Patent ID: 8005567
Filing Date: 2011-08-23
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of generating control data for a numerically-controlled (NC) machine tool, the method comprising the steps of: providing a predefined set of rules for performing predetermined machine tool operations, and deriving computer instructions for controlling the NC machine tool from said set of rules; providing a computer model representing a component to be created by the machine tool, the computer model including a database of geometric features of the component; automatically identifying, from the computer model, geometric features of the component, and automatically identifying one or more of the predetermined machine tool operations for creating the identified features in the component; and generating, using the set of rules associated with, the identified predetermined machine tool operations, NC control data in the form of a set of computer instructions for creating the component represented in the computer model, said generating step comprising devising a machine tool operation and toolpath strategy for creating the component, said method steps implemented on a computer system.