Patent Publication Number: US-2012046773-A1

Title: Mold design system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to computerized mold design systems and methods, and particularly to a mold design system and method for controlling operations of different phases of mold design. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many mold design processes may include the following phases: designing electrodes, generating computerized numerical control (CNN) manufacture programs, emulating a procedure, and testing the procedure. However, nowadays, the phases described above usually are independently executed and finished by multiple systems, data among which may be inconvenient to share because of compatibility problems. Therefore, some steps may have to be repeated in the different systems, which is inefficient. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the mold design system and method can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the mold design system and method. 
         FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a mold design system, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  shows a flowchart of a mold design unit of the mold design system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a flowchart of a mold design process of the mold design system in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a mold design system  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The mold design system  100  includes a mold design unit  10 , a storage unit  20  and a processor  30 . The mold design unit  10  comprises one or more software programs stored in the storage unit  20  and can be executed by the processor  30  to design a mold. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the mold design unit  10  includes an electrode design module  11 , a central control module  12 , a drawing management module  13 , a machining program generating module  14 , a simulating module  15 , a testing module  16 , and a display module  17 . The electrode is a discharge portion of the mold. The electrode design module  11 , the drawing management module  13 , the machining program generating module  14 , the simulating module  15 , the testing module  16 , and the display module  17  are connected to the central control module  12 . In general, the word “module”, as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or Assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as EPROM. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other storage device. 
     The electrode design module  11  generates a drawing of the designed mold based on electrode structure parameters. The electrode design module  11  is also used to design an electrode for discharge portions of the mold to be designed, and in the drawing color codes the electrode to distinguish the discharge m other portions. Then, the electrode module  11  outputs the drawing of the mold to be designed portion fro and uploads the drawing to the central control module  12 . The electrode structure parameters such as shape and dimensions can be defined or preset by users. 
     The central control module  20  stores the drawing and generates a computerized numerical control (CNC) task, a simulating task and a testing task according to the drawing. The CNC task is to generate a machine program for the mode. In this exemplary embodiment, the machine program may include generating machining paths, modifying the machining paths, optimizing machining paths, and outputting machining program code for users. 
     The simulating task is to simulate the machine process for the mold. In this exemplary embodiment, the simulating task may include setting simulating parameters, such as simulating time, simulating the machining paths and outputting simulating results. 
     The testing task is to generate testing routes for the mold and to execute collision tests of the testing routes. In this exemplary embodiment, the testing task may includes importing a plurality of sampling points, generating testing routs based on the sampling points, executing collision tests according to the testing routs and outputting testing results. 
     The drawing management module  13  obtains the drawing from the central control module  12 . The drawing management module  13  analyzes structure parameters of the electrode, thereby sampling data of points of the electrode which need to be machined. In addition, the drawing management module  13  can output the drawing in different formats such as a 2D drawing or a 3D drawing. 
     The program generating module  14  obtains the CNC task from the central control module  12 , obtains the structure parameters and color character of the electrode from the electrode design module  11 , and obtains the data of sampled points of the electrode from the drawing management module  13 . Moreover, machining means and cutting tool types, which can be used to machine the mold, are pre-stored in the program generating module  14 . The program generating module  14  generates a machine program for the mold based on the data described above. 
     The simulating module  15  obtains the simulating task from the central control module  12  and simulates a machine process for the mold. In addition, the simulating module  15  stores the simulating result, and uploads the simulating result to the central control module  12 . 
     The testing module  16  obtains the testing task from the central control module  12 , and imports the sampling data of points of the electrode from the drawing management module  13 . The testing module  16  generates testing routes based on the sampling data, and executes collision tests of the testing routes. The testing module  16  also can output testing program codes for users. 
     The display module  17  displays working processes of the electrode design module  11 , the drawing management module  31 , the machining program generating module  41 , the simulating module  51 , and the testing module  61 , and also can be used to check executing state of the CNC task, the simulating task and the testing task. If the CNC task, the simulating task or the testing task is abnormally executed, it can be returned to the central control module  21  and executed again by the corresponding module. If the CNC task, the simulating task and the testing task are abnormally executed, the mold can be machined. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a mold design process of the mole design system  100  may include following steps: 
     In step S 1 , the electrode design module  11  generates a drawing of a designed mold based on electrode structure parameters. The electrode design module  11  also designs an electrode for discharge portions of the mold to be designed, and in the drawing color codes the electrode to distinguish the discharge portion from other portions. After that the process goes to step S 2 . 
     In step S 2 , the central control module  20  stores the drawing and generates a CNC task, a simulating task and a testing task according to the drawing and the process goes to step S 3 . 
     In step S 3 , the drawing management module  13  analyzes structure parameters of the electrode, thereby sampling data of points of the electrode which need to be machined. The process goes to steps S 4 , S 5 , S 6  or S 7 . In addition, steps S 4 , S 5 , S 6  and S 7  may be simultaneously executed after step S 3 . 
     In step S 4 , the program generating module  14  obtains the CNC task from the central control module  12 , obtains the structure parameters and color character of the electrode from the electrode design module  11 , and obtains the data of sampled points of the electrode from the drawing management module  13 . The program generating module  14  generates a machine program for the mold based on the data described above. 
     In step S 5 , the simulating module  15  obtains the simulating task from the central control module  12  and simulates the machine process for the mold. 
     In step S 6 , the testing module  16  obtains the testing task from the central control module  12 , and imports the sampling data of points of the electrode from the drawing management module  13 . The testing module  16  generates testing routes based on the sampling data, and executes collision tests of the testing routes. 
     In step S 7 , the display module  17  displays working processes of the electrode design module  11 , the drawing management module  31 , the machining program generating module  41 , the simulating module  51 , and the testing module  61 . 
     The mold design system  100  assigns the CNC task, the simulating task and the testing task respectively to the machining program generating module  14 , the simulating module  15 , and the testing module  16 . Therefore, relative design data can be shared in the mold design system  100 , and the design efficiency can be improved. 
     It is believed that the exemplary embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.