A method to generate a plurality of groups each including at least one of a plurality of elements. The method includes selecting at least one candidate element from the plurality of elements as a candidate to be included in a group, determining whether or not to generate the group including the at least one candidate element selected in the selecting step, based on an element evaluation value associated with each of the at least one candidate element selected in the selecting step, provided that a determination is made to generate the group in the determining step, generating the group including the at least one candidate element selected in the selecting step, and weighting the element evaluation value of each of the at least one element according to how many times the each element is included in already-generated groups to reflect the weighted element evaluation value in next group generation.

An iterative method and system for performing the method are described that implement a technique to fit irregularly shaped items into a defined space. In particular, one example may take the form of a method including predetermining one or more layouts for a defined space. Each layout has a plurality of shapes. The method also includes receiving a set having a plurality of items and determining one or more configurations formed by assigning to each shape in the layout an item from the set. The items match the shapes to which they are assigned. Additionally, the method includes scoring each configuration and selecting one configuration based at least in part upon the scoring.

Disclosed herein is a method for transforming cutting data for configuring a cutting machine for a cutting process. The method comprises a computing device: obtaining first cutting data that comprises patterns and an associated multiplicity of each pattern, wherein the multiplicity of a pattern is the number of times the pattern is repeatedly used in a cutting process; and transforming the first cutting data into second cutting data, wherein the number of patterns comprised by the second cutting data is less than the number of patterns comprised by the first cutting data; wherein each pattern comprises a plurality of items and the widths of the items in a pattern define knife positions of a cutting machine during a cutting process; and transforming the first cutting data into second cutting data comprises the steps of: determining a subset of patterns; searching for a new seed pattern, wherein the new seed pattern comprises items within the subset of patterns and the new seed pattern has a larger multiplicity than at least one of the patterns in the subset of patterns; searching, in response to finding a new seed pattern, for a plurality of further patterns comprising all of the items of the subset other than those used by the new seed pattern such that said new seed pattern and said further patterns consist of all of the items of the subset of patterns and the total number of patterns comprised by said new seed pattern and said further patterns is less than the total number of patterns in the subset of patterns; and generating second cutting data that comprises said new seed pattern and said further patterns as well as the patterns that were not included in the subset of patterns. Advantageously, applying the transformation according to embodiments reduces the number of patterns in the cutting data and thereby increases the efficiency of a cutting operation.

The invention pertains to a reference positioning system for positioning a workpiece in a three-dimensional coordinate system, the reference positioning system comprising a first positioning unit for positioning a first alignment feature of the workpiece in a first dimension, in a second dimension and in a third dimension, comprising a first centring pin and a first reference level locator, a second positioning unit for positioning a second alignment feature of the workpiece in the second dimension and in the third dimension, comprising a second centring pin and a second reference level locator, and a third positioning unit for positioning a third alignment feature of the workpiece in the third dimension, comprising a third reference level locator.

The invention relates to a method (100) for preparing machine cutting in sheet material, comprising the steps of obtaining (101) a set of geometries to be cut, positioning (102) the set of geometries for cutting, and thereafter deciding (104) on a format of sheet material based on the positioned geometries. The invention further relates to a corresponding system for machine cutting in sheet material, and a corresponding computer program product.

Methods for providing a workpiece computer model including a plurality of objects defined in a body of material. A temporary support frame is provided as part of a two-sided machining process in which the workpiece is partially milled from an obverse side. The machine-control instructions are also based on one or more occupying structures added to the workpiece to fill in one or more excess unoccupied regions of the workpiece that would otherwise be machined away during machining of the objects. Providing such occupying structure(s) reduces the amount of machining that needs to be performed.

Producing a component having an in use gas washed surface includes: obtaining a reference component having a reference shape with an in use gas washed surface; setting one or more performance threshold for the reference shape, the threshold defining an acceptable performance for the reference shape; obtaining a manufactured component made to the reference shape; measuring the manufactured component and determining a displacement distribution indicative of the geometric deviation of the manufactured component from the reference shape; determining a performance sensitivity distribution for the reference component, the sensitivity distribution having a plurality of points, each point indicative of a performance factor for the reference component; combining the sensitivity distribution and displacement distribution to determine a performance prediction for the manufactured component; determining whether the performance prediction is within the performance threshold; accepting or rejecting the component for use if the predicted performance is within or outside the performance threshold, respectively.

The invention relates to methods and systems for preparing a cutting path for machine cutting of a plurality of parts from a sheet material using beam cutting technology. Each one of the plurality of parts is formed by one of a plurality of two dimensional free form shapes, comprising at least a first shape. The method comprises a step of identifying at least one segment of the first shape, which segment prevents a part of the first shape to be positioned and cut so close to another shape in the plurality of shapes so that only one cut of the cutting beam is found between the parts. The method further comprises a step of modifying the segment to provide a modified first shape. The modified first shape comprises a modified segment, which is configured such that the modified segment allows a part of the first shape to be positioned so close to another shape in the plurality of shapes so that only one cut of the cutting beam is found between the parts whenever the shape of the parts allows it.

A method for generating a cutting plan of a complex glazing product including a glass sheet and a layer other than a glass sheet, the method including obtaining a map of the defects of the glass sheet; obtaining at least one other defect map, the defects of the other map not being defects of a glass sheet; each of the maps including, for each of its defects, a position of the defect, a size of the defect, and a criticality level of the defect; generating a cutting plan of the complex glazing product using the maps and a specification taking into account the criticality levels, the cutting plan including a cutting line and being such that none of the cutting lines passes through an exclusion zone of the defect of the glass sheet, wherein a cutting line passes through an exclusion zone of a defect of the other map.

Methods of nesting parts for 3D printing and of modularly managing the 3D printing as well as corresponding modules are provided. Methods split received part models into model batches, and repeatedly, set consecutive model batches into printing space(s) that are being gradually filled, by defining, for each part model in the model batch, a roadmap with respect to the occupied space and a set of positioning rules, and independently from the other part models in the model batch, and optimizing, in parallel for the part models in the model batch, a part positioning scheme for the model batch parts. The methods may further manage the allocation of printing spaces with respect to incoming printing requests to incorporate the respective parameters into the parameters of the nesting process. The methods exhibit a high level of process parallelization, at all levels of space and parts' allocation and nesting.