Numerical control arrangement

• US 8,078,305 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Liu, Shengming
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/050,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 700/86, 700/160, 700/165, 700/115, 700/145, 219/118, 219/121.72
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40937 concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining
• 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 2219/35005 Sheet metal cad
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35192 From design derive sequence of bending so that bending is possible
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36203 Bending of workpiece, also for long slender workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45143 Press-brake, bending machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A numerical control arrangement, comprising a sheet metal data file defining a part blank having a plurality of position elements from a processed design file; a machine controller comprising tool-related operations and control data from said sheet metal data file defining a plurality of position elements, the operations and position elements being associated with machining tasks; and a machine controlled by said machine controller to form a sheet metal part and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.

Claims

1. A numerical control arrangement, comprising:

a sheet metal data file defining a part blank, the sheet metal data file having a plurality of position elements associated with machining tasks and having at least one bend defined by a plurality of pre-bends, each pre-bend in the plurality of pre-bends having an associated bend angle that is a portion of a total bend angle of the one bend;

a machine controller having tool-related operations and control data from said sheet metal data file, the operations associated with machining tasks; and

a machine controlled by said machine controller to form a physical part.

2. The numerical control arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sheet metal data file has a plurality of calculated bend parameters corresponding to a plurality of identified linear bends.

3. The numerical control arrangement of claim 2, wherein said calculated bend parameters includes one of a bend angle, an inside bend radius, and a part thickness.

4. The numerical control arrangement of claim 2, wherein said calculated bend parameters include an over-bend.

5. The numerical control arrangement of claim 1, wherein the numerical control arrangement provides numerical control of a machine tool and a robot.

6. The numerical control arrangement of claim 4, wherein the over-bend is calculated based on properties for spring back of a material of the sheet metal part.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving a design file for a sheet metal part in a computer;

recognizing at least one bend by the computer;

creating, by the computer, a sheet metal data file corresponding to the design file, the sheet metal data file defining the at least one bend by a plurality of pre-bends, each pre-bend in the plurality of pre-bends having an associated bend angle that is a portion of a total bend angle of the one bend; and

storing the sheet metal data file for use by a computed numerically controlled (CNC) machine to create the sheet metal part.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said sheet metal data file has a plurality of calculated bend parameters corresponding to a plurality of bends recognized by the computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said calculated bend parameters includes one of a bend angle, an inside bend radius, and a part thickness.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said calculated bend parameters include an over-bend.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the wherein the CNC machine is one of a machine tool and a robot.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising creating the sheet metal part using the CNC machine, including performing the plurality of pre-bends to produce the at least one bend.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the over-bend is calculated based on properties for spring back of a material of the sheet metal part.