A method for placing pieces intended to be cut automatically from a fabric having a pattern that repeats at a predetermined pitch, called pattern pitch, involves the steps of determining a list of pieces to be placed on the fabric, for at least one piece of the placement, calculating a contour to be placed around the piece, the contour having a variable margin in order to avoid an overlap between adjacent pieces, the margin being a function of a predefined rate of variation of the fabric and of at least one predetermined constraint of placement of the piece on the fabric, and developing a theoretical placement of the pieces on the fabric taking into account the contour to be placed of each piece.

Examples disclosed herein relate to determining 3D print part placement. In one implementation, a processor generates a user interface to receive user input related to multiple divisions of 3D print parts and a relative ordering between the divisions. The processor may determine part placement information for the parts in the divisions in a 3D print build area based on user input to the user interface. The processor may translate the determined part placement information into 3D printer instructions.

Embodiments provide a pre-cut infeed system for a machine center, such as an edger. A pre-cut infeed system may include an infeed, one or more saws arranged along the infeed, and a scanner optimizer system. The scanner optimizer system may scan a workpiece and determine whether greater value can be obtained from the workpiece by cutting the workpiece transversely into two or more pieces upstream of the machine center. If so, the workpiece may be cut transversely by the saw(s) positioned along the infeed, and the cut pieces may be fed sequentially into the machine center.

The method can include obtaining a digital image of a wood board having a defect, the digital image including a representation of the defect; using a computer: mapping the position and shape of the representation of the defect, and generating blasting instructions based on the mapped position and shape; positioning the wood board in a given position in a cleaning station, the cleaning station having a blasting nozzle and holding the wood board in its coordinate system; and the cleaning station automatically moving the blasting nozzle relative to the wood board and blasting the defect based on the blasting instructions, including moving at least one of the blasting nozzle and the wood board relative to a frame of the cleaning station.

In one aspect the invention relates to a method for calculating control instructions (CI) for controlling a cutting head (H) of a laser machine (L) for cutting a set of contours in a workpiece. The method comprises reading (S71) an encoded cutting plan (P), and continuously determining a state (S73) relating to the processing of the workpiece by the laser machine (L) by means of a set of sensor signals (sens). Further, the method provides a computer-implemented decision agent (DA), which dynamically calculates an action (a) for the machining head (H) to be taken next and based thereon providing control instructions (CI) for executing the processing plan (P) by accessing a trained model with the encoded cutting plan (P) and with the determined state (s).

A Tannery System (DT), for providing a Batch (LOkr) of Hides (1ij) with a homogeneous Grade (Gkr) from multiple Tanneries (Fi), intended to undergo a Transformation Stage (Se); (i) whose size is greater than the number of Hides having a Grade (Gkr) of each Tannery; and (j) that minimizes or maximizes the statistical numeric Constraint Parameter (PN) of a global statistical technical characteristic of all Hides in the Batch. It includes (a) a Computer Network (RL) that connects an online Platform (CL) to at least two Tanneries and their two Digitizing Scanners (19i); (b) Means for Filtering (25) by the Grade (G) all the Hides (1ij) available, to select the Combined-Subset (SCkr) of the Complying Fractions (FCi) of Hides from the Tanneries having the Grade (Gkr); (c) Means of Batch Optimization (26) for (i) performing Selections of Collections of combined Complying Sub-Fractions (Sim) of Complying Fractions, (ii) for determining for each Selection, the reached value of the Numerical-constraint Parameter, and, (iii) for constituting the optimal Batch by the Selection which maximizes or minimizes the Numerical Constraint Parameter.

In one aspect the invention relates to a method for calculating control instructions (CI) for controlling a cutting head (H) of a laser machine (L) for cutting a set of contours in a workpiece. The method comprises reading (S71) an encoded cutting plan (P), and continuously determining a state (S73) relating to the processing of the workpiece by the laser machine (L) by means of a set of sensor signals (sens). Further, the method provides a computer-implemented decision agent (DA), which dynamically calculates an action (a) for the machining head (H) to be taken next and based thereon providing control instructions (CI) for executing the processing plan (P) by accessing a trained model with the encoded cutting plan (P) and with the determined state (s).

Disclosed is a method for loading a sheet placement device of a flat bed machine tool with a material sheet, wherein the material sheet is supplied to the machining operation carried out by the flat bed machine tool, starting from a target position assigned to the machining operation in a machine coordinate system, and the flat bed machine tool comprises a camera system having at least one camera. The camera system is designed to produce captured images of the sheet placement device, which are calibrated three-dimensionally in relation to the machine coordinate system of the flat bed machine tool. The method comprises the steps: producing a captured image of the material sheet in the region of the sheet placement device; evaluating the captured image to determine an actual sheet position in the machine coordinate system; measuring a deviation of the determined actual sheet position from the target position; and using the measured deviation to align and position the material sheet.

When cutting the flat products (3) a set of the desired shapes and dimension of the products (3) is defined. Firstly at least one surface of the material (1) is scanned; scanning sets the boundaries of the available surface of the material (1). Optical scanning can be supplied by radiological scanning, preferably by a CT scanner (8). Defects (2) are identified in the scanned image and a position is assigned to them. A weight coefficient is assigned to each element from a set of the desired shapes and dimensions of the products (3). A cutting plan (4) is created; this plan (4) defines the boundaries of individual flat products (3), whereby the places with the identified defects (2) of the material (1). Optimalization of the distribution of the desired products (3) is realized with the goal of achieving the highest sum of the number of the products (3) multiplied by the weight coefficient of a given product (3) without the need to cut all the elements from a set of the desired products (3). Subsequently a cutting machine (6) is used to cut the products (3); this machine (6) cuts the material (1) without any limitation with regard to the mutual position of the cut lines of the neighboring products (3).

A method for evaluating a position of a selected sub-space of a nesting plan is provided. The nesting plan is provided for controlling a cutting process of a flatbed machine tool for cutting out workpieces from a material sheet and includes an overlap-free arrangement of respective sub-spaces, the respective sub-spaces corresponding to the workpieces. The method includes providing contour data specifying a cutting contour that delimits the selected sub-space in the position to be evaluated within the planning space, and providing position data indicating respective positions in the planning space of spaces to be considered in the evaluation. The spaces include a group of supported spaces and a group of support surrounding spaces. The method includes providing cutting operation data for at least one section and determining an evaluation value for the position to be evaluated of the selected sub-space using the calculated damage rate of the cutting contour.