William Derigent

3D Digitizing Strategy Planning Approach Based on a CAD Model

The objective of this paper is to describe a new method to determine the three-dimensional (3D) digitizing strategy for a computer aided design (CAD) known mechanical part by using a plane laser sensor. The Research Centre for Automatic control in Nancy, France has initiated a project to create an automatic 3D digitizing system. Previous papers focused on the visibility determinations using spherical geometry in a three axis environment. Here, the latest developments are presented. They enable one to improve this approach by taking into account a five axis environment. Using a new approach based on the Minkovsky operations to calculate the visibility of the different face of the B-Rep model of the part, the minimum set of directions required to entirely digitize the part is computed.

Enhanced B-Rep Graph-based Feature Sequences Recognition using Manufacturing Constraints

In this paper we propose and investigate the possibilities offered by a new approach to find milling sequences and chains to optimize the machining time. Optimized milling sequences helps the process planner in understanding and setting the optimal strategy to reduce the part’s machining time. Most previous chaining approaches concerned 2.5D pocket recognition for automotive mechanical parts. We present a new approach adapted to complex parts with a multitude of 5-axes orientation, focusing on our restrictive chaining algorithm based on the previously extracted machining directions. In a latter phase, the output sequences are filtered whereas we account the manufacturing fixture and machine-tool constraints.

A new approach of the visibility calculation of an object

Currently, algorithms of mechanical part visibility determination are slow, because the part surface is cut into numerous elementary surfaces. In this article, we propose to take into account the visibility properties of convex and concave surface patches, in order to treat the object in a global way. This new method is studied on 2D curves; 3D extension is considered.