Apparatus and method for managing and distributing design and manufacturing information throughout a sheet metal production facility

• US 7,197,372 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Inventors: Hazama, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Douglas S.
• Application Number:
  US09/971,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95,97-98,117-118,165,180,182 345/419-420,158
• US Class Current: 700/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4181 characterised by direct numerical control [DNC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30136 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 Shape modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/41 based on statistical description of texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/426 Graphical representations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

An apparatus prepares data for manufacturing a product or a part with a pre-determined shape by using a bending press provided with detachable tools. The apparatus includes a computer memory that stores bending order information for manufacturing the product or the part. The bending order information is obtained after successfully completing bending operations and is associated with the product or the part.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing data for manufacturing one of a product and a part having a pre-determined shape by using a bending press provided with detachable tools, the apparatus comprising:

a computer memory storing bending order information for manufacturing one of the project and the part, the bending order information being obtained after successfully completing bending operations and being associated with one of the product and the part.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer memory stores bending tool information to be used in each bending operation of a bending order, the bending tool information being obtained after successfully completing bending operations and being associated with one of the product and the part.