A method for CNC manufacturing is provided. The method includes computer-reading a digital model of a 3D part within a first topological space. An offset surface for the digital model in the first topological space is computer-generated. The offset surface in the first topological space is computer-transformed to a transformed offset surface in a second topological space embedded in the first topological space. A plurality of contours are computer-identified, at which a corresponding plurality of embedded parallel planes intersect the transformed offset surface in the second topological space. The plurality of contours in the second topological space are computer-transformed into a corresponding plurality of transformed contours in the first topological space. A CNC toolpath is computer-generated that traces each of the plurality of transformed contours in the first topological space, the CNC toolpath useable by a CNC machine to manufacture the 3D part.

Computer-implemented design of a sheet metal part is disclosed. A digital representation of a sheet metal shell comprising flanges and edges is obtained. A digital representation of a sheet metal part is automatically generated for the sheet metal shell via computation of a spanning tree for a face adjacency graph. The face adjacency graph comprises graph vertices corresponding to flanges and graph edges corresponding to shared edges of the shell. The generated sheet metal part is displayed in a graphical user interface for user editing and/or user acceptance.

A robot tool, a robot system and a method for packaging coils of sheet metal. A robot tool for coil packaging, having two ends, each end being provided with a coupling tool piece configured to interface with a robot arm; a roll holder shaft configured to hold a roll of wrapping material, the holder shaft at one end being rotatably mounted substantially midway between said ends and projecting substantially perpendicular to an axis extending between said ends. A robot system for coil packaging, having two industrial robots, each robot being provided with a robot arm having a coupling robot piece configured to interface with a robot tool; and a robot tool, the robot tool having two ends, each end being provided with a coupling tool piece configured to interface with a said robot arm.

The disclosure relates to digital models of a production apparatus. The digital models can generate simulations of production sequences of the production apparatus, and a controller can access the simulation to improve operations of the production apparatus. The digital model uses data of a locating system to create the simulation. The locating system monitors carriers for transporting components. The controller can compare parameters of the simulation results with corresponding parameters of earlier simulation results and/or actually obtained parameters of earlier production sequences, which can be stored in a model library. The disclosure further relates to corresponding production control methods.

Various approaches for forming holes onto a sheet-metal assembly are described. In one implementation, a sheet-metal assembly is received through a conveyor system within a manufacturing cell. Once received, the type of sheet-metal assembly is identified based on associated information. Corresponding to the identified sheet-metal assembly, a set of position coordinates corresponding to one or more points on the sheet-metal assembly are obtained. Subsequently, a work-performing apparatus may be used for forming holes onto the sheet-metal assembly, at one or more points on the sheet-metal assembly.

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.

A method for CNC manufacturing is provided. The method includes computer-reading a digital model of a 3D part within a first topological space. An offset surface for the digital model in the first topological space is computer-generated. The offset surface in the first topological space is computer-transformed to a transformed offset surface in a second topological space embedded in the first topological space. A plurality of contours are computer-identified, at which a corresponding plurality of embedded parallel planes intersect the transformed offset surface in the second topological space. The plurality of contours in the second topological space are computer-transformed into a corresponding plurality of transformed contours in the first topological space. A CNC toolpath is computer-generated that traces each of the plurality of transformed contours in the first topological space, the CNC toolpath useable by a CNC machine to manufacture the 3D part.

A camera photographs a part to be estimated, which is produced by cutting a sheet metal in advance, and a dimension reference marker. An image processing unit generates edge data by extracting an edge of the part photographed by the camera, and enlarges or reduces the edge data based on a size of the dimension reference marker photographed by the camera such that a size of the edge corresponds to an actual size of the part. A machining time calculation unit calculates a length of a cutting line for cutting out the part from the sheet metal based on the edge of the edge data corresponding to the actual size of the part, and calculates a machining time for producing the part by cutting the cutting line in accordance with a material and a thickness of the sheet metal.

Methods, devices, and systems for assigning mobile locating units to digital processing plans for industrial processing of workpiece groups each including at least one workpiece are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: maintaining one or more processing plans including order information for industrial processing of one or more workpiece groups each associated with a corresponding processing plan, the one or more workpiece groups being separated according to a separation plan with a machine tool, matching position data of a mobile locating unit acquired with an indoor location system with position data of the one or more workpiece groups or workpieces derived from the separation plan, assigning the mobile locating unit to a workpiece group or a workpiece based on a result of the matching, and assigning the mobile locating unit to a processing plan associated with the workpiece group or the workpiece assigned to the mobile locating unit.

A management apparatus includes a processor configured to: autonomously collect, even without an instruction from a user, attribute data concerning attributes of a product defined by a three-dimensional shape, in accordance with a collection rule for collecting the attribute data concerning the product, the attribute data being generated in individual process stages before the product is manufactured; associate the collected attribute data with three-dimensional shape data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the product, as attributes of the three-dimensional shape data, in accordance with a superimposition rule which defines association between the three-dimensional shape data and the attribute data concerning the product; and manage the three-dimensional shape data and the attributes of the product.