Integrated precision inspection system for manufacturing of moulds having CAD defined features

An integrated precision inspection system has been developed for manufacturing moulds having CAD defined features. The techniques of precision measurement are implemented for CAD/CAI integration for moulds having sculptured surfaces with some basic features, such as, holes, slots and bosses. Features to be inspected are chosen in the CAD environment, and inspection planning is performed for each feature. The sampling-point strategies are: uniform distribution, curvature dependent distribution, or hybrid distribution of the two depending on the complexity of the sculptured surface. Line and plane features are divided into subintervals, and the measurement points are distributed at random positions in the subinterval. Prime number subintervals are considered for a circle feature, in order to avoid possible periodic distortion of the measurement features. The measurement path planning is performed considering collision avoidance and coordinate matching between the coordinates. The output of the planning is the machine code for a specific CMM having CNC capability. The machine code is downloaded to a specific CMM, and the measurement results are fed back to the computer. A new algorithm, called MINIMAXSURF, is developed to evaluate the form error precisely for sculptured surfaces. The algorithm considers the radius of the touch probe and evaluates the profile tolerance successfully by removing the unavoidable setup errors. The developed measurement system has been applied to real moulds, demonstrating high performance and accuracy.