The automatic support device generation method includes: receiving a virtual part; determining a retention direction for the virtual part; determining a retention rotation for the virtual part; and constructing a support device based on the part, the retention rotation, and the retention direction.

The automatic support device generation method includes: receiving a virtual part; determining a retention direction for the virtual part; determining a retention rotation for the virtual part; and constructing a support device based on the part, the retention rotation, and the retention direction.

A machine tool in which a splashguard, which surrounds a machining part for machining a workpiece with a tool, defines a machining chamber includes a window provided in the splashguard and through which the interior of the machining chamber can be viewed, a display device attached in the vicinity of the window, and a display control device for displaying an actually captured video showing a workpiece machining operation or a simulated video of a workpiece machining operation on a screen of the display device in synchronization with a current operation of the machine tool by changing the screen of the display device in accordance with need.

A product quality prediction method for mass customization is provided. When a production system has a status change, data of sets of process parameters and actual measurement values of workpiece samples processed before the status change occurs, and data of sets of process parameters and actual measurement values of few workpiece samples processed after the status change occurs are used for build or retrain a prediction model, thereby predicting a metrology value of a next workpiece.

A numerical control device comprises a command position calculation section that calculates command position information based on a machining program; a command path calculation section that calculates command path information based on the command position information; an estimated actual position calculation section that calculates estimated actual position information based on the command position information and transmission characteristic information; an estimated actual path calculation section that calculates estimated actual path information based on the estimated actual position information; a path error calculation section that calculates path error based on the command path information and the estimated actual path information; a machining time calculation section that calculates a machining time based on the estimated actual path information; a jerk calculation section that calculates jerk based on the estimated actual position information; and an evaluation position calculation section that calculates evaluation values based on the path error, machining time and jerk.

A system and method for improving the simulation of machining effects in an object on computer-aided design models by imparting micro level machining stress and strain effects on a macro part model in a time-realistic manner. A reference machining operation is performed on a micro reference model. A transfer map based on a pre-machining stress-strain gradient and a post-machining stress-strain gradient is created. A machining operation is then performed on the macro part model with the pre-machining stress-strain gradient and the post-machining stress-strain gradient being mapped to the macro part model. The macro level machining operation and mapping are performed in a time-realistic manner.

It is provided a computer-implemented method for simulating the machining of a workpiece with a cutting tool having at least one cutting part and at least one non-cutting part. The method comprises providing a set of dexels that represents the workpiece, a trajectory of the cutting tool, and a set of meshes each representing a respective cutting part or non-cutting part of the cutting tool. And then the method comprises for each dexel computing, for each mesh, the extremity points of all polylines that describe a time diagram, and testing a collision of the cutting tool with the workpiece along the dexel based on the lower envelope of the set of all polylines. Such a method improves the simulating of the machining of a workpiece.

Optimized positioning paths for multi-axis CNC machining can be generated based on the machine tool kinematics, machine axes travel limits, machine axis velocity and acceleration limits, and machine positioning methodologies. Machine axes travel limits and machine positioning methodologies are incorporated in order to ensure that the developed positioning paths do not violate machine axes travel limitations. Multi-axis positioning paths are developed to avoid collisions with dynamically changing in-process stock and other surroundings, including fixtures and both moving and non-moving components of the machine. Positioning tool path customizations give the user the flexibility to apply safety based constraints to the automatically generated tool paths. The disclosed automatic positioning path planning and optimization methods are used to develop a process for part manufacturing using CNC machining in order to reduce the manufacturing cycle time.

A worked surface of a workpiece is evaluated on the basis of how the surface is actually perceived by a person's (observer's) eyes (vision) or fingers (touch), and a work process whereby a workpiece is worked is changed on the basis of the evaluation.

A product quality prediction method for mass customization is provided. When a production system has a status change, data of sets of process parameters and actual measurement values of workpiece samples processed before the status change occurs, and data of sets of process parameters and actual measurement values of few workpiece samples processed after the status change occurs are used for build or retrain a prediction model, thereby predicting a metrology value of a next workpiece.