Witold Janik

The New Approach to Design Features Identification

In this paper a new solution for design features identification is show. The proposed method is based on manual arbitral identification of the potential design features. Application of this method allows identifying a set of design features which can be used for a design modelling in CAD system. As a result of application of the proposed method a user is able to identify the set of design features. This set can be next applied in the process of design production preparation subsystem formation at the stage of design feature library creation.

The Concrete Casting Matrixes Inserts Design Preparation Based on the Master Models

Currently industrial needs exceed traditional design approach solutions. To satisfy that need designer have to deal with mutually exclusive restrictions. The solution to this problemis to maintain these restrictions with proper methodthat guarantees right result. The concrete casting matrixes are not only transits beauty and art but they have also important technical sense in final product. The master model represents the final product a concrete sidewalk brick which have specified form of the top surface. This special structure of the top surface helps drain water off the brick in order to maintain proper griping properties of it after it rains. As soon as the master model wasscannedit was necessary to change outer border line of 3D model because themaster model appeared to be a little bit bigger than the original one. Finally the 3D model it is the outer border line and its geometry were modified in order to keep the original model functionality. All modifications were done with application of reverse engineering and CAD/CAM software.

Case Study of Manufacturing Information Acquisition System (MIAS) in Automated Continuous Production System

Real-time information feed describing the state of production system is the key to successful management of any company, because up-to-date information is necessary basis for decision making in company operating on globalised market. Data describing the state of the production system should be collected in the manufacturing system, pre-processed, interpreted, filtered, archived and finally, either used in IT systems supporting company management (MES, ERP), or directly presented to crew and managers responsible for specific areas of interest. Possibility of data acquisition in companies strongly depends on specific of branch of industry, technological processes automation level, number of operations performed manually, type of production, etc. Acquisition of data on state of the production system should be carried-on automatically, without involvement of workers. This paper presents overall description of issues of data acquisition in company, proposed Manufacturing Information Acquisition System (MIAS) and the case study of data acquisition in company leading continuous, automated production processes Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Gliwice, Poland.

The Practical Approach to Freeform Shape Elements Reverse Engineering

Element geometry can be restored with basic measurement techniques. However if the element geometry is too complex (free form surfaces), it is not possible to take all measurements in that way. Example presented in the paper is a drop forged element (car suspension link). In situation when spare element is out of reach (product withdraw from market, producer technological process tooling redesign), the element can be reproduced (singularly or in series, what depends on producer). Reconstructed element is slightly different from a master element (impossible existence of reliably identically designed and manufactured parts), because of measurement uncertainty. Another problem is that original element is usually worn out or during disassembly process can be damaged, so it has different geometry,(when worn out is not fitting to tolerances) than newly manufactured one. The practical approach for reverse engineering is based on: measurement uncertainty extrapolation, 3D part scanning, transformation of point cloud to solid model, composition examination of an alloy. The method is a complex solution that brings: geometrical description and material assignment and heat treatment. Important part of the method is typical measurement techniques. In cases when tolerances have to be preserved, additional tolerance assignment is needed according to linkage between redesigned part of element and parts of other elements in assembly. The insurance of measurement was checked according to typical tolerance of the drop forged element. The retrieved 3D model was compared with virtual mass to real master element mass. The technological tooling reconstructed prototype and element reconstructed prototype have been made. Finally the alloy material is assigned according to measurement result analysis (electron spectroscopy EDS). Proposed example shows many important clues that can be used in order to provide properly redesigned element.

An automation of design and modelling tasks in NX Siemens environment with original software - generator module

Nowadays the design constructional process is almost exclusively aided with CAD/CAE/CAM systems. It is evaluated that nearly 80% of design activities have a routine nature. These design routine tasks are highly susceptible to automation. Design automation is usually made with API tools which allow building original software responsible for adding different engineering activities. In this paper the original software worked out in order to automate engineering tasks at the stage of a product geometrical shape design is presented. The elaborated software works exclusively in NX Siemens CAD/CAM/CAE environment and was prepared in Microsoft Visual Studio with application of the .NET technology and NX SNAP library. The software functionality allows designing and modelling of spur and helicoidal involute gears. Moreover, it is possible to estimate relative manufacturing costs. With the Generator module it is possible to design and model both standard and non-standard gear wheels. The main advantage of the model generated in such a way is its better representation of an involute curve in comparison to those which are drawn in specialized standard CAD systems tools. It comes from fact that usually in CAD systems an involute curve is drawn by 3 points that respond to points located on the addendum circle, the reference diameter of a gear and the base circle respectively. In the Generator module the involute curve is drawn by 11 involute points which are located on and upper the base and the addendum circles therefore 3D gear wheels models are highly accurate. Application of the Generator module makes the modelling process very rapid so that the gear wheel modelling time is reduced to several seconds. During the conducted research the analysis of differences between standard 3 points and 11 points involutes was made. The results and conclusions drawn upon analysis are shown in details.

The laboratory station for tyres grip testing on different surfaces

The paper presents the conception of the device for tyre grip testing in the laboratory conditions. The main purpose is to provide a device working in confined spaces, which enables rapid changes of the tested samples of the road surfaces. Among the key assumptions the minimization of the device dimensions and the relative ease of transportation and mobility - the ability to quick assemble and disassemble were also assumed. The main components of the projected workstation includes: the replaceable platform for mounting samples of a road surface, the roller conveyor, the drive of the platform, the wheel mounting assembly and the axial force measuring system. At the design the station a morphological structure method has been used, particular elements have been optimized individually.

Semi-Automated Data Acquisition for Management of the Company in Non-Automated Production System – Case Study

This paper presents case study of data acquisition in non-automated discrete production system. The issue of acquisition of data from the production system in order to support company management is essential for the integration of business and manufacturing areas of the company. Properly organized data acquisition system, consisting of hardware, software and organizational solutions, should provide access to real-time data on production tasks, flow of materials and work in progress, usage and effectiveness of workers and equipment, and the quality of production. Availability of data depends on type of production system, more precisely on the level of automation of technological processes. The Manufacturing Information Acquisition System (MIAS) methodology has been used in order to support design of the data acquisition system for the company producing large tanks, in which there is no automated equipment and most of production operations are realised manually. The algorithm of acquiring data from workers, organisational solutions and data processing in developed “Mistrz” IT system has been described, as well as problems with MIAS encountered during system operation in early stages of introduction.

The Experimental Cutting Parameters Fitting in Turning Technological Operations for Selected Polyamide Materials

The existing manufacturing technology of small mechanisms elements (gears, gear racks, displacers, bushings, precise mechanical parts, implants) is based on standard material removal techniques (turning, milling etc.). The problem is a variety of a polyamide materials chemical composition. Each additive has a significant influence to the material machinability in technological process. In a result it changes also resistance for melting of material in heat influence area. The method is based on automatically adaptation of parameters with author GRIP NC software and repeatable check of outer layer surface quality in various conditions and cutting strategies. Siemens NX Manufacturing module was used as a tool for operation simulation, parameters correction and G-code post processing tool. Fast G-code Generations gives possibility not only of parameters correction (that can be easily made in G-code itself) but also to optimize trajectory. Iterative comparison of surface roughness and chip flow monitoring were the main criteria that decided of cutting speed modification. On the output of the proposed method the proper cutting parameters table was prepared as well as a set of manufacturing recommendations. The case study is oriented to three polyamide modified materials: ERTHALON 6 PLA PA 6G, ERTALON LFX PA 6G (oil additive) NYLATRON GSM IPA 6 (MoS2 additive). Each material has a different set of fitted cutting parameters. Achieved results could be the guidance and provide proper outer surface roughness for (rough and finish) cutting operations like: axial and radial turning, threading and cutting.