Automatic set-up planning for metal cutting: an integrated methodology

Automatic set-up planning has been regarded as a challenging task in computer-aided process planning (CAPP), which is a critical link in the integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Solving this problem is a top priority for CAD/CAM researchers and developers. Many researchers have worked on the problem and proposed different solutions based on geometry analysis, precedence constraint analysis, kinematic analysis, force analysis and tolerance analysis. However, these solutions generally use an ad hoc approach rather than a systematic approach. Consequently, the solutions can sometimes be impractical. An integrated methodology is presented to generate set-ups and select set-up datums and to determine set-up sequence. The methodology can deal successfully with a variety of components, thus providing a practical solution to the set-up planning problem that is crucial to the metal cutting industry.