Patent application EP17174868A (EP), filed 2017-06-07
Publication number: EP3258402A2
Title: CASTING MACHINE STOCK VERIFICATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS
Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for designing casting and finished component models used to fabricate corresponding casting hardware for a casted component and mechanical components fabricated therefrom. One exemplary method involves identifying a first subset of machined casting surfaces in a casting model of the casted component, identifying a second subset of machined feature surfaces in a finished model of the mechanical component, determining respective machine stock values associated the machined feature surfaces based on distances between the respective machined feature surfaces and the machined casting surfaces, and providing graphical indicia of the respective machine stock values that are influenced by the relationship between the respective machine stock values and a machine stock threshold.
IPC codes: G06F  17/    50            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method of designing casting hardware for fabricating a casted component for a mechanical component, the method comprising:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of machined casting surfaces comprises:
number: 3
text: The method of claim 2, wherein the filtering comprises:
number: 4
text: The method of claim 1, wherein determining respective machine stock values associated with each machined feature surface comprises:
number: 5
text: The method of claim 4, wherein determining respective machine stock values associated with each machined feature surface comprises:
number: 6
text: The method of claim 1, wherein providing the graphical indicia comprises rendering one or more of the machined feature surfaces of the second subset using a visually distinguishable characteristic influenced by a relationship between the respective machine stock values associated with the one or more of the machined feature surfaces and the machine stock threshold.
number: 7
text: The method of claim 1, wherein providing the graphical indicia comprises generating a user notification when a respective machine stock value associated with one or more of the machined feature surfaces is less than the machine stock threshold.
number: 8
text: The method of claim 1, wherein providing the graphical indicia comprises:
number: 9
text: The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the processing system, the casting model to a casting system, wherein the casting system fabricates the casting hardware for the casted component based on the casting model.
number: 10
text: The method of claim 9, further comprising providing, by the processing system, the finished model to a machining system, wherein the machining system fabricates the mechanical component from the casted component based on the finished model.
number: 11
text: A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processing system of a computing device to perform the method of claim 1.
number: 12
text: A system comprising:
number: 13
text: The system of claim 12, further comprising a user input device coupled to the processing system, wherein the processing system provides a graphical user interface element on the display device to obtain the machine stock threshold via the user input device.
number: 14
text: The system of claim 12, further comprising a casting system coupled to the processing system to receive the casting model and fabricate casting hardware for the casted component based on the casting model.
number: 15
text: The system of claim 14, further comprising a machining system coupled to the processing system to receive the finished model and fabricate the mechanical component from the casted component.
number: 16
text: The system of claim 12, further comprising a machining system coupled to the processing system to receive the finished model and fabricate the mechanical component from the casted component.
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-12-20
Rejection reasons: inventive_step_epc_56
Prior art cited: ref_id: - ANDRZEJ GESSNER ET AL: "Computer-aided alignment of castings and machining optimization", PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PART C,JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, vol. 229, no. 3, 16 May 2014 (2014-05-16), GB, pages 485 - 492, XP055734062, ISSN: 0954-4062, DOI: 10.1177/0954406214536380
ref_type: npl
severity: background
ref_id: - CHATELAIN J F ET AL: "A balancing technique for optimal blank part machining", PRECISION ENGINEERING, ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, NL, vol. 25, 1 January 2001 (2001-01-01), pages 13 - 23, XP002424296, ISSN: 0141-6359, DOI: 10.1016/S0141-6359(00)00050-7
ref_type: npl
severity: background
ref_id: WO2010036801
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: - TFMTraining, "TFM - Mastercam X8 3D HST - Stock Model Comparison", youtube, (20150220), page 2 pp., URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVEE1gCTypQ, (20171120), XP054977895 [I] 1-16 * 01:36ff, 01:39ff, 02:04ff * * the whole document * [Y] 1-16
ref_type: npl
severity: obviousness
ref_id: - HydroComp ET AL, "Design of Patterns with PropCad Premium", youtube, (20160610), page 2 pp., URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94M7pFXlqfc, (20171120), XP054977896 [Y] 1-16 * 02:52ff * * the whole document *
ref_type: npl
severity: obviousness
Final disposition: pending (2017-12-20)