivity graph structure are used to detect each of the plurality of figures. A stored look-up table or matrix, representing the predefined or canonical form, is used to compare each figure of the two-dimensional drawing and detect each of the plurality of figures.

After detecting a plan view from the two-dimensional three-view diagram data, another view of the part is detected based on a relative position of each of the plurality of views with respect to the detected plan view. For example, based on the standard layout of FIG. 23B, if, for example, a figure group is located above the plan view, the figure is defined as a rear view. However, if a diagram group is located below the plan view, the diagram is defined as a front view of the part. Further, the right and left figures are detected based on their relative positions on the corresponding right and left sides of the plan view. Thereafter, the standard form (for example, FIG. 23)
Any remaining views that do not match (b)) are detected based on their relative position to the detected view (eg, the detected back view or front view). For example, FIG.
In the layout B shown in (a), the right figure is provided at a position rotated with respect to the plan view. However, the right figure in layout B is detected based on its relationship to the detected front view. That is, an undetected view existing on the right or left side of the detected rear view or front view is defined as a right view or a left view of the part, respectively.

A variety of predefined or standard figure layouts are used to detect and define multiple figures in the two-dimensional three-view drawing. A standard configuration (eg, that in FIG. 23 (b) or FIG. 23 (a)) is a diagram that is widely prevalent in a manufacturing facility or is based on a selected / required diagram layout and / or is supported. Selected based on type.
If no figures are detected, a warning signal is provided by the server module, and the operator modifies the two-dimensional three-view drawing data or performs other suitable operations according to the preferred drawing layout. In addition to providing a predetermined or standard form for detecting a plurality of figures in the two-dimensional drawing, a predetermined standard form (eg, like layout A in FIG. 23 (a)) is detected. It is provided for processing the drawn figure and generating a three-dimensional model of the part. Thus, the features of the rotated figures are provided to correctly classify the figures detected on the basis of the standard form before further processing takes place.

As described above, the two-dimensional cleanup operation supports and detects rotated figures that do not conform to a predetermined or standard form for detecting the figures in the drawing. In the rotated figure option, the detected non-standard figures are each converted to the predetermined or standard figure in order to process and generate a three-dimensional model of the part. Rotated or translated to conform to the form of Figure 23 to detect multiple views of the part
Assuming a standard configuration such as that illustrated in (b), each of the plurality of views in layout B in FIG. 23 (a) is, as described above, the top view and the other detected views. Is detected based on the relative positions of the plurality of figures with respect to For example, suppose layout A in FIG.
Is used as a predetermined or standard drawing layout for processing various views in a two-dimensional drawing having a plan view, a front view and a right view, step S1
The right view in layout B at 88 is rotated 90 degrees to provide a modified view layout of the parts, similar to layout A. By rotating the right view in the layout B by 90 degrees in the layout B so that the right view of the part is located on the right side of the plan view of the part, the plurality of views in the drawing are in a standard form represented by the layout A. It is processed according to. The stored look-up table or matrix representing a predetermined or standard form is
It is used to compare multiple views of the two-dimensional drawing and to determine which views require rotation or translation.

In order to ensure that an accurate three-dimensional model of the part is generated from the figures in the two-dimensional drawing, the dimensions of each of the figures must be consistent with each other or A check is made to see if they match. Step S1 as further shown in FIG.
At 90, the boundaries of the plurality of figures in the data file are detected to verify that all dimensions of each figure are the same as each other. If it is determined that the plurality of figures do not match within a predetermined error range (for example, 0.0 to 0.01 inches), an arbitrary specification is made in step S190 such that all the plurality of figures have the same scale. An appropriate modification is made to change the dimensions of the figure in FIG. An alarm element is provided in the server module 32 to alert the user that the dimensions of the drawings do not match each other and that necessary corrections are made to the existing two-dimensional drawing data.

Various operations or steps are used to detect and confirm dimensional consistency in the figures of each of the parts. For example, the corresponding dimensions of each of the plurality of figures are compared to determine if they are within a predetermined error of each other. Such analysis involves comparing line entities defining the boundaries of each view of the part. Assuming the standard form in FIG. 23B, if the following is true, it is detected that the plan view matches the right figure or the left figure. That is, for each figure, the maximum Y coordinate position and the minimum Y coordinate position are within a predetermined error range (eg, 0.0-0.01 inch). Further, the plan view is detected as matching the front view or the rear view in the following cases. That is, in each figure, the maximum X coordinate position and the minimum X coordinate position are within a predetermined error range (for example,
0.01 inches). Further, in the left diagram or the right diagram, the difference between the maximum X coordinate position and the minimum X coordinate position is smaller than the difference between the maximum Y coordinate position and the minimum Y coordinate position by a predetermined error range (for example, 0.0-0). .01 inches) is determined to match the front view or the rear view. Again, a warning element or module is provided in the server module 32 to warn the user that the necessary corrections will be made to the two-dimensional drawing data when the dimensions of the figure or the dimensions of the associated surfaces again do not match.

Finally, in step S192, the inner loop, hole and shape of the part are detected based on the teaching of the surface detection method of the present invention. The various holes or shapes inside the planes of each figure are detected by forming a loop from the outside to the center of the part through various lines and boundaries of the part. . Analysis of loops and entities is performed for each view of the part in the two-dimensional drawing. By analyzing each figure operatively inward from the outside of the part to the center, the detected loop determines the boundaries and regions of the material and the openings of the part in a periodic sequence (ie, material, opening , Substance, etc.). A loop tree, such as that in FIG. 16 (d), is generated for each drawing to determine the location of the plurality of faces and the location of any holes inside each face. Entities that are not connected inside the surface of the part, such as floating arcs or line segments, are detected and deleted in step S192.

Exemplary code for performing the two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention is provided in Appendix D. This code is written in the C ++ programming language and contains comments to facilitate the analysis of the logic and algorithms used therein. The code is shown in Figure 21-22
Includes various steps and operations in a two-dimensional cleanup mode, such as those discussed above with reference to (b).

Referring again to FIG. 20, after the two-dimensional cleanup operation is performed, the logic flow is step S16.
Continuing to 4, it is determined whether the two-dimensional drawing represents or includes the thickness of the material (ie, whether the two-dimensional drawing has a thickness). If the two-dimensional drawing is determined to include a thickness amount, the thickness erasure procedure is performed by the server module 32 to create a two-dimensional drawing for subsequent operations on the three-dimensional model in step S166. Done. The determination of the presence of the thickness in the two-dimensional drawing is made automatically by the server module 32 based on the drawing data, or by the server module through assistance or response from the operator (the operator removes the thickness). Is prompted to indicate if it is needed or preferred). The thickness of the parts is eliminated by the unique symmetry of all sheet metal parts. By eliminating the thickness of the part, it has no thickness,
The resulting sheet metal parts are more easily analyzed by the sheet metal operator or designer. Further, the inventor of the present application removes the thickness of the two-dimensional three-view drawing, thereby
It has been found that the time required to convert a 3D drawing and generate a 3D model is significantly reduced.

Since most two-dimensional three-view drawings include material thickness quantities, operators are often confused as to which bend line must be selected to create a three-dimensional model from a two-dimensional drawing. As a result, 3D
Considerable time is wasted in selecting an appropriate bend line to be converted to a dimensional model. An example of a two-dimensional three-view drawing having a thickness is shown in FIG. According to one aspect of the present invention, the material is represented and processed without having a material thickness, but the material thickness and the inside and outside dimensions of the part are simplified and retained in the bending model data. A thickness removal procedure is provided to display the two-dimensional three-view model. FIG. 24 (b) illustrates a simplified two-dimensional three-view view that is observed and displayed to the operator at the server module 32 after performing the thickness removal step.

When the thickness removal procedure is performed, the user may be prompted to specify the material thickness in the two-dimensional three-view display and any dimensions (ie, outer dimensions) in the display. Alternatively, it may be prompted to specify whether the inner dimensions) should be retained. The operator indicates the thickness and surface to be retained in one of the figures using, for example, a mouse. Based on the data entered by the user, the server module 32 modifies the two-dimensional three-dimensional view, deletes the material thickness specified by the user, and leaves the inside or outside dimensions based on the operator's choice. .

To eliminate thickness in the two-dimensional three-view drawing, the server module 32 analyzes each of the three views based on selections made by the operator. The selected surface is projected onto one of the other figures by a geometric calculation (i.e. by detecting the corresponding entity that is in the same X or Y coordinate projection as the selected entity line segment or surface). And detecting corresponding entities and line segments in each of the plurality of figures. The corresponding entity is marked and retained, and the non-matching entity or surface is deleted or, as shown in FIG.
Not displayed on screen. Further, the thickness dimension line indicated by the operator is similarly projected on each of the other figures,
The matching thickness dimension or entity is shown in FIG.
It is deleted as further shown in the example of (b). As a result, each of the plurality of figures in the drawing is modified accordingly and displayed at the server module 32 to the user. The resulting two-dimensional three-view without thickness is used in the next step to generate a three-dimensional model of the part.

The thickness elimination procedure of the present invention includes a manual thickness erasure mode for the operator to selectively indicate the thickness line to be eliminated and the surface entities to be left in each figure. A mouse or other suitable input device is used by the operator to indicate which area should be deleted and which surface should be left in each of the displayed figures. Based on the data input by the operator, the server module 32 deletes each line entity selected by the operator from the two-dimensional three-view drawing to provide a drawing having no thickness.

The present invention also analyzes and detects whether all thickness representations have been correctly identified in the two-dimensional three-view drawing, and when there are unmarked thickness elements and / or in the drawing data. Includes an alert system or module to alert the user when a conflict exists.
For example, a thickness warning element is provided to highlight potential unmarked thickness portions on the display screen;
A surface warning element is provided to highlight potential mismatched surfaces on the screen when the dimensions of the surface do not match the thickness marks in other figures. Bend line warning elements are also provided to highlight conflicting bend lines and to highlight non-matching thickness curves. The curve is emphasized when at least one bending line projected on this curve is not sandwiched by two transverse thickness segments (transverse thickness line). For example, FIG. 24 (c) illustrates a thickness curve correctly sandwiched between two or other even non-zero even thickness thickness segments (i.e., a short line across thickness in each figure). Each bend line is 2
One or other non-zero even number of transverse thickness segments. The analysis of these entities of the part in each drawing is based on performing a loop analysis and analyzing the connectivity of the line segments and arc entities that make up each drawing. An open thickness line is defined based on a thickness line having at least one endpoint that is not connected to another thickness line or curve. The side containing one open thickness line is defined as the open thickness side. The thickness line is
Emphasized when the open thickness side of the open thickness line does not match the minimum loop bounding box. Said processed 2
By providing the user with a warning relating to the image of the three-dimensional view, the user is warned of inconsistencies in the drawing data, and the user is required to generate a three-dimensional model of the part prior to further processing to generate a three-dimensional model of the part. Can be modified and / or corrected. Including such a warning system and interaction with the user improves the precision of the representation of the part by the three-dimensional model.

In step S168 of FIG. 20, the processed two-dimensional three-view drawing having no thickness is converted into a three-dimensional model and developed. The conversion and development of the two-dimensional three-view drawing into the three-dimensional model is performed using well-known or established projection and / or projection methods. For example, to generate a three-dimensional model from the two-dimensional three-view diagram, the depth of each diagram is detected, and each diagram is projected to develop the three-dimensional model. The resulting three-dimensional model is then used in generating bending model data and is transformed into a single two-dimensional plan by applying the unfolding algorithm described above. For more information on geometric modeling techniques, see Mortenson, Folly et al. And Mantilla. See, eg, below for additional information on projection techniques for constructing a three-dimensional model from a two-dimensional drawing. Wesley et al. A. `` Fleshing projections ''
I. B. M. J, RES, DEVELOP, 25 volumes, N
O. 6, pp. 934-954 (1981), Aomura Sigul, "Forming a Solid Model Using Mechanical Drawings", 6th Computer Mechanics Conference,
JSME, NO. 930-71, Japan, pp. 497-98 (1993), Aomura Sigeru, recent trends and future possibilities of research and practical use (automatic reconstruction of 3D models from drawings) Tokyo Kogyo Co., Japan, 6-13 (1995). These disclosures are expressly incorporated herein in all of them.

When developing the three-dimensional model in step S168, an additional cleanup step is included to further process and refine the resulting three-dimensional model. According to one aspect of the invention, the three-dimensional cleanup step is obscured by presenting in the two-dimensional three-dimensional view of the part and generating extra or excessive information in the generated three-dimensional representation of the part. It is provided to compensate for this. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a two-dimensional three-view representation of a part includes ambiguity in relation to the representation of various features of the part in a three-dimensional coordinate space. Extra and excessive information is generated as a result of these ambiguities when generating a three-dimensional model from the two-dimensional three-view drawing. Thus, according to an aspect of the present invention, the three-dimensional cleanup step includes the steps of detecting and removing lines that are not connected at one end, detecting and cleaning bend lines, and trimming the surface. . The three-dimensional cleanup process is performed automatically in generating the resulting three-dimensional model of the part or the generated three-dimensional model
When the dimensional model is determined to require additional steps, it is selectively performed based on input from the operator.

According to the three-dimensional cleanup process,
By analyzing the generated three-dimensional drawing data, all line segments or curves determined to be not connected to another entity at one end are specified and defined as one-side open line segments. Any entity that is determined to be a one-sided open segment is removed from the three-dimensional representation of the part. Once an open segment is removed, it may lead to other segments or entities being opened. Therefore, a new one-sided open line is also identified,
It is removed repeatedly until all open segments or entities are removed. FIG. 63 illustrates an example of a three-dimensional representation of the part before the one-sided open line is removed, and FIG. 64 illustrates the part after the one-sided open line is removed from the three-dimensional representation.

As described above, the three-dimensional cleanup step performed in step S168 includes a step of detecting and cleaning the bending line. Bend lines are identified and cleaned (e.g., by adding mold lines) to facilitate the detection of part surface information in three-dimensional space. Based on the generated three-dimensional model data,
Each bend line is identified based on the detection of a pair of three-dimensional curves (e.g., represented by curve entities in the drawing data) having the same normal defined by their respective centers. In this process, a mold (shaping) line segment is added to the specified bending line. The mold line segment identifies a corresponding end point in each pair of three-dimensional curves and extends a mold line segment (eg, represented by a line entity) between corresponding end points of the three-dimensional curve. Will be added. FIG. 65 illustrates a representative three-dimensional representation of the part before the bend line is identified, and FIG. 66 illustrates the part after the mold segment (represented by the dashed line in the figure) has been added.

After the bend lines have been identified and the mold segments added, a three-dimensional cleanup step further processes the three-dimensional representation of the part to clean all bend lines and trim the surface of the part. I do. The two-dimensional 3
Due to the frequent ambiguity in the view data diagram,
An excess of the surface is generated in the three-dimensional representation of the part. The three-dimensional cleanup process identifies excess portions of the surface and trims the surface using sheet metal area knowledge (eg, knowledge of what cannot be folded). Other extra information, such as extra holes or openings, are also identified and removed. As a result, excess parts of the part are removed and the three-dimensional representation provides a more precise representation of the sheet metal part. FIG. 67 illustrates a representative portion of the part before cleaning the bend lines and trimming the surface, and FIG. 68 illustrates the portion of the part after normalization and trimming.

FIG. 25 shows an example of the logic flow of the steps and operations performed to generate a three-dimensional drawing without material thickness from an initial three-dimensional drawing with material thickness. In step S200, the first three-dimensional drawing having the material thickness is input and carried into the server module 32. The three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional wireframe drawing having a material thickness and is a CAD drawing file such as a DXF or IGES file. After the three-dimensional drawing is carried into the server module 32, a thickness removing step is performed in step S20.
4 is performed. The thickness removing step for the three-dimensional model in step S204 is performed by the above-described AMADA UNFO.
It is done in the same way as provided in the LD software system. To eliminate the thickness in the three-dimensional model, the operator is first prompted for the thickness and prompted to select the remaining surface. The thickness is measured by analyzing the end point of the entity line segment that defines the thickness based on the operator's selection. Thereafter, the boundaries of the selected surface are searched for in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the loop and entity analysis steps. The retained entity is then marked (eg, by setting or increasing a flag),
The corresponding thickness entity is removed. When searching for the entity of the three-dimensional part, the entity is identified based on the length of the thickness entity selected by the user. Generally, all entities having the same length as the thickness entity are not selected and removed, leaving other entities that are not the same length marked. Remaining entities not marked in the search for the surface of the three-dimensional part may also be removed. Again, the server module 32 provides a manual thickness removal mode, in which the operator manually indicates each entity in the three-dimensional part to be removed.

After the step S204, it has no thickness.
The resulting three-dimensional model is developed in step S206 and / or displayed to the operator. An unfolding algorithm or process is then applied to the three-dimensional model without that material thickness to produce a single two-dimensional plan view of the bending model data, as described in detail above.
As described above, the design and manufacturing information stored in the database 30 includes not only manufacturing data on the sheet metal element but also a bending model data file including the geometric shape and topology of the sheet metal. Furthermore, the software used to implement the various features of the present invention is generated using a sophisticated programming language, such as C ++, and using object-oriented programming techniques. Different object-oriented techniques, such as Book or OMT, are also used to implement various aspects of the invention. If an object-oriented program is used, object-oriented data is used to represent the sheet metal part, and the bending model for the part is implemented through a fully self-contained class library. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a description of an exemplary data structure and access algorithm for the bending model based on object oriented programming techniques. FIG.
FIG. 4 illustrates a typical data structure and access algorithm of the bending model used in executing the present invention with an object-oriented program. An object-oriented program is a type or form of software development that can model the real world by combining multiple objects or modules containing data as well as multiple instructions that operate on that data. In an object-oriented program, objects are software entities that model something physical, such as sheet metal parts, or they model something virtual, such as business commerce. is there. An object includes one or more attributes (ie, fields) that collectively define the state of the object, and includes an identifier to identify it from all other objects. Further, an object includes behavior defined by a group of methods (ie, procedures) that modify the attribute or act on the object based on the presence of certain conditions.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the sheet metal part is represented as an object-oriented data model.
As shown in FIG. 26, a bending model of a sheet metal part is defined as a completely self-contained class library. All required data manipulations and functions (e.g., folding, unfolding, etc.) for the sheet metal part are captured as elementary functions of this class library. All geometric or topological data is defined inside a plurality of objects classified in the bending model. The bending model class library is a hierarchy of a plurality of classes or objects, and the part class is the highest level class in the hierarchy. The part class includes a part object having various part attributes, and includes various objects that define the part and a plurality of actions performed on the part.

FIG. 26 shows examples of various objects classified in the bending model class library.
For example, a part class 50 including various attributes 52 is provided. The part attributes 52 include various part information such as part number and / or name, part material type and part thickness. The attributes 52 also include bend order information to indicate the order in which the plurality of bends are made and other manufacturing information such as error requirements for various dimensions of the part. The part class 50 also includes various objects such as a plane object 54, a hole object 56, a molding part object 58, and a bending line object 60 as shown in FIG. Said object 5
Each of 4, 56, 58 and 60 consists of a group of objects for each of the entities (e.g., faces, holes, moldings, and bend lines) represented therein. The surface object 54, the hole object 56, the molding part object 58, and the bending line object 60 are respectively geometrical and dimensional data, position and coordinate data in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial representation, and their respective entities. Contains data relating to the edges and surfaces of tees (eg, faces, holes, moldings, and bend lines). For example, the surface object 54 includes geometric shape and dimension data for each of the plurality of surfaces, spatial position data of the plurality of surfaces in two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations, and edge and surface information of the plurality of surfaces. Includes edge and surface data. Further, the molding part object 58 includes data relating to a particular molding in the part, including geometric and dimensional data, two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial position data, and edge and surface data.

As further shown in the embodiment of FIG. 26, the part class 50 further includes a topology object 62 and a bending property object 64. The topology object 62 includes part topology data on the face, hole, formed part, and bending line of the part. The data in the topology object 62 indicates the structural and geometric relationships of the various features of the part. The bending properties object 64 contains information regarding special manufacturing constraints on one or more features of the part. For example, bending characteristic information on how the sheet metal part should be bent is provided in the bending characteristic object 64. The bending characteristic information includes special manufacturing data for different bending characteristic types (for example, simultaneous bending, collinear bending, Z bending, etc.).

The bend line object 60 also contains manufacturing special data relating to the bending to be performed. Therefore,
In addition to geometric or dimensional data for each bend line, two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial position data, and end data, the bend line object 60 also includes V-width data, bend pitch data, number of bends for each bend line. Data and / or orientation data. Each bending line includes an associated bending operation as shown in FIG. This bending operation is executed as a group of objects having data and operations / instructions for performing bending at each bending line. If provided as an object, each bending operation should include not only specific bending data such as bending angle, bending radius and / or bending reduction, but also how or what type of bending should be performed (eg, conical bending, Z data, hemming, arc bending, etc.).

By executing the part bending model via an object-oriented data model, all complex mathematical calculations, computational geometries and matrix transformations are incorporated into a single class library. Hemming, Z
Special bending operations such as bending and arc bending are also included in the class library. Further, manufacturing information such as V width, bending reduction amount and bending order is also taken into the class library. According to the bending model, simultaneous two-dimensional display of the two-dimensional plane model and the three-dimensional model is performed as shown in FIG. Further, bending is performed according to the bending line object 60 of the bending model. General comments relating to the bending models and part structures and their implementation are provided in Appendix K attached hereto.

A bend model viewer is provided for interpreting the bend model and displaying a visual image of the part in a two-dimensional and / or three-dimensional representation. FIG.
FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of the relationship between the structure of the bending model viewer and the bending model according to another aspect of the present invention. The bend model viewer is implemented via object-oriented programming technology, and based on information provided to the bend model by the user at the station module at various locations 10, 12, 14,. An application based on Windows that allows the display of various figures. The bend model viewer includes a group of application library modules used to visualize the sheet metal part. Further, the bending model viewer is designed as an image class for Windows applications, so it is used as a basic image class for any Windows application. Most standard operations for viewing the 2D and 3D models (eg, zoom 92, rotate 96, pan 100,
The dimension 102 etc.) is executed as an element function of the bending model viewer. Geometric transformations and basic computer graphics techniques are applied to the bent model objects when performing image manipulations. In addition, the bend model viewer includes an image model attribute 88, which has four main image modes, including solid image, wireframe image, 2D planar image and orthographic image.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the bending model class library 80 includes a group that acts on the sheet metal part according to a selected image (for example, a solid, wire, two-dimensional plane, or orthographic image). Procedures or functions. The bending model viewer viewing class 84 includes a series of standard operations, such as zoom 92, rotation 96, pan 100 and dimensions 102. Then, the bending model viewer observation class calls a plurality of functions from the bending model class library 80 according to the state of the bending model viewer. As shown in FIG. 27, the various observation model attributes or features 88 selected by the user include a solid image, a wire frame image, a two-dimensional planar image, and an orthographic image. A description of these various viewing modes provided in the present invention is provided below with reference to FIGS.

Basic computer graphics and geometric modeling techniques, such as geometric transformations and three-dimensional geometric techniques, perform various features of the bending model and provide different viewing modes or functions. Used for Recent developments and developments in computer-based two-dimensional and three-dimensional modeling and simulation, such as the use of graphic libraries or packages, are applied to implement these features of the present invention. In addition, a wide variety of publications or documents are available for computer graphics and modeling. See, for example, Moltenson, Folly, and Mantilla. Each of them has been described above.

To provide various observation and modeling features of the present invention, each station module and server module has an SVG with 800 × 600 resolution.
It has a high resolution display screen such as an A screen. Joysticks and / or game cards are also provided to the station module and server module to allow a user to selectively modify and view different 2D and 3D representations of the part. Software-based graphics packages, such as OpenGL and RenderWare, are used to perform graphics calculations. These graphic libraries or packages are used to perform various viewing modes in Windows-based applications. For example, the open GL is used to execute various two-dimensional wire frame images based on the part geometry and topology data provided in the bending model. Further, the renderware is used to display various two-dimensional and three-dimensional solid images of the sheet metal part based on the part data provided in the bending model.
For more information about OpenGL, see, for example, OpenGL Reference Manual and OpenGL.
L. Programming Guide, Release 1, OpenGL
・ Architecture Review Board, Addison-Wesley Publisher, Reading, Mass. (1
992). For information on renderware, see, for example, Renderware API Reference Manual V2.0,
Criterion Software, UK (19
See 96).

The bend model is accessed from the database 30 by, for example, an operator's station module to display various images of the part. The bending model data is reformatted according to the data format used by the graphic library or package (eg, OpenGL or renderware) being used. Thereafter, the graphic data indicates an observation mode (wire, solid, etc.) selected by the operator, or an observation function (zoom, pan, etc.) performed by the user.
Are processed according to various programmed orders to perform

When a particular viewing mode is selected by the operator, the selected viewing mode is detected along with the current zoom ratio or factor and orientation of the image. This information is then used to make a function call to the graphics package to update the current display. Function calls to the graphics package are made depending on the viewing mode displayed and the zoom or other viewing function being performed. Based on these function calls, the graphics package provides the necessary data, so the station module displays an image of the part to the operator. Additional function calls are made to the graphics library to update the displayed image based on a modification of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional representation by the user (eg, by moving a joystick or mouse).

[0279] In order to provide a wire frame image of the part, line entity data of the part is provided to the graphic package and necessary graphic calculations are performed. However, for a solid image, one or more polygons are drawn for each of the faces and provided as input to the graphics package to display the image. Graphics packages such as OpenGL and Renderware take polygon data as input and fill the area defined by the polygon to provide a solid image. The polygon is derived from the surface and bending line information in the bending model and is derived by determining the boundary of each surface. The polygon must be created to display and define each face of the part. These faces are then connected based on the part topology and other data in the bending model to display the entire sheet metal part. If the surface has openings or holes, it is necessary to define a surface with several polygons that do not surround such openings.
For orthographic views, the data for each of the individual views (which may be wireframe or solid) is sent to the graphics package and the resulting multiple views are displayed in a single display, as shown in FIG. Combined on screen. Representative code for performing the various viewing modes and functions of the bent model image is provided in Appendix E. This sample code is written in C ++ and contains a number of comments relating to the process and the operations performed thereon. The code in conjunction with a suitable graphic package (eg, OpenGL and Renderware) is used to display different figures (eg, 2D and 3D wireframes or solids) as well as the viewing function (eg, For example, zoom, rotation, pan, etc.). A brief description of the various viewing mode display screens that are displayed is provided below.

[0280] The solid diagram mode displays a three-dimensional diagram of the part defined by the bending model as a solid. FIG. 28 illustrates a representative solid view window provided as output to a display screen located at any of positions 10, 12, 14,... In this solid view mode, the user or operator is provided with a plurality of viewing functions for manipulating three-dimensional navigation and three-dimensional automatic sizing. The basic functions provided to modify the solid drawing of the part include rotation, zooming, panning, and / or standard drawing selection. The standard views provided or selected by the user include: That is, isometric projection, plan, bottom, front, back, left, and right views. Automatic and manual sizing operations are also provided to indicate key dimensions of the part based on the current viewing angle. Representative examples of the sizing characteristics of the present invention are provided below with reference to FIGS. 32-36.

As shown in FIG. 28, the solid view window is a Windows-based application, thus providing multiple windows or partial views of the part. The windows of the plurality of views include an enlarged view that provides a single, very close-up view of the window within the window and a bird track view that provides a view of the part from a very high speed in a single window. The partial view gives a partial view of the object selected by the user. A joystick interface is provided at the server module 32 and station module at each of the locations 10, 12, 14,... 20 to control the various viewing functions. Operations in combination with operation of only the joystick and / or predetermined keys on the keyboard (eg, shift keys or control keys) are performed by the user to perform various functions such as rotation, panning, and zooming.
Further, the displayed fabric of the solid view of the part is selected to simulate the material specified for the part in the database. For this purpose, a material fabric library is provided having a library of fabrics of materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum and the like. The stored material fabric library is accessed and applied by the operator when a solid diagram exists. Thus, the surface of the displayed part more closely simulates the actual texture of the sheet metal part.

The wireframe diagram mode provides a Windows based display of a wireframe diagram of the sheet metal part. FIG. 29 shows an example of a wire frame window.
Is shown in The function of the keys for providing three-dimensional spatial navigation and three-dimensional sizing in the wireframe is similar to that described above with respect to the solid diagram. Functions such as, for example, rotation, zooming, panning and selection of standard views are provided. Automatic sizing, multiple view windows and section view options are also provided in the wireframe view mode. Further, a joystick and / or keyboard interface is provided to allow a user to select and activate the various viewing functions.

The two-dimensional plan view mode displays an expanded two-dimensional plan view of the part in the wire frame display. An example of a two-dimensional plan view window is shown in FIG. This two-dimensional plan view mode has multiple viewing functions to allow the user to change or remodel the view in the window. For example, zooming and panning functions are provided to allow a user to selectively zoom and pan the two-dimensional planar wireframe diagram. In addition, sizing and multiple window viewing functions are provided in a manner similar to that described above for the solid view mode. A joystick and / or keyboard interface is provided to allow the user to pan, zoom and control other viewing functions. The special molded part or shape provided on the part is displayed as a molded or shaped part on the outermost boundary of the molded area together with an instruction or description of the special molded part.

An orthographic window as shown in FIG. 31 is also provided as a part of the bending model viewer.
The orthographic mode displays a plan view, a front view, a right view, and an isometric projection view in a wire frame display. A hidden line option is provided to obscure blocked lines based on the viewing angle. This hidden line option is used to simplify the window in each figure. Various observation functions are also provided in the orthographic mode,
It allows a user to selectively manipulate and change the current view in the window. For example, zooming and panning functions are provided along with sizing and multiple window viewing functions. As described above, the multiple window observation function is provided, and the user can selectively display the enlarged view of the orthographic view and / or the bird's eye view in the multiple windows. A joystick and / or keyboard interface is provided at each of the plurality of locations to enable a user to selectively activate and operate each of the plurality of viewing functions in the orthographic mode.

In addition to displaying each of the various views described above, the bending model viewer observation class is implemented with other features. For example, the bend model viewer includes and maintains a selection set to indicate a plurality of items or entities in the current view, selected and highlighted by an operator. According to one aspect of the invention, an operator modifies the data associated with the selected item or performs predetermined operations on those items of the part with the face and bend lines of the displayed part. And other features can be selected. For example, the operator can select a surface of the displayed part and change the dimensional data of that surface along its width or length. The operator can also modify various bend data associated with each bend line, such as a bend angle or V-width.

The bend model viewer holds a list of entities or items (eg, faces, bend lines, ends of faces, bend lines, etc.) selected by the user. The observer updates the list. Therefore, the current item currently selected by the operator is always kept in the selection list. Other parts of the software in the present invention invoke drawing classes of the current list of selected entities when performing or performing different procedures (eg, manual sizing, etc.).

Further, the bending model viewer provides an observability function. It provides observability information and coordinate information based on the currently displayed figure. As described more fully below, the observability function provides information about whether a particular portion or entity of the part is currently observable on a screen and the screen entity is Provides coordinate information about the location. The observability function of the bend model viewer is invoked by the sizing features of the present invention to determine which part of the part is currently observable on the screen. Therefore, only the dimensional information of the part of the part that can be observed on the screen is displayed to the observer. A more detailed description of the sizing and observability features of the present invention is provided below. Further exemplary code for performing the observability function of the bending model viewer is provided in Appendix J attached hereto.

Referring to FIGS. 32-36, one embodiment of the present invention is shown.
Examples of sizing properties are described according to three aspects.
As noted above, each of the viewing modes includes a sizing function that automatically displays the dimensions of the part based on the current viewing direction. An automatic sizing function is provided so that flange or bend line dimensions that are not visible at the current viewing angle are not displayed to the user. When the auto sizing function or mode is activated, only observable dimensions of the part are displayed based on the current viewing angle. Further, in the automatic sizing mode, only a predetermined size (that is, a size that is important for the bending operation) is displayed based on the state of the current observation angle. A manual sizing mode is also provided, allowing the user to selectively indicate which dimensions are to be displayed. In this manual sizing mode, only dimensional items selected by the user are displayed based on the current part viewing angle. In either dimensioning mode, the displayed dimensional item is deleted or removed from the window display when the part is zoomed or panned.

FIG. 32 illustrates examples of various dimensional items displayed in the automatic sizing mode. The dimension items displayed in the automatic sizing mode include items important for a bending operation (for example, a flange length, a bending line length, a bending angle, and the like), such as a size of a punched hole or an opening. No extra dimensions. The displayed dimensional items include, for example, the width, depth, and height of the sheet metal part and the flange length. Further, the bending line length L, bending angle A, inner radius R and bending reduction D of each bending line are displayed alone or together in one window or in a group information box. As described above, only dimensional items that can be observed based on the current observation angle are displayed. Further, when the operator rotates, zooms, or pans to change the viewing angle of the part, all dimensions are erased or removed from the display, and when each operation is completed, those dimensions are displayed again. The dimensions and orientation of the displayed information (arbitrary text or reference arrows) are always scaled to the screen dimensions rather than the current zoom ratio or viewing angle. However, the colors, styles, weights and / or fonts of the dimensional information can be configured so that the user can change them to improve the readability of the dimensional information. As a result, an operator or designer can emphasize important dimensions in the part by selecting a special color, font size, etc. of the dimension information. For example, the color, dimension or font of the dimension text or dimension reference, line or arrow color, line weight or style may be emphasized or selectively changed to indicate key dimensions in the part. The operator may also color and fill or style the window information box or color specific bend lines or emphasize other important dimensions within the part.

Various processes or operations may be used to implement the sizing features of the present invention. Further, as described above, the bend model viewer comprises an observability function that provides observability information for the sizing characteristics of the present invention. These functions or features are implemented by software, for example, on each of the server modules 32 and / or station modules located throughout the factory. Representative code for implementing the automatic sizing features of the present invention is provided in Appendix FI. In addition, sample code for the observability function of the bending model viewer is provided in Appendix J. The code in these appendixes is C +
+ Written in a programming language and contains comments to facilitate understanding of the logical flow of procedures and operations performed therein.

The logic flow of the sizing characteristics of the present invention is generally divided into three stages. In a first step, the bend model geometry and topology data of the part is accessed from database 30 and used to calculate all dimensions of the part and all aspects in which those dimensions can be displayed. For each bend line and face of the part, all furthest points at which data can be displayed are calculated, and for these points, all ways at which dimension lines or arrows can be displayed are calculated. Certain heuristics are applied in determining where the dimensional data or other information can be displayed. For example, as a general rule, it is determined that all information is displayed only outside the part. Such heuristics are applied to provide a more meaningful and less crowded display of information to the viewer.

The first step described above is performed whenever the sizing feature of the present invention is activated by an operator. Alternatively, the calculation of the first stage is performed only when the part is first observed by an operator. In such a case, the calculated data is stored in memory for subsequent use and is changed when the dimensions or other geometric data of the part is modified or changed by a user. Furthermore, all calculations in the first stage are performed on the geometry of the part, not on the drawing screen. Thus, the data can be used again irrespective of the current drawing or whenever the drawing is changed.

The second step of the automatic sizing feature of the present invention is performed whenever the drawing of the part is updated. The main purpose of this second stage is to screen the data generated during the first stage based on which entities of the part are observable in the modified figure. In this second stage, all data that is not observable in the current figure is sieved, leaving only the data that is currently observable, calculated in the first stage. A function call is made to the bend model viewer to determine which points or parts of the part are currently observable. As described above, the bending model viewer includes an observation function that holds and provides information about an observable portion of the part based on the current view being displayed. Based on the orientation of the part, the bend model viewer can see which faces and bend lines of the part (and which ends or portions of those faces and bend lines) are visible, and what is hidden on the screen. To determine

As mentioned above, sample code for performing the observable functions of the bending model viewer is provided in Appendix J. In order to determine which points or parts of the part are observable, the bending model viewer determines the current view orientation of the part and the current zoom plane or proportion of the displayed part; maintain. The bend model viewer uses conventional perspective projection techniques (see Mortenson, eg, Chapter 12) to determine and maintain the orientation of this current view. In determining the observability of any point on the part, the observability function obtains the world coordinates of the point (ie, the coordinates where the part is represented therein). Next, screen coordinates corresponding to the world coordinates (that is, pixel positions on the screen) are determined for the point based on the orientation and zoom plane or ratio of the current drawing. Thereafter, based on the screen coordinates, it is determined from a view of the viewing point of the screen whether any entity or portion of the part is in front of the point in question.
The hidden property of a point on the part may also be determined based on whether other entities or parts of the part are assigned the same point on the screen as the point in question. A function call to a graphics package or library (eg, OpenGL or renderware) is used to determine whether one or more points of the part have been assigned to points on the same screen. If something is assigned to points on the same screen, it is determined whether the point of the part is behind it based on the Z-buffer depth of each of those points. The Z-buffer depth is used by a graphics package, such as OpenGL or Renderware, to define the distance from the viewing point or camera position to each point. The Z depth is determined by making a function call to the graphics package for a plurality of points of the part of interest.

The process of the observability function of the bend model viewer is performed whenever there is a prompt to the bend model viewer from the automatic sizing features of the present invention. Such a process is therefore performed whenever the current view of the part being displayed by the operator is modified or changed. As described above, the bend model viewer maintains and updates the current view orientation and zoom ratio whenever a change is made to the displayed image orientation, and therefore when required. Provide accurate observability information.

After deciding which data is observable, the automatic sizing function provides all possible ways in which the dimensional data or other information can be displayed (eg, based on calculations in the first step). And position. A group of heuristics is applied to select the best way to display the data from all possible ways in which the data can be displayed. For example, the first heuristic requires that an area on the screen closer to the observer's observation point be preferred. The second heuristic specifies that the data should be displayed in an area closer to the area where the distance between the two possible points for defining said dimensions is the smallest. Other heuristics are also applied based on the relative position of other dimensional data or other information to avoid overlap or congestion on the screen.

After determining the optimal area for displaying the observable part of the part and the information about the observable area, the third step of the automatic sizing function is to perform various operations on the display screen. Executed to draw information. For example, dimensional information is displayed on a screen for each of the observable dimensions of the part based on selection of an area for displaying the information. Further, based on which bend lines are observable, bend line information is also displayed in an information box (eg, that shown in FIG. 32) in an area of the screen that does not overlap with other part information. The dimensions of the part, including the width, height, and depth of the part, also do not overlap or interfere with other information that is closest to the predetermined location on the screen (eg, lower right of the part) or the part. It is displayed in the position where it does not.

FIGS. 33-36 illustrate various methods and definitions used in displaying dimensional items in the sizing mode. In particular, FIGS. 33 (a) -33 (b) and 3
FIG. 3 (c) illustrates how flange dimensions are defined for various different parts. According to one aspect of the invention, the flange length is defined as the furthest point on the flange from each bend line. If there is no furthest point on the flange at the longest end of the flange parallel to the bend line, the longest flange is added and displayed in the sizing mode. As a non-limiting example, FIGS. 34 (a) and 34 (b) illustrate the addition of supplemental flange lengths for two different types of parts. When the thickness of the part is displayed, the flange length is displayed as outside the outer dimension.
For example, FIGS. 35 (a), 35 (b) and 35 (c) illustrate the manner in which the flange length is indicated for various parts displayed with thickness. Further, for parts with sharp bends, the flange length is indicated in various ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 36 (a), the flange length is displayed based on a tangent dimension definition, where the flange length is measured from a tangent extending from the acute bend. Alternatively, to define the flange length based on the point defined by the intersection of two straight lines extending from the two sides of the acute bend angle, an intersecting dimension method such as that shown in FIG. Is used. An operator is allowed to select from the tangent or cross dimension methods to indicate the flange length, and / or a particular dimension method (eg, tangent dimension method) is provided as a default setting. .

To facilitate the generation of bending code sequences,
A graphical user interface with various display functions is provided to assist the operator in generating a bending plan. FIGS. 37-44 illustrate various procedures and operations performed to generate a bend code sequence through the use of a graphical user interface in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. Typically, initial bending model data and other work information are generated by the design programmer by entering important geometric and manufacturing data in the server module 32. The resulting bending model file is then stored in database 30. Before the sheet metal part is manufactured, the bending operator needs to create a bending sequence to perform the desired bending operation. The bending operator must determine what type of tool is needed and define the tooling for the bending machine. This process of bending plan generation is aided and more efficient by the use of a graphical user interface and by the various teachings of the present invention.

To generate the bending plan, for example, a bending operator at bending station 18 accesses and downloads the bending model and other work information from database 30. The bending model for the relevant part is transferred or imported via the communication network 26 to a station module on the factory floor at the bending station 18. This step generally corresponds to step S220 in FIG.
Is shown in Thereafter, in step S224, the bending operator examines the shape and dimensions of the part using the bending model viewer. Here, the bending operator:
Various two- and three-dimensional views of the part are selectively zoomed and panned on a display screen located at the bending station. By activating the automatic sizing feature of the present invention, the bending operator also observes the critical bending dimensions of the part to perform a bending operation.

Once the operator understands the shape and dimensions of the part, the bending operator proceeds to step S22
Begin generating the bend plan by selecting and displaying the bend sequence input window at 8. The bend sequence input window provides a graphical user interface to assist the bend operator in creating, modifying, and deleting bend sequences and allows the operator to select various manufacturing parameters for each step in the bend sequence. (For example, back gauge position, tool, NC data, etc.) can be specified and input. The bending order input window includes a two-dimensional plan view image of the part displayed on a part of the screen (for example, the center of the screen or the left side of the screen). The two-dimensional plan view image includes various features of the developed part, including flanges, holes and openings of the part. When the bending operator selects and indicates the plurality of bending lines and the bending order for each bending line, a solid two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the intermediate part shape at each bending stage appears, for example, as shown in FIG. As such, they are provided on a portion of the screen, such as the right edge of the screen. The images of the intermediate part shapes are displayed in an order corresponding to the input bending order and are displayed on the screen simultaneously with the two-dimensional plan view of the part (as shown in the example of FIG. 38), or are displayed on a separate screen. Will be displayed separately.

Further, as each bend line is selected, the bend line is emphasized and, as shown as an example in FIG. It is displayed on or near the line. The bend line numbers for each bend line are automatically set based on the order in which they are selected, or are manually entered by an operator after each bend line is selected. Other manufacturing information related to the bend lines, such as bend angle, bend line length, and back gauge position, are also entered when each bend line is selected and highlighted, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 40 and 41. And / or displayed on the screen. FIG.
As shown at 0 and 41, a dialog or information box is displayed on the screen, allowing the bending operator to select, enter, or modify manufacturing information and other parameters associated with each bend line.

The dialog or information box allows a bending operator to highlight or select a bending line. Hot function keys or fast switch keys are displayed in the bend sequence input window to allow an operator to select or enter a tooling and monitor and modify NC data. For example, the bending operator selects a tool function key, and switches from the bending order input window to a tool input display screen or a plurality of display screens for inputting tool stand information. An NC function control key (e.g., NC9EX) is also provided to allow the operator to monitor and / or modify NC data related to the bending operation to be performed. As further shown in FIGS. 40 and 41, other function keys and controls are provided in connection with defining and / or modifying the bend line and related manufacturing information. For example, ZOOM AL
An L key is provided for zooming in and out of the two-dimensional plan view image. The back gauge key is provided for selecting or setting the position of the back gauge. Group and ungroup control keys are displayed to enable or control multiple bend lines that are bent together. In addition, control keys (eg flax bend) are provided to define special bend operations. Other function keys are also displayed and provided for the operator to select, modify and / or delete the bending sequence (eg, REMOVE CLEAR FWD, C
LEAR ALL, OK, CANCEL). The bend sequence input window allows the bend operator to efficiently monitor and modify the bend sequence and various manufacturing information.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a sectional view of the part and / or a bending simulation of the part is displayed on a screen for each bending step in the bending order (for example, see FIG. 41). The cross section and the bending simulation are selectively displayed on the screen or when each bending line is selected by a bending operator. The cross-sectional view and bending simulation are performed, for example, using a vertical bending tool (for example, a punch and a die).
Or a representation of the back gauge position / setting, which may be displayed on the screen simultaneously with the two-dimensional plan view image or separately on a different screen display.
The back gauge position is automatically determined based on the topology of the part or set or modified by an operator. If the tooling information for the bending line has not been entered or is set by the bending operator, the cross section and / or bending simulation will not be displayed on the screen or the representation and calculation of the intermediate part shape Only the defined or defined back gauge positions are displayed. The bending simulation includes a displayed simulation of the desired inversion of the part, manipulation and orientation of the part and / or bending of the part at each bend line. It is also possible to simultaneously display, on the display screen, a sectional view of the part before the bending step and a sectional view of the part after the bending step together with a two-dimensional plan view image of the part (for example, FIG. See 41). These cross-sectional views include representations of the up and down bending tool and back gauge for each bending step in the bending order provided on the right side of the screen. In addition, zoom control or function keys (ZOOM IN and ZOOM OUT) are displayed to allow the operator to control the zoom ratio or orientation in relation to the pre-bend and post-bend cross-sections. Japanese Official Gazette Heisei 7-1
21418 (issued on December 15, 1995 under the name of Niwa et al.) And similar technologies and procedures disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-309728 (issued on December 14, 1989 under the name of Nagasawa et al.) It is used to display a cross section or bending simulation of the part. The disclosure of said document is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

According to one aspect of the invention, software for automatically determining the insertion direction for the bend by calculating the short or small side of the part in relation to the selected bend line or Program logic is provided. According to a feature of the invention, each bend line is used to cut the part into two sides. An insertion direction is determined for each bend line based on a side of the part having a smaller or shorter length (eg, a dimension of a side perpendicular to the bend line) or based on a side having a smaller overall area. You. If the operator is not satisfied with the selected insertion direction, the operator reverses the insertion direction as shown in FIG. The operator changes or reverses the insertion direction, for example, by clicking the mouse or keypad select button when the bend line is highlighted. The insertion direction information includes an arrow and / or text for indicating an insertion direction of the flange defined by the bending line in order to bend the part with a bending device or a mechanical device. The insertion direction information may be on or near the bend line (eg, see FIGS. 39 (a) and 39 (b)) or on or near the end of the associated flange (eg, FIG. 4).
0). Further, the insertion direction information is displayed when each bending line is selected or selectively displayed based on an input received from a joystick device, a mouse device, or a keyboard device.

Thus, through the use of the graphical user interface, the bending operator can view various intermediate shapes and final part shapes based on the selected bending order entered by the operator. Again, the operator can enter and select data on the screen through any suitable input device, such as a joystick interface, a mouse interface and / or a keyboard interface. If the bend operator is not satisfied with the proposed bend order, the bend operator edits the bend order before finalizing the bend plan as generally shown in step S232. This editing of the bending order can be performed in various ways and methods. In particular, 1
According to one aspect, drag and drop editing properties are provided and the operator simply grasps and displays one of the intermediate part shape icons or displays provided on the left or right side of the screen as shown in FIG. Edit the selected bending order by dropping it to the desired position in the order. Thereafter, the various intermediate part shapes on the screen are modified based on the bend operator's modification to the bend sequence to indicate an intermediate bend step based on the revised bend sequence. Further, a bending order number on the two-dimensional plan view image is revised based on drag and drop editing of the bending order by the bending operator.

After the bending order is determined, the operator selects which type of tooling should be used by selecting a tool from a library of stored tooling data, as shown in step S236. To determine. Relevant tooling information is displayed to the factory floor bending operator and a display menu is provided to graphically assist the bending operator in selecting a tooling from the library. Once a particular tool is selected from the library, data associated with the tool is displayed on the screen. FIG. 43 illustrates examples of various display menus and data tables that are graphically displayed to the bending operator for manual tool selection. In the example of FIG. 43, a continuous display menu or screen display is graphically displayed to assist the bending operator in removing a particular tool from the tool library. A continuously displayed screen display may be displayed continuously (eg, in an overlapping or cascaded manner) on the display device or it may be displayed individually and the screen may be displayed before the next successive screen display is displayed. Is cleared. Once a particular tool is selected, specific data for that tool is provided in a table and displayed to the operator. The data in the tool library is stored in the initial setup procedure of the software (for example, database 3).
(In 0) are predefined and enabled.

The manual tool selection feature of the present invention allows the operator to select a tool type and a tool shape for each type. For example, punch,
Various tool types are selected, including dies, die holders, and die rails. Each type consists of multiple shapes, and there are multiple tools of different sizes and dimensions for each shape. To select one tool, the user
One tool type is first specified by selecting one icon from the displayed tool type icons as shown in FIG. The user is then provided with a menu of different shapes available for the selected tool. After analyzing the tool shape, the user selects a tool shape for the selected tool by selecting one shape icon from the displayed shape icons (eg, gooseneck shape punch is selected in FIG. 43). Finally, the user selects appropriate sizes and dimensions for the selected tool shape. As further shown in FIG. 43, a table is displayed to the user to indicate the different sizes and dimensions of the tools available for the selected tool shape. By selecting one item from this table, the selected tool is displayed as an icon, replaced with a general tool type icon, and the tool selection is confirmed.

In step S240, the bending operator next sets various tool stages (tool stages) in the press brake with the aid of the graphic interface. FIG. 44 illustrates a representative tool setup window provided to the bending operator to facilitate defining the tool setup (tool installation) used in the bending plan. As shown by way of example in FIG. 44, various punch, die and rail data are displayed in the tool setup window. Tool and die information for the sheet metal part is entered by an operator. A joystick is provided on the bending operator's station module to allow the bending operator to indicate the tool position and select a tool and list from a list of available tools and dies. In this tool setup window, the left side of the screen shows the cross-sectional shape of the current tool setup, and the right side of the screen shows the position of the current setup in the press brake. The location of the current setup is highlighted or shaded as shown in FIG.

Finally, when the operator is satisfied with the bending order, the bending plan information including the tooling and bending sequence is stored together with the bending model in the database 30, as generally shown in step S242 in FIG. You. An actual test of the bending sequence is performed by a press brake to confirm the bending sequence selected by the bending operator. If necessary, further modifications to the definition or bending order of the tooling
It is executed by an operator or a designer in the station module.

[0311] Various other features of the invention are provided to assist the bending operator in generating the bending plan. For example, according to another aspect of the present invention, a tool stand expert is provided, and the bending operator automatically suggests a tool stand and a bending order to the bending operator based on the part shape and other information stored in the bending model. Give to. The suggestion from the tooling expert is revised by the bending operator after analysis of the suggestion. In addition, a more complex tooling expert system is provided, which provides tooling suggestions for more complex operations based on the shape of the part in the bending file and a tool shape analysis to check for potential collisions and interferences. Suggest bending order. Such expert systems are used and implemented manually or by robot-assisted bending machinery. By way of non-limiting example, the present invention relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08-386.369 entitled "Intelligent System for Generating and Executing Sheet Metal Bending Plans" by the name of David A-Bone and the like. No. 08-33, entitled "Robot Window Planning / Control Method"
Performed according to the features and teachings disclosed in US Pat. These disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. As mentioned above, a graphical user interface or various functions are provided to assist a bending operator in generating a bending plan for a sheet metal part. According to another aspect of the invention, additional features are further provided to assist in the design and manufacture of the part. As described more fully below, various multimedia functions, such as the storage of audio or visual information, are performed in the present invention to generate a bend plan or provide a bend operator with a bend sequence when executing a bend sequence. Provide additional support. In addition, a collision checking function is provided which automatically checks for potential interference and collisions between the tools and parts at each of the intermediate bending stages. This collision check function is provided to replace the troublesome and time-consuming manual check of the tool shape and the interval between parts. The manual check is usually performed by a bending operator when generating a bending plan.
These functions and others will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for storing audio and video information with the bending model data. Various audio and video information is recorded on the factory floor and provides special instructions relating to, for example, the operation and bending of sheet metal parts. For this purpose, a CCD camera or a digital camera is provided at each of the station modules at various locations 10, 12, 14,. Other devices, such as a video camera with an audio microphone, are provided on the station module to enable an operator or user to record audio or video information. The various recording devices are connected to station module computers on the factory floor. Intel PROSHARE as a non-limiting example
A personal conference CCD camera (available from Intel Corporation) is used to record audio and video information.
Other commercially available CCD cameras or digital cameras are also used to record such information.

The various audio and video information stored together with the bending model data can be obtained by various methods and procedures.
Accessed and read by the user. Menu options are displayed by the station module, for example, to play stored audio and video information. Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the operator selects and generates an icon to be displayed in the viewing window to cause the stored audio and video information to be displayed on various display screens and parts views. Has the ability to attach. This function is performed by software and object-oriented programming techniques. This causes an icon object to be created and stored in the bending model data structure. The icon object is used to read associated audio and video information from memory based on certain conditions (e.g., selection of an icon by an operator, such as by double-clicking a mouse or instructing a selection using a joystick or other input means). Including procedures. The features of the icons of the present invention allow the operator to associate different audio and video messages or information with different parts of the sheet metal part and any display. By incorporating this icon into the representation of the part, the icon is configured to zoom, rotate and translate with a display of a two-dimensional and / or three-dimensional model of the part as the screen changes on the screen. .

FIG. 45 illustrates an example of attaching audio and video information through the use of icons attached to a three-dimensional solid model of the part. After the user records the audio and video information, the operator attaches an icon to an arbitrary position in the three-dimensional model window. The next time the icon is selected by the operator or user, the stored audio and video information is played back and displayed in the window, with special commands or messages relating to the part or area of the part where the icon is located. I will provide a. Other information, such as the simulation or recording of the bending motion, is associated with the part by placing icons near the various bending lines of the part. The video information associated with the bending motion is then played to the user the next time the icon is selected.

The operator or user records audio and video information, or simply records a single voice message or still or motion video signal, which are selectively played back to the user. An icon attached to the window display graphically indicates the type of information stored (e.g., a microphone icon is displayed to indicate that audio information is stored or video information is displayed). An icon on the display monitor is displayed to indicate that it is stored.) A special icon is provided to indicate that audio and video information is associated with the icon (eg, an "A / V" symbol or a video camera icon including a microphone). A list of icons is provided and displayed, allowing the user to select from a variety of icons when attaching audio and / or video information to the screen display or image.

FIG. 46 shows another example of a display window incorporating an icon for reading out stored audio and video information. The display window displayed in FIG. 46 is associated with a tool setup screen image, such as that described above with reference to FIG. In the example of FIG. 46, audio information is stored and read out by a microphone icon. And separate video information is stored,
It is read by attaching a video icon to the display window. The audio and video information relates to special commands or information related to tool setup or operation. Furthermore, regardless of the type of window display currently activated, the operator can paste as many icons as necessary on various areas of the window display for later retrieval of different audio and video information.

According to another aspect of the invention, an image editing window feature is provided that facilitates an operator selecting stored images and applying them to different screens. The image editing window feature is provided as a window-based application, which is accessed, for example, at either the server module 32 or a station module provided through a manufacturing facility. FIG. 47 illustrates an example of an image editing (image editing) window executed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The image displayed in the image editing window includes a photograph taken by a digital camera or a CAD coder. The images displayed on the screen are selectively selected by the operator (e.g., with a mouse or other suitable data entry means) and copied to another screen, where they are associated with a view of a particular model of the part. The operator then pastes the image or icon into the model window (eg, a three-dimensional solid model window of the part, such as that shown above in connection with FIG. 46). The images in FIGS. 45, 46 and 47 are photographic reproductions of actual screen images. The actual image is itself more distinct, depending on the camera or screen resolution used. The image may include, for example, a static or motion video image of the bending operator discussing or illustrating special operations or other commands related to the bending operation, or may be a video image of the sheet metal bending operation. In other words,
The actual image that is deemed useful is taken and displayed later. Thus, the actual images shown in FIGS. 45-47 are for illustrative purposes only. Referring to FIGS. 48 and 49, an example of the collision check function of the present invention is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, a collision check function is provided, which allows a user to check for potential collisions between the part and the punch tool by using a graphical user interface. The collision check function is an application based on Windows,
Accessed at any station module or location in the manufacturing facility. The automatic collision check feature of the present invention is used by the bending operator instead of the traditional and cumbersome manual shape check that is normally performed in generating the bending plan.

Traditionally, when generating a bending plan for a sheet metal part, the bending operator first determines the bending order of the part. The bending order determines the order or manner in which the sheet metal part is bent during manufacturing. After the bend sequence is determined, the bend operator selects and defines the tool used to perform each of the bend operations. In this process, the selected shape of the tool and the intermediate shape of the part are to ensure that there is no interference or collision between the tool and the part when performing each of the bending steps. Is analyzed. If a collision or interference is detected, the type of tool selected (or the bending order, if necessary) performs the bending operation without causing interference or collision between the tool and the sheet metal part. Must be modified as follows.

When detecting potential collisions or interference,
Bending operators have traditionally relied on manual methods to analyze the clearance between the shape of the tool and the bent portion or shape of the sheet metal element. Typically, a tool shape model is constructed and used by a bending operator. The tool shape models are manually matched to or placed on engineering or technical drawings (having the same scale dimensions as the tool shape models) of the various intermediate shapes of the sheet metal. By fitting and matching this tool shape model to the drawing of the part, the bending operator can determine whether there is sufficient space or clearance between the tool and the part in each of the bending operations. . However, this process tends to be tedious and time consuming.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of such traditional methods by providing an automatic interference check function. The interference check function of the present invention is implemented via a graphical user interface and allows a bending operator to check for collisions at each intermediate step in a predetermined bending order. FIGS. 48 and 49 illustrate an example of a collision check function performed via a graphical user interface. When activated, the collision check function automatically checks for a collision between each intermediate shape of the part in the bending order and a punch tool or tools defined for that order. The intermediate shape is displayed on the screen (see, for example, FIGS. 48 and 49), and if a collision is found, the step of detecting the collision is highlighted on the screen. Additionally, other display suggestions, such as text, are provided to indicate the number of collisions detected. In the examples of FIGS. 48 and 49, the collision information is provided in the upper right area of the display window. Further, the type of the punch tool or tools whose collision has been checked is displayed or indicated in the upper left area of the display window.

When a collision is detected for a punch tool selected by the operator, the intermediate shape or stage at which the collision is detected is highlighted on the screen. In this case, the operator may also select another punch tool for that particular bending step, and the collision check function is performed again to determine whether a collision will occur for the second selection of the punch tool. . The operator can select a punch tool for each bend and check for collisions with the collision check function. Drag and drop editing allows the operator to change the bend order displayed during the window display by dragging an intermediate bend shape and dropping it at a desired location within the proposed bend order. It may be provided to allow. The bend sequence is modified based on the drag and drop edits made by the operator, in a manner similar to that described above with reference to FIG.

Various procedures and operations are used to perform the collision check function of the present invention. For example, to detect potential collisions, the geometry of the selected tool and the geometry of the part in the intermediate shape are accessed. Geometric data related to the part in each intermediate step is generated based on the bending order, part dimensions, and topology data. Each flange of the part,
In order to display the part at each intermediate stage in the bending order, the part is bent according to bending data (for example, bending angle, bending line position, reduction amount, and the like). The bending step and the reduction amount compensation characteristic of the present invention are applied when generating geometric data for the part at each intermediate stage. The geometry of the tool and part causes the tool and part to be oriented relative to each other by placing the tip of the tool at the bend line of the part in each of the bending steps. Collisions are detected by analyzing the geometric data and the boundary between the tool and the part and determining whether there is a common or overlapping point in the tool and the part. When a collision is detected at a particular bending step, that step is highlighted on the screen to indicate to the user the detection of the collision. Tool data used to detect a collision is actively retrieved from a tool shape library based on a tool selection made by a user. The recalculation of collisions in any intermediate bending steps is based on different tool shapes or bending order modifications. By providing such a feature and displaying such information using a graphical user interface as described herein, the likelihood of a collision is more easily determined and corrected by the bending operator. You.

As described above, the joystick or the mouse device allows the user to selectively activate and control various observation functions (for example, zoom, pan, rotation, etc.) when observing the displayed model of the sheet metal part. Provided at each of the station modules and their locations through the manufacturing facility. The joystick device is a joystick having multiple axes and having selection or control buttons. The joystick is implemented via a variety of commercially available joystick devices, including the Microsoft Sidewinder joystick, and plugs into the game port of the computer at each station module and / or at other locations on the facility. The mouse is also a Windows 9
Executed by any commercially available mouse supporting software, such as Windows 5 or Windows NT, and any commercially available mouse device that plugs into the computer's game port or mouse port at each equipment location. .

By way of non-limiting example, FIGS. 50-55 illustrate various aspects of a system for manipulating three-dimensional geometric shapes and displaying said parts, now using a joystick device or a mouse device. The three-dimensional navigation system of the present invention allows a user to control various observation functions such as rotation, zooming and panning. According to one aspect of the invention, the system also uses a dynamic axis of rotation calculated based on the current zoom image in observing the three-dimensional model. According to this aspect, the center of rotation is dynamically changed and calculated based on the current view and the zoom ratio or factor, so that the zoomed area of the part is such that the part has a higher zoom ratio or factor, for example. When rotated, it does not disappear from the screen.

According to one aspect of the invention, a three-dimensional operation and navigation system is provided for a station module and / or a server module of said facility. The process and operation of the three-dimensional navigation system
It is implemented via software or programmed logic and using one of a wide variety of programming languages and teachings. For example, the system is implemented using a high-level programming language such as C ++ and using object-oriented programming techniques. As a non-limiting example, VISUAL C ++ is used. It is one of the C ++ programming languages provided by Microsoft Corporation for Windows based applications
One version. The observation function (for example, zoom,
Rotation, panning, etc.) are executed as elemental functions of the above-described observation class of the bending model viewer of the present invention (for example, FIG. 2).
7 and related disclosures above). Information about the current zoom factor and the position of the part (eg, the position of the part in three-dimensional space) is also accessed from the bending model viewer to calculate the dynamic rotation axis and provide the desired viewing function. You.

Various hardware components and interfaces are provided to implement the three-dimensional navigation system of the present invention. For example, software used to execute the system is provided or present in the station module and server module computers or personal computers. As discussed above, the computer or personal computer includes a graphics card, such as a high-resolution monitor, and a display screen or terminal for displaying a three-dimensional display of sheet metal parts to a user. The computer or personal computer also includes a mouse or game port adapter for connecting and interfacing with the mouse or joystick device.
Commercially available software is also provided to interpret command signals received by a mouse or game adapter card from a mouse or joystick device operated by a user.

FIGS. 50a and 50b illustrate examples of the rotation function performed by the multi-axis joystick 112 to rotate, for example, a simple three-dimensional box-shaped part. As mentioned above, the joystick is provided and connected to a computer or device provided in the station module and / or server module provided through the facility. As shown in FIGS. 50a and 50b, the rotation of the part is controlled by the joystick 11.
2 is moved back and forth and left and right.
The direction or direction of the rotation axis is the joystick 1
12 (or the mouse). For example, moving the joystick 112 back and forth results in rotating the part clockwise or counterclockwise about a rotation axis defined along the X coordinate axis (see, eg, FIG. 50a). Moving the joystick 112 left and right also causes the part to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise about a rotation axis defined along the Y coordinate axis (see, for example, FIG. 50b).

When the zoom ratio or coefficient of the current drawing is low and the full view of the part is provided on the screen, the rotation axis is defined to pass through the geometric center of the part or the drawing center. As described above, the zoom factor and the observability of the part on the screen are determined based on the observability function provided by the bending model viewer of the present invention. When it is determined that the entire part is to be displayed on the screen (as in FIGS. 50a and 50b), a coordinate geometry technique is used to define an axis of rotation and set the axis of rotation to the geometric center of the part. Is used. The rotation of the part is then performed based on the user defined movement of the joystick device and via the rotating element viewing function of the bending model viewer of the present invention. However, if only part of the object is displayed on the screen and some parts of the part are not visible (e.g., when a high zoom factor or ratio is selected), the axis of rotation will be the geometric center of the part. Or it should not be kept in the core. It does so because during rotation the zoomed part of the part disappears from the screen. In fact, according to the invention,
As the zoom ratio is increased, the axis of rotation is dynamically recalculated and passes through the coordinates of the point closest to the viewing point (or camera view) at the center of the screen. By dynamically recalculating the axis of rotation based on the change in the zoom factor, the part is rotated about an axis that does not cause the observable portion of the part to protrude from the screen during rotation. Is done.

An additional control button is provided on a keypad provided separately or with the joystick or mouse device for zooming and panning of the three-dimensional model. For example, by pressing the zoom button 114 and moving the joystick 112 back and forth, the parts are zoomed in or out at a predetermined ratio as shown in FIG.
As described above, the axis of rotation is recalculated within each zoom window, allowing the user to view the zoomed portion of the part as the rotation is made. Further, panning of the three-dimensional shape is controlled by the user by pressing or activating pan button 116 and moving joystick 112, as shown in FIG. As with the zoom button 114, a pan button 116 is provided on a digital input pad provided separately or with the joystick or mouse device at each of the various locations of the facility.

According to a representative embodiment of the present invention, the various steps and operations provided to perform the three-dimensional navigation and operation are described below with reference to FIGS. As indicated above, the necessary steps and operations of the three-dimensional navigation system are performed via software or a combination of program logic and hardware components and interfaces. Input signals from a device controlled by the user, such as a joystick or mouse device, are interpreted to determine the amount of movement and reorientation of the desired displayed part. According to the present invention, the axis of rotation of the displayed part is dynamically calculated based on the current screen and zoom factor to prevent the zoomed area of the part from disappearing from the screen during rotation. You.

When updating the current screen of the displayed parts, a signal from the user is received based on the operation of the joystick or the mouse device as generally shown in step S301 of FIG. In combination with the movement of the joystick or mouse device in a particular direction and / or the activation of special control buttons by the user, certain observation functions (eg rotation, zoom, pan, etc.)
And cause movement of the displayed part in a predetermined direction (eg, clockwise or counterclockwise, zoom in or zoom out, right or left, etc.), as shown, for example, in FIGS. 50-52. The received signals, whether they are from a joystick or a mouse device, are mapped to cursor movements to determine the amount of on-screen movement desired by the user. If the user is not in one of the viewing function modes (eg, if the user has selected information on the screen or is viewing information in a dialog box or window), the mapping of the received signal Is not required.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the signals received from a conventional joystick or mouse device are based on a different coordinate or reference system than that of screen space, and therefore they have implications for cursor movement on the screen. Must be translated to provide information with Thus, after receiving the input signal from the user, the signal received before the rotation axis calculation and updating the current view of the displayed part is mapped to cursor movement, as shown in step S303.

Different methods and processes are used to translate and map the input signal from the device controlled by the user to the cursor movement in screen space. Traditionally, mouse device movements have been translated and mapped to cursor movements by commercially available software. For example, Windows 95 and Windows NT
Contains software routines for translating mouse movements to cursor movements. Thus, movement of the mouse device is mapped to cursor movement by such commercially available software. However, if the user is provided with a joystick interface, the joystick movement must also be translated and mapped into cursor movement to provide useful information. Various methods and techniques are used to map joystick motion in the joystick virtual space to cursor motion in screen space. For example, the joystick movement signal is first processed and translated into mouse movement before being finally mapped to cursor movement. Alternatively, the joystick signal is mapped directly to cursor movement as a function of the ratio of the size of the screen space to the size of the joystick virtual space.

FIG. 54 illustrates an example of mapping a joystick movement to a cursor movement in screen space according to one aspect of the present invention. As shown above,
The joystick device includes its own virtual coordinate system or space 218. The joystick virtual space 2
Reference numeral 18 includes an origin J1 corresponding to a position where the joystick is located at a center or a neutral position (ie, a position where the joystick does not move). When the joystick moves to a new position (eg, the current position J2 as shown in FIG. 54), the joystick device generates a signal indicating the new or current position of the joystick in virtual space. Since the joystick virtual space 218 is often larger (in terms of pixels) than the screen space 212, the virtual coordinates and movement of the joystick can be adjusted in screen coordinates to determine the desired cursor movement and thus the movement of the part on the screen. Must be translated to

Various methods and steps are used to map and translate the virtual coordinate movements of the joystick to screen coordinate movements. For example, a joystick movement is mapped to a screen cursor movement based on a ratio of the screen space size to the joystick virtual space size. More specifically, when the observation function mode (eg, zoom, rotate, pan, etc.) is activated and the joystick device is operated by the user, the actual movement of the cursor from the previous point C1 to the current point C2 is Is determined by the following equation.

Current point = previous point + (scale coefficient × V) Here, “current point” is the current point C2 of the cursor,
The "previous point" is the previous point C1 of the cursor,
"Scale factor" is the ratio of the screen size to the joystick virtual space size (both in pixels), and "V" is a vector representing the joystick movement and direction from the joystick origin J1 to the joystick current position J2. Thus, to map the joystick movement to a cursor movement, a vector "V" indicating the direction and movement of the joystick from the origin J1 to the current position J2 based on the signal received from the joystick device when the joystick device is operated by the user. Is calculated first. After this vector "V" has been calculated, the joystick movement is
The vector "V" quantity and the "scale factor" quantity in the equation are mapped to cursor motion. That is, the new or current position C2 of the cursor is determined by multiplying the vector "V" by the ratio of the screen size to the joystick space size (i.e., the scale factor) and then comparing the result of this calculation with the previous cursor position C2.
Calculated by adding to 1.

Depending on the scale factor, it is necessary to increase or decrease the scale or rate of movement by a predetermined or user-selected adjustment factor.
In such a case, and depending on user preference, the scale factor is multiplied by an adjustment factor when calculating the current position of the cursor to increase or decrease the scale percentage. For example, if the ratio of screen size to joystick space size gives a scale factor of 1/64, scale to give a more satisfactory relationship between the joystick movement and the movement of the displayed parts on the screen. Is desirably increased. As a non-limiting example, for a scale factor of 1/64, an adjustment factor of 3 is used when zooming or rotating the displayed part. Further, with respect to the scale factor of 1/64, when the displayed part is panned, the adjustment coefficient 6 is used. Of course, the scaling ratio is modified based on the specific needs of the user, the adjustment factor is predetermined or the user can adjust or select an adjustment factor for modifying the scale ratio. Give options. As further shown in the examples discussed above, the adjustment factor may be set to the same amount for each of a plurality of observation functions, or may be individually set to the same or different amounts for each of the observation functions. Is also good.

After the received signal is appropriately mapped and translated, the rotation axis of the part is changed to the value in step S30 in FIG.
5 is calculated dynamically as shown generally in FIG. Depending on the current view of the part, when the part is rotated, for example, at a high zoom ratio or factor, the rotation axis is at the center of the part so that the zoomed area of the part does not disappear from the screen. Or another point. Based on the current zoom diagram,
Various methods and steps are used to dynamically recalculate the axis of rotation of the part. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, FIG. 55 illustrates an exemplary logical flow and procedure of processes and steps performed to calculate the axis of rotation whenever the view of the part is modified by a user.

As shown in FIG. 55, the current zoom coefficient or ratio, the position of the part, and the current figure are determined in steps S311 and S313. The zoom factor and orientation of the display part selected by the user may make the entire part observable on the screen (i.e., a full view) or only a part of the part may be observable on the screen (i.e., a partial view). ). Therefore, the current zoom coefficient and the orientation of the part must be determined in order to properly set the rotation axis of the display part. Various methods and steps are used to determine a current view of the part. As described above, the observability feature comprises the bend model viewer of the present invention, which maintains the current view orientation and zoom ratio whenever there are changes to the displayed image and Update. A function call is made to the bend model viewer to determine which points or portions of the part are currently observable. Whether or not all of the parts are displayed on the screen is determined by comparing the image volume with the boundary baseline size of the parts.

If it is determined in step S315 that the entire view of the part is currently observable on the screen,
In step S317, the rotation axis is set to pass through the center of the part. It is possible to set the rotation axis to pass through the center of the part when the general view exists. This is because the entire displayed part is observable on the screen when rotated by the user. When all parts can be observed on the screen,
The axis of rotation is defined to take the geometric center or figure center of the part. Conventional coordinate geometry techniques are used to define and set the axis of rotation to the geometric center of the part. Further, the direction of the rotation axis may be defined as a vector orthogonal to a vector from the previous cursor position to the current cursor position.

If it is determined in step S315 that only a partial view of the part is currently observable on the screen, when the zoomed part is rotated by the user, a part of the displayed part disappears from the screen. To avoid this, the logic flow continues to steps S319-S325 to calculate the axis of rotation. As described above, when a higher zoom factor is selected by the user and only a portion of the part is displayed on the screen, the axis of rotation must not be set to pass through the geometric center of the part. This is because doing so means that the zoomed part (zoomed up part) of the part displayed during rotation disappears from the screen. In order to prevent the displayed part of the part from disappearing or disappearing from the screen, the axis of rotation must pass through the coordinates of the point at the center of the screen that is closest to the observation point (ie the camera). In such a case, the direction of the rotation axis may be defined as a vector orthogonal to the vector from the previous cursor position to the current cursor position.

Therefore, in step S319, the center of the screen is determined, and the object or the part at the center of the screen closest to the camera is selected. That is, the part of the display part located at the center of the screen and the part of the display part closest to the camera or closest to the observation point of the user on the screen are extracted.
If it is determined in step S321 that an object in the camera is present (for example, that a solid part of the part located at the center of the screen and closest to the camera is present), the rotation axis is determined in step S325. It is set to pass through the extracted point. As described above, the direction of the rotation axis may be defined as a vector orthogonal to the vector from the previous cursor position to the current cursor position.

If it is determined in step S321 that there is no object in the camera (for example, the part is located at the center of the screen and includes a hole or opening closest to the camera), the logical flow continues to step S323 . In step S323, the rotation axis is defined to pass through the center of the screen (eg, the X and Y coordinates of the physical center of the screen) and to be at the Z coordinate (depth) equal to the geometric center of the part. .
Therefore, the rotation axis may be set to pass through the X, Y, and Z coordinates, and the direction of the rotation axis may be defined as a vector orthogonal to the vector from the previous cursor position to the current cursor position.

Referring again to FIG. 53, after the dynamic rotation axis is determined, the selected observation function (for example, zoom, rotation, pan, etc.) is called in step S307. As described above, the various viewing functions of the three-dimensional operating system are defined and implemented as elementary functions of the bending model viewer viewing class (see, for example, FIG. 27 and the related disclosure above). In such a case, a function call is made to the bend model viewer based on the observation function selected by the user, and the current view of the part displayed in step S309 is updated. The current view and orientation of the part is updated based on the observation function selected by the user and the mapping cursor movement received from the input device (mouse or joystick device) operated by the user. A graphics package, such as open GL or renderware, is provided to facilitate updating of the current drawing provided to the user. Figures 53 and 55
The logic flows and processes performed in the exemplary flowcharts are implemented by software and using a wide variety of programming languages and techniques. For example, object oriented programming techniques and C ++ are used to perform the process or operation. Representative code for implementing the three-dimensional operating system of the present invention is provided in Appendix L.
Provided to Exemplary code is written in the C ++ programming language and includes various steps and operations for calculating the dynamic axis of rotation. Comments are provided in the code of Appendix L to facilitate analysis of the logic and algorithms used therein.

Although the three-dimensional operating system has been described with reference to the use of a joystick device and control buttons, the system may be implemented by other specific types of input means, including a mouse or keyboard. 51-52, the boundaries are defined to limit zooming or panning of the object from screen to infinity or vice versa. This is because continuous zooming or panning can cause the system to fail or break down.

In addition, various other functions are performed in connection with the joystick interface. For example, movement in any of the observation functions is not performed unless the joystick is moved beyond a predetermined range or distance from the joystick center position. Requesting such a joystick movement threshold before the movement of the part is allowed is based on inadvertent movement of the displayed part based on inadvertent manipulation or pressing of the joystick from the center point. To prevent the occurrence of
Other features are also provided to improve the joystick interface and system interaction with the user. For example, continuous or incremental (eg, step-by-step) movement in any one of the viewing functions (eg, zoom, rotate, pan, etc.) is provided based on a single operation of the joystick by the user. The choice of continuous or incremental movement is also provided based on the amount or time of joystick movement in a single direction.
If necessary, the scale or rate of movement of the displayed part may be increased based on the degree or time of joystick movement in any direction. The correction of the speed adjustment factor described above is also performed by allowing the user to manually enter a correction to the adjustment factor to increase or decrease the scale ratio.

Various other functions and embodiments are implemented in the present invention to assist in the design and manufacture of parts in a factory. For example, a barcode system is implemented to track and access information about each customer order. A bar code having a predetermined reference or operation number is assigned to each part ordered by the customer. This barcode is used to access the database 30 and read work information. Barcode from Zebra Technology VTI in Sandy, Utah
Barcode readers or scanners, such as anyning barcode SCAN CCD sensors, are provided at each location to allow a user to scan barcodes for a given task at the server module or station module, and to a database 30. Allows access to important design and manufacturing information associated with the part stored and retrieved. The bar code reader is plugged into the computer of each station module and / or server module.
The barcode is formatted according to any conventional barcode format. For example, UPS-
A CODE BARCODE39 EAN / JAN-
8 or PLESSY. The resulting barcode number is then translated based on a look-up table to find the corresponding work reference number and / or file name to read the work information from the database. Alternatively, the work number is typed into or selected from an instruction displayed at any station located throughout the factory, and the work information is read out and displayed at the user's location instantaneously. The ability to instantly retrieve such information is aided by the use of the communication network 26 and the storage of the design and information in a centrally located database such as the database 30.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus and method for scheduling and assigning work is provided in the proposed system. Traditionally, work scheduling and allocation across manufacturing facilities has been performed by shop or factory managers. The plant manager determines the current work conditions as well as the current setup and availability of the machinery. After collecting and analyzing this information,
The shop or factory manager creates a schedule and distributes assignments for work performed at various locations in the factory (eg, in the form of work schedule sheets distributed to the factory floor). Work schedule assignments are made to ensure that each customer's work is completed in a timely manner and by a predetermined shipping date. The traditional process of scheduling and assigning work, however, is laborious and is usually done manually by the plant manager.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a work assignment and scheduling system is provided to assist a shop or factory manager in setting up a work schedule for the factory. The system utilizes the communication network and the bending model information stored in the database 30, and automatically collects necessary information, so that the factory manager can more easily generate the work schedule. This system is
It is executed via software or program logic at the server module or at a station module located throughout the factory. By entering the various tasks to be scheduled, the system software analyzes the design and part information to determine which machine is best suited to perform a given task. For this purpose, the current state and setup of the machine in the factory is defined, stored in the database 30 and accessed by the work scheduling software. Based on various conditions, in the form of a display, it indicates which machines are available to perform a particular task and which machines cannot perform other tasks. In this regard, a table is displayed that ranks machine availability for a particular task and provides a suggested task schedule. The proposed work schedule is executed or modified by the factory manager. The conditions used to set and recommend work schedules include a wide variety of conditions. And it includes the current setup of each machine in the factory, the type of bending and tools required for each operation, and other types of operations that must be performed during the same time frame or time.
Information from the bend model file for each part, including the bend angle, flange length and bend type, is used to determine which machines can perform a particular task. For example, a table stored in database 30 contains important information about the current setup and capabilities of each of the punching and bending machines on the factory floor.

Based on the proposed work schedule,
The plant manager assigns multiple operations to various locations throughout the plant to maximize the production and output capabilities of the plant. The final work schedule or assignment is entered electronically and sent to each of the machines via the communication network 26.

A pilot lamp, such as an LED, is provided at each of the bending and machinery workstations to indicate and confirm that work has been assigned and transferred to that station. The work assignments and schedules are stored in a file of a server module that can be instantly accessed from any location in the factory. In addition to the above functions, other functions are performed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. For example, menu screens are provided and displayed at various station modules or locations to facilitate a user selecting various display and function modes of the present invention. A main menu screen, such as that shown in FIG. 56, is provided to the user when the station module is started. The main menu window display includes an icon image of each of the available window displays and viewing modes provided by the station module. This main menu screen appears whenever a menu button (eg, F1 key) is selected. The user selects the window by moving the highlighted block to the desired window icon and selecting it. Such operations are performed through the use of a keyboard, mouse, or joystick.

Other window screens are also provided and displayed to the user to facilitate entry and display of work information. For example, a part information window is displayed to allow a user to enter or modify part information. An example of the part information window display is given in FIG. This part information window contains all relevant part information (eg part number, material type, dimensions, etc.)
And a two-dimensional plan view and isometric projection view of the sheet metal part. A bend line information window (eg, as shown in FIG. 58) is provided to allow a user to monitor various bend line information, including the bending order and reduction for each bend line. The bend line information window allows the user to enter or modify bend line information for each bend and includes a two-dimensional plan view and isometric projection of sheet metal parts.

An additional window display is provided to facilitate operator bending order analysis. For example, a bend order window display and a bend simulation window display are provided to display the various bend stages of the part and to simulate the orientation of the part during a bending operation. The bend order window as shown in FIG. 59 is selected from the main menu screen and displays to the user the intermediate shape (in a stationary state) of the part at each stage of the bend order. A bend simulation window (see, for example, FIG. 60) is also selected by the user to provide static information on the bend stages (in the form of part icons provided on the right side of the screen) and the positioning and bend movements performed at each stage in the bend sequence. A dynamic simulation (at the center of the display). By intermittently selecting a part icon on the screen, the user can see a dynamic simulation of the orientation of the part during bending at the stage represented by the selected part icon. To dynamically simulate each bending order, the parts are flipped and translated,
Bent / rotated around the bend line.

Each of the window displays of FIGS. 57-60 is selected and displayed to the user from the main menu window display of FIG. Further, the user in any station module selects an appropriate window icon in the main menu window display, and the parts displayed according to the observation mode (for example, two-dimensional plane, wire frame, solid, orthographic view) of the present invention. To obtain a two-dimensional and / or three-dimensional representation of This is shown in FIG.
This has been described in detail above with reference to -31. Various menu windows are also provided, for example, in the station module to facilitate operation of the features and functions of the present invention.
FIG. 61 illustrates a representative menu displayed for two-dimensional to three-dimensional operations. FIG. 62 further illustrates a representative menu structure for a two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention. The invention is not limited to these menu arrangements, however, and other menu screens and / or tool icon bars are provided to facilitate user interaction with the system.

Other characteristics are also implemented in the present invention. For example, high level automation is also provided to facilitate the generation of bending plans. For example, a bending and tooling expert system is provided that generates and proposes tooling setups and bending orders based on the part geometry and shape for each operation. It is described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08 / 386.369 and 08/338.
15 is disclosed.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain representative embodiments, the terms used herein are words of description and description rather than terms of limitation. Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and the various aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and examples, the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein. Rather, the invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, and uses.

[0357]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an advanced sheet metal manufacturing facility constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an advanced sheet metal manufacturing facility constructed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates respective data flows between a server module, a database, and a station module according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of general steps and operations performed by a server module according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a representative flowchart of the basic steps and operations performed by each of the station modules, in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a logic flow of a similar part search algorithm or process according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a logic flow of a similar part search algorithm or process according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 8 (a), (b) and (c) illustrate a feature extraction operation for a four-bend box with contacted corners and a four-bend box with open corners, according to aspects of the present invention. explain.

FIGS. 9 (a), (b), (c) and (d) show a four-bend box with contacted corners and a four-bend box with open corners, according to aspects of the invention. The feature extraction operation will be described.

FIGS. 10 (a), (b) and (c) illustrate a search key for specifying a four-bend box, bridge and other parts having a four-bend box according to another aspect of the present invention. The operation and steps related to the feature will be described.

FIG. 11 shows an example using a folding algorithm.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a logical flow of steps and operations performed to generate a three-dimensional model from a two-dimensional single drawing.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of an automatic trimming function and a cleanup function performed to create a drawing for a surface detection step.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C illustrate examples of an automatic trimming function and a cleanup function performed to create a drawing for a surface detection step.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of an automatic trimming function and a cleanup function performed to create a drawing for a surface detection step.

FIGS. 15 (a), (b), (c) and (d) illustrate various steps and operations performed in a plane detection step according to aspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 16 (a), (b), (c) and (d) illustrate various steps and operations performed in a plane detection step according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates generation of final bending graph data from execution of a surface detecting step and a bending line detecting step according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates generation of final bending graph data from execution of a surface detecting step and a bending line detecting step according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a basic logic flow for generating a two-dimensional model based on an initial three-dimensional drawing (having no thickness) using an unfolding algorithm and other steps in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. .

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a basic logic flow for generating a three-dimensional model based on an initial two-dimensional three-dimensional view using a two-dimensional cleanup operation according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the basic logic flow of steps and operations for performing a two-dimensional cleanup operation on a two-dimensional three-view drawing according to aspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 22 (a) and (b) show a representative two-dimensional 3D machined by the two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention.
The figure and side view of the plan view will be described.

FIG. 23 (a) illustrates features of a rotated view of a two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention. FIG.
(B) illustrates a standard form associated with the two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention, according to aspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 24 (a) and (b) are simplified two-dimensional three-dimensional views with thickness and no thickness generated using a thickness removal process in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 2D 3
A plan view will be described. FIG. 24 (c) is a diagram of a transverse thickness line segment and a thickness arc of a representative part according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart of a logic flow of various steps and operations performed to develop a three-dimensional model without thickness from a three-dimensional drawing with thickness in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary data structure and access algorithm of a bending model used in practicing the present invention, for example, through object-oriented programming techniques.

FIG. 27 illustrates a block diagram of the structure of a bending model viewer according to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary solid diagram window display provided as output to a display screen.

FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary wireframe diagram window provided as output to a display screen.

FIG. 30 illustrates a two-dimensional planar screen image window display provided as output to a display screen.

FIG. 31 illustrates an orthographic screen image provided as output to a display screen.

FIG. 32 illustrates examples of various dimensional items displayed in the automatic sizing mode of the present invention.

FIGS. 33 (a), (b) and (c) illustrate how flange lengths are defined for various different parts according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 34 (a) and (b) illustrate the addition of supplemental flange lengths for two different types of parts, according to another aspect of the invention.

FIGS. 35 (a), (b) and (c) illustrate a manner in which the flange length is indicated for various parts displayed with thickness according to yet another aspect of the invention. I do.

FIGS. 36 (a) and (b) show a mode in which the flange length of a part having an acute bending angle is displayed by the tangent dimension method and the cross dimension method of the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of a logic flow of steps and operations performed to generate a bending plan by use of a graphical user interface, according to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 38 illustrates an example of a bend sequence input screen image displayed to a bend operator to generate a bend sequence.

FIGS. 39 (a) and (b) show examples of selecting a bending order and correcting an insertion direction according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 40 shows a further example of a bending order input screen image and associated screen display.

FIG. 41 shows a further example of a bend order input screen image and associated screen display.

FIG. 42 illustrates drag and drop editing features provided to facilitate operator modification and editing of proposed bend orders, according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 43 illustrates examples of various display menus and data tables that are graphically displayed to assist a bending operator in selecting a tool.

FIG. 44 illustrates an exemplary tool setup window displayed to a bending operator to facilitate tool setup in a proposed bending plan.

FIG. 45 illustrates an example of a 3D solid diagram window display with attached audio and video information through the use of a stuck icon.

FIG. 46 illustrates another example of a display window incorporated with icons for reading stored audio and video information, according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 47 shows an example of an image editing window executed based on the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 48 illustrates an example of the interference check function of the present invention performed via a graphical user interface.

FIG. 49 illustrates an example of an interference check function of the present invention performed via a graphical user interface.

FIGS. 50 (a) and (b) illustrate an operating system of the present invention for operating the rotation and display of a three-dimensional geometric shape using, for example, a joystick.

FIG. 51 illustrates an operating system of the present invention for operating zooming and display of a three-dimensional geometric shape using, for example, a joystick and a zoom button.

FIG. 52 illustrates an operating system of the present invention for operating panning and display of a three-dimensional geometric shape using, for example, a joystick and a pan button.

FIG. 53 is a representative flowchart of the steps and operations performed to implement the three-dimensional navigation and operation system of the present invention.

FIG. 54 illustrates an example of mapping a joystick movement to a cursor movement according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 55 is a representative flow chart of the steps and operations taken to dynamically calculate the axis of rotation of a displayed part.

FIG. 56 shows an example of a main menu window display provided and displayed in, for example, a station module.

FIG. 57 illustrates an exemplary part information window display provided to allow a user to enter and modify part information.

FIG. 58 illustrates an exemplary bend line information window display provided to allow a user to enter and modify bend information.

FIG. 59 shows an exemplary bend sequence window display of the present invention for observing intermediate bend steps of a sheet metal part.

FIG. 60 shows an exemplary bending simulation window display of the present invention for simulating an intermediate bending stage of a sheet metal part.

FIG. 61 is an exemplary menu screen diagram and structure of the present invention provided and displayed to a user for two-dimensional to three-dimensional conversion.

FIG. 62 is an exemplary menu screen diagram and structure for a two-dimensional cleanup operation of the present invention.

FIG. 63 shows an example of a three-dimensional display of a part before a line segment having one open end is removed.

FIG. 64: the one open line segment is removed from the three-dimensional display by the three-dimensional cleanup process of the present invention used in generating a three-dimensional model of the part from the two-dimensional three-dimensional view of the part. Show the parts after

FIG. 65 shows an exemplary three-dimensional representation of a part before a bend line is identified.

FIG. 66 shows a part after a mold line has been added by the three-dimensional cleanup process of the present invention.

FIG. 67 shows a representative portion of a part before cleaning the bend lines and trimming the surface.

FIG. 68 shows a part of the part after the normalization and the trimming are performed by the three-dimensional cleanup process of the present invention.

Claims (110)

[Claims] 1. A system for generating a bend plan using a graphical user interface, wherein the bend plan is configured to be used for manufacturing a part in an installation, the system comprising: including. A bend sequence input system for generating and displaying a bend sequence input window on a display device, the bend sequence input window comprising a two-dimensional planar image of the part; generating tool information on the display device Tool display device for displaying and displaying
The tool information is associated with a plurality of tools; for inputting a bending sequence based on the two-dimensional planar image of the part and selecting a tool based on the tool information displayed on the display device. An input device; a bend sequence storage system for storing the bend sequence input and selected by the input device and a bend plan for the part based on the tool; And generating and displaying a plurality of images of the part on the display device based on the bending sequence input by the computer. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional plane image of the part includes a representation of each bend line of the part, and the input device is configured to display each bend displayed in the two-dimensional plan view of the part. It is configured to input the bending sequence by selecting a line. 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said input device is configured to input a bending sequence based on the order in which each bending line is selected. 4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the input device is configured to enter the bend sequence based on a bend sequence number input by the input device when each of the bend lines is selected. ing. 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a joystick device. 6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a bend sequence number for displaying a bend sequence number for each of the bend lines on the display device based on the bend sequence input by the input device. Including display system. 7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising an insertion direction determining system for determining and displaying insertion direction information for each of the bend lines of the part on the display device. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein each bend line separates the part into two faces, and wherein the insertion direction determining system is configured to determine the insertion direction based on a face of the part having a shorter predetermined dimension. It is configured to determine an insertion direction for each bending line. 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined dimension is a length of said surface orthogonal to said bend line. 10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined dimension is an area of each surface associated with said bend line. 11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the insertion decision information displayed for each bending line comprises an arrow representing the insertion direction for the bending line. 12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of images are displayed by the display system in an order corresponding to the bending order. 13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a drag-and-drop editing system for modifying said bending order based on a modification of a displayed order of said plurality of images on said display device. . 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the drag-and-drop editing system is adapted to be configured such that when one of the plurality of images is selected by the input device and moved to a different position in the displayed sequence. It is configured to modify the displayed sequence. 15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the bend order display system is configured to regenerate and display the representations of the plurality of images and the parts based on the modified bend order. I have. 16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the displayed tool information includes a plurality of tool icons displayed on the display device, each of the plurality of tool icons representing a predetermined tool. . 17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the displayed tool information includes a table of tool data displayed on the display device, and the input in the table of tool data is a predetermined tool. Related. 18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tool information is displayed by the tool display system through a series of continuously displayed screen displays, and at least one of the continuously displayed screen displays. Is
It is displayed based on the previous selection by the input device. 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the tool information includes at least one of tool type data, tool shape data, or tool dimension data. 20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the tool type data is associated with at least one of a punch or a die or a die holder or a die rail. 21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the tool display system is configured to display a first screen display including a plurality of tool type icons on the display device, each of the tool type icons. Represents one tool type. 22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the tool type is associated with at least one of a punch or a die or a die holder or a die rail. 23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the tool display system is configured to display a second screen display on the display device in response to a selection of one of the tool type icons, The second screen display includes a plurality of tool shape icons, each of the plurality of tool shape icons associated with a tool type icon selected by the input device. 24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the tool display system is configured to display a table of tool dimension data on the display device in response to selection of one of the tool shape icons, The tool dimension data is associated with a plurality of tools, each of the plurality of tools being associated with the tool shape selected by the input device. 25. The system according to claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the tool is selected and input by the input device based on a selection of data from a table of the tool dimension data. 26. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tool information comprises tool assembly information relating to a tool position on a bending machine for each tool used in the bending plan. Is configured to generate and display a tool assembly window for inputting the tool assembly information by the input device on the display device. 27. The system according to claim 11, wherein a two-dimensional planar image of the part and a plurality of images of the part are simultaneously displayed on the display device. 28. A method for generating a bend plan using a graphical user interface, wherein the bend plan is configured to be used in the manufacture of a part in a facility, the method comprising the steps of: . Generating and displaying a bend sequence input window on a display device, wherein the bend sequence input window comprises a two-dimensional planar image of the part. Inputting a bending order based on a two-dimensional planar image of the part using an input device; Generating and displaying tool information on the display device. The tool information is associated with a plurality of tools. Selecting a tool by the input device based on tool information displayed on the display device. Storing a bending plan for the part in a storage device based on the input bending order and the selected tool. The method further includes generating and displaying a plurality of images of the part on the display device based on the input bending order, wherein the plurality of images of the part are displayed at each stage of the bending order. Related to the expression. 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the two-dimensional plane image of the part includes a representation of each bend line of the part, and the bending order is displayed on the two-dimensional plane image of the part. Input by selecting each bend line. 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the bending order is entered based on the order in which the respective bending lines are selected. 31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the bend order is entered based on a bend order number entered by the input device when each of the bend lines is selected. 32. The method according to claim 28, wherein said input device comprises a joystick device. 33. The method according to claim 28, further comprising displaying a bend sequence number on the display device for the bend line based on the bend sequence input by the input device. 34. The method according to claim 29, further comprising determining and displaying, on the display device, insertion direction information for each of the bend lines of the part. 35. The method according to claim 34, wherein each of the bend lines divides the part into two surfaces, and the insertion direction information for each of the bend lines is reduced to a surface of the part having a predetermined smaller dimension. It is determined based on. 36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the predetermined dimension is a length of the surface orthogonal to the bending line. 37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the predetermined dimension is an area of each surface associated with the bend line. 38. The method according to claim 35, wherein the insertion decision information for each bend line has an arrow associated with the insertion direction for the bend line. 39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the plurality of images of the part are displayed in an order corresponding to the bending order. 40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising: a drag-and-drop editing operation for making the bending order change based on the displayed order change of the plurality of images on the display device. including. 41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the step of modifying the displayed order by moving at least one of the plurality of images to a different position in the displayed order. Including. 42. The method according to claim 40, further comprising regenerating and displaying a representation of each of said plurality of images and said part based on said modified bending order. 43. The method according to claim 28, wherein the displayed tool information includes a plurality of tool icons displayed on the display device, each of the tool icons representing a predetermined tool. 44. The method according to claim 28, wherein the displayed tool information includes a table of tool data displayed on the display device, wherein the entry in the table of tool data relates to a predetermined tool. . 45. The method according to claim 28, wherein the tool information is displayed via a series of continuously displayed screen displays, wherein at least one of the continuously displayed screen displays is the input device. Is displayed based on the previous selection by. 46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the tool information includes at least one of tool type data, tool shape data, or tool dimension data. 47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the tool type data is associated with at least one of a punch or die or die holder or die rail. 48. The method according to claim 45, further comprising displaying on the display a first screen display comprising a plurality of tool type icons, each of the tool type icons indicating a tool type. Represent. 49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the tool type is associated with at least one of a punch or a die or a die holder or a die rail. 50. The method according to claim 48, further comprising selecting one of the tool type icons with the input device and displaying a second one on the display device in response to the selection of one of the tool type icons. Displaying a screen display, wherein the second screen display includes a plurality of tool shape icons, each of the tool shape icons associated with a tool type icon selected by the input device. 51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising selecting one of the tool shape icons with the input device and displaying tool dimension data on the display device in response to the selection of one of the tool shape icons. Wherein the tool dimension data is associated with a plurality of tools, each of the plurality of tools being associated with a tool shape icon selected by the input device. 52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising selecting data from the table of tool dimension data to select and enter at least a portion of the tooling of the bending plan. 53. The method according to claim 28, wherein the tooling information includes tooling information relating to a tool position in a bending machine for each tool used in the bending plan, the method further comprising: Generating and displaying a tooling window on the display device; and selecting and entering the tooling information with the input device based on the tooling window. 54. The method according to claim 28, wherein a two-dimensional planar image of the part and a plurality of images of the part are simultaneously displayed on the display device. 55. A system for generating a bending sequence by using a graphical user interface, wherein the bending sequence is designed to be used for manufacturing a part in an installation, the system comprising: including. A bend sequence input system for generating and displaying a bend sequence input window on a display device, the bend sequence input window having a two-dimensional planar image of the part; based on the two-dimensional planar image of the part. An input device for inputting a bend sequence; wherein the bend sequence display system is further configured to generate and display a plurality of images of the part based on the bend sequence input by the input device. , Each of the plurality of images of the part corresponds to a representation of the part at a stage in the bending sequence. 56. The method according to claim 55, further comprising a bending order storage system for storing a bending order of the part based on the bending order input by the input device. 57. The system according to claim 55, wherein the two-dimensional plane image of the part includes a representation of each bend line of the part and selects the bend line displayed in the two-dimensional plane image of the part. Thus, the input is performed by the input device. 58. The system according to claim 57, wherein the input device is configured to input a bending sequence based on the order in which each bending line is selected. 59. The system according to claim 57, wherein the input device is configured to enter the bend sequence based on a bend sequence number input by the input device when each of the bend lines is selected. ing. 60. The system according to claim 55, wherein said input device comprises a joystick device. 61. The system according to claim 57, further comprising a bend sequence number for displaying on the display a bend sequence number for each of the bend lines based on the bend sequence input by the input device. Including display system. 62. The system according to claim 57, further comprising an insertion direction determining system for determining and displaying insertion direction information for each of the bend lines of the part on the display device. 63. The method according to claim 62, wherein each of the bend lines divides the part into two surfaces, and wherein the insertion direction determining system determines a position for each of the bend lines based on the surface having smaller dimensions. Determine the insertion direction information. 64. The method according to claim 62, wherein the displayed insertion decision information for each bend line includes an arrow associated with an insertion direction for the bend line. 65. The method according to claim 55, wherein the plurality of images of the part are displayed in an order according to the bending order. 66. The system according to claim 65, further comprising a drag and drop editing system for modifying said bend order based on a modification of a displayed order of said plurality of images on said display device. . 67. The system according to claim 66, wherein the drag-and-drop editing system displays the image when one of the plurality of images is selected by the input device and moved to a different position in the displayed order. Means for correcting the order in which they were performed. 68. The method according to claim 66, wherein the bend order display system includes means for regenerating and displaying a representation of each of the plurality of images and the part based on the modified bend order. 69. The system according to claim 55, wherein a two-dimensional planar image of the part and a plurality of images of the part are simultaneously displayed on the display device. 70. A method for generating a bend sequence by using a graphical user interface, wherein the bend sequence is configured to be used in manufacturing a part in an installation, the method comprising the steps of: . Generating and displaying a bending order input window on a display device. The bending order input window has a two-dimensional planar image of the part. Inputting a bending order using an input device based on the two-dimensional planar image of the part. Generating and displaying a plurality of images of the part based on the bending order input by the input device, wherein each of the plurality of images of the part is associated with a representation of the part at some stage in the bending order; . 71. The method according to claim 70, further comprising storing a bending order of the part in a database based on the bending order input by the input device. 72. The method according to claim 70, wherein the plurality of images of the part are displayed sequentially according to a bending order. 73. The method according to claim 72, further comprising a drag and drop edit for modifying the bend order based on modifying the displayed order of the plurality of images by the input device. 74. The method according to claim 73, wherein the drag-and-drop editing moves the displayed order by moving at least one of the plurality of images to a different position in the displayed order. Including modifying. 75. The method according to claim 73, further comprising regenerating and displaying each representation of said plurality of images and said parts based on said modified bending order. 76. The method according to claim 70, wherein the two-dimensional plane image of the part includes a representation of each bend line of the part, and the method further includes displaying each bend line in the two-dimensional plane image of the part. And inputting the bend order by the input device by selecting. 77. The method according to claim 76, wherein the bending order is input by the input device based on an order in which the bending lines are selected. 78. The method according to claim 76, wherein the bend order is input by the input device based on a bend order number input by the input device when each of the bend lines is selected. 79. The method according to claim 70, wherein the input device comprises a joystick device. 80. The method according to claim 76, further comprising displaying a bend order number for each of the bend lines on the display device based on the bend order input by the input device. 81. The method according to claim 76, further comprising determining and displaying insertion direction information for each of the bend lines of the part on the display device. 82. The method according to claim 81, wherein the bend line divides the part into two faces, and wherein the insertion direction information for each bend line is based on a face of the part having a smaller predetermined dimension. Is determined. 83. The method according to claim 81, wherein the displayed insertion decision information for each bend line includes an arrow associated with an insertion direction for the bend line. 84. The method according to claim 70, wherein a two-dimensional planar image of the part and a plurality of images of the part are simultaneously displayed on the display device. 85. A system for generating a tool for a part using a graphical user interface, wherein the tool is adapted to be used in manufacturing the part in an installation. The system includes: A tool display system for generating and displaying tool information on the display device, wherein the tool information is displayed by a series of screen displays sequentially displayed; tool information displayed on the display device An input device for selecting a tool based on the tool;
Configured to display a first screen display having a plurality of tool type icons on the display device;
Each of the tool type icons represents a tool type, and the tool display system is further designed to display a second screen display on the display in response to selection of one of the tool type icons. And the second screen display has a plurality of tool shape icons. 86. The system according to claim 85, wherein at least one of said continuously displayed screen displays is displayed based on a previous selection by said input device. 87. The method according to claim 85, wherein the displayed tooling information is associated with a plurality of tools. 88. The system according to claim 85, wherein the displayed tool information includes a plurality of tool icons displayed on the display device, each of the plurality of tool icons representing a predetermined tool. . 89. The system according to claim 85, wherein the displayed tool information includes a table of tool data displayed on the display device, and the input in the table of the tool data is a predetermined tool. Related. 90. The system according to claim 89, wherein the tool information includes at least one of tool type data, tool shape data, or tool dimension data. 91. The system according to claim 90, wherein the tool type data is associated with at least one of a punch or die or die holder or die rail. 92. The system according to claim 85, wherein the tool type is associated with at least one of a punch or die or die holder or die rail. 93. The system according to claim 85, wherein each of said tool shape icons is associated with a tool type icon selected by said input device. 94. The system according to claim 93, wherein said tool display system is configured to display a table of tool dimension data on said display in response to selection of one of said tool shape icons, The tool dimension data is associated with a plurality of tools, each of the plurality of tools being associated with the tool shape selected by the input device. 95. The system according to claim 94, wherein at least a portion of said tool stand is configured to be selected and input by said input device based on a selection of data from a table of said tool dimension data. I have. 96. The system according to claim 85, wherein the tool information comprises, for each tool to be used in the bending plan, tooling information relating to a tool position in a bending machine, wherein the tool indication is provided. The system includes means for generating and displaying a tooling window on the display device and inputting the mounting information using the input device. 97. The system according to claim 85, wherein said input device comprises a joystick device, said joystick device being controlled by an operator. 98. A method for generating a tooling for a part using a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
The tool stand is configured to be used in the manufacture of the part in an installation, and the method includes the following steps. Generating and displaying tool stand information on a display device, said tool information being provided in a series of continuously displayed screen displays. Selecting a tooling using an input device based on tooling information displayed on the display device. The method further includes: Displaying a first screen display having a plurality of tool type icons on the display device, wherein each of the tool type icons is associated with a tool type; Selecting one of the tool type icons with the input device; and displaying a second screen display on the display device in response to the selection of one of the tool type icons;
The second screen display has a plurality of tool shape icons. 99. The method according to claim 98, further comprising displaying at least one of said continuously displayed screen displays based in part on a previous selection made by said input device. . 100. The method according to claim 98, wherein the displayed tooling information is associated with a plurality of tools. 101. The method according to claim 98, wherein said displayed tool information includes a plurality of tool icons displayed on said display device, each of said tool icons corresponding to a predetermined tool. 102. The method according to claim 98, wherein the displayed tool stand information includes a table of tool data displayed on the display device, wherein the input of the tool data in the table is a predetermined tool. is connected with. 103. The method according to claim 98, wherein the tool information includes at least one of tool type data, tool shape data, or tool dimension data. 104. The method according to claim 103, wherein the tool type data is associated with at least one of a punch or die or punch holder or die rail. 105. The method according to claim 98, wherein said tool type is associated with at least one of a punch or a die or a die holder or a die rail. 106. The method according to claim 98, wherein each of said tool shape icons is associated with a tool type icon selected by said input device. 107. The method according to claim 106, further comprising: inputting one of said tool shape icons by said input device.
Selecting one of the tool shape icons and displaying a table of tool dimension data on the display in response to selection of one of the tool shape icons, wherein the tool dimension data is associated with a plurality of tools, each of the tools being Associated with the tool shape icon selected by the input device. 108. The method according to claim 107, further comprising selecting data from said table of tool dimension data and selecting and entering at least a portion of said tooling of said bending plan. 109. The method according to claim 98, wherein the tooling information relates to a tool position in the bending machine for each tool used in the bending plan, the method further comprising the display device. Generating and displaying a tooling window above, and selecting and entering the tool mounting information using the input device based on the tooling window. 110. The method according to claim 98, wherein said input device comprises a joystick device, said joystick device being controlled by an operator.