Tolerance specification and comparative analysis for computer-integrated dimensional inspection

Two important issues in the development of a computer-integrated dimensional inspection environment for manufactured parts are described, namely tolerance specification and comparative analysis. These two issues are related directly and therefore, should be addressed together. For supporting the computer-integrated dimensional inspection, a geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) specification module and a comparative analysis module are developed and integrated with CATTA of the IBM CAD/CAM system. The proposed specification module supports ISO and ANSI geometric tolerances and allows multiple tolerance assignments on each single feature as well as on a group of same pattern features. Using this specification module, various tolerance information can be directly specified to the 3D CAD model of a part and can be used to support the subsequent planning and operation for manfacturing and inspection. The comparative analysis module is created to work with the GD&T module for constructing datum reference frames and comparing the actual measurement data with nominal design. After specifying all necessary tolerance information, using discrete measurement data from coordinate measuring machines (CMM), one can evaluate the dimensional quality of an actual feature through the comparative analysis module.     

Concurrent process planning for finish milling and dimensional inspection of sculptured surfaces in die and mould manufacturing

With the introduction of computer-aided tools, traditional manufacturing tasks such as design, machining and inspection are now highly automated. However, due to the complexity and enormous knowledge involved in each process, most of these activities are still dealt with separately. Recent development of concurrent engineering emphasizes the importance of bringing manufacturing knowledge into the early design stage for optimum product and process design. In this paper, a knowledge-based CAD/CAM system which integrates process planning for finish milling and dimensional inspection of sculptured surfaces in die and mould manufacturing is presented. Optimum production plans are determined by minimizing the integral cost of machining and inspection. NC path generation and inspection planning are then verified by dynamic geometric simulations which provide the designer with the evaluations of machinability and inspectability. The implied significance is that strong inter-dependency may exist among various design life-cycle activities and that optimum solutions can be obtained by taking into account the interactions of the life-cycle events.     

Characterization and compensation of discrete-time non-minimum-phase systems for precision tracking control

The objective of this study is to characterize the unstable zeros of discrete-time non-minimum-phase systems and to compensate the gain and phase errors induced by unstable zeros for tracking control. These two objectives are attempted via examining the frequency response of unstable zeros. The gain error and phase shift induced by unstable zeros are first presented. It is well known that they are undesirable and cannot be cancelled directly via the method of pole-zero cancellation. Through investigating the characteristics of unstable zeros, a systematic approach is then given to compensate the gain and phase errors induced by unstable zeros. Using this approach, both a simple tracking control method and a precision tracking control method are proposed. The design procedure is presented and the design formulae are given. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.