Patent ID: 6895298

Claim:
A tool for automatically milling a part, the tool comprising: a controllable end effecter with a chuck to accept a cutter having a second radius, different from a first radius, and having a gauge length, the cutter having been manufactured to have the first radius different from the second radius, the end effecter being configured to mill a part; and a central processing unit electrically coupled to the end effecter such that the central processing unit is configured to control the end effecter; and an addressable memory, the memory configured for storing computer software program code at a first addressable site within the addressable memory readably accessible to the central processing unit, the addressable memory-including: the second radius and the gauge length stored at a second addressable site within the addressable memory in association with the cutter; a first software component configured to select the cutter inserted in the chuck based upon the second radius of the cutter; a second software component configured to select a part for production, a numeric model of the part being stored at a third addressable site within the addressable memory in association with the part; and a third software component configured to initiate an executable program for execution on an automated tool, the third software component being stored at a fourth addressable site within the addressable memory, the third software component being further configured to generate an executable instruction set based upon the selected cutter, the second radius, and the gauge length and the selected part and associated numeric model, the third software component storing the executable instruction set at the first addressable memory site within the addressable memory.