A combination of electronic hardware, a microprocessor (embodied, e.g., in a personal-style computer (“PC”)), and control software blended together with unique systems integration techniques. When stationed at a machine tool, the result is an grated, interactive and intuitive machine tool or workstation capable of computer aided design (CAD), optional reverse engineering parts via coordinate measurement machining (CMM), toolpath generation computer aided manufacturing (CAM), and direct machine tool control (Direct CNC) by one person at one work station with a common human machine interface (HMI) and common file formats.

An action chart describing an operation of an automated manufacturing machine includes subperiods into which an operation period from a start to an end of the operation of the automated manufacturing machine is divided. The action chart includes element actions included in the operation of the automated manufacturing machine. The element actions on the action chart are assigned to the subperiods and each include an action identifier including qualitative information about the element action, and a numerical table or numerical parameters. The action chart is read. The action identifiers on the action chart are converted into program elements stored in a manner associated with the action identifiers. A numerical value in the numerical table or the numerical parameters is set for each program element. The program elements are combined together in an order of the subperiods on the action chart.

Included are an NC command input unit that receives an NC command serving as an NC command that enables processing independent of NC machining and that is independent of a model of an NC machine tool and an NC command; a machine information storage unit; a tool information storage unit; a command analysis unit that determines whether an NC command input to the NC command input unit is the NC command; a command creation unit that, creates a designated operation program that enables the NC machine tool to perform a series of operations corresponding to the NC command on the basis of the NC command, the model information, and the tool information; and a CNC control unit that controls the NC machine tool.

A method and apparatus for generating machining code of workpieces from a paper engineering drawing are provided. The method includes processing the paper engineering drawing to be a binary image; extracting dimension features and shape features of the workpieces from the binary image; and generating the machining codes of the workpieces based on the extracted dimension features and shape features of the workpieces. The machining codes indicate the dimension and shape of the workpieces, Machining codes of workpieces are generated from a paper engineering drawing directly without manual involvement.

Methods and systems enabling commercial opportunities for additive manufacturing workflow management including computerized processing of a plurality of three-dimensional CAD files received and aggregated by the system and organizing the plurality of three-dimensional CAD model files received and aggregated by the system and where the data corresponding to the three-dimensional CAD model(s) geometry contained within the 3D CAD Model files received by the system are analyzed by the system for production criteria. The analyzed 3D CAD Model files and their geometry are then organized by production criteria. Batches of the geometry contained within the analyzed and organized 3D CAD Model files are then analyzed for arrangement, by nesting and stacking system controllers to determine a solution for optimizing production resource utilization and packed, by the system as nested arrangements of CAD Model geometry and compiled as computer files called tray files, representing packed arrangements of 3D CAD Model geometry according to production criteria and a production capacity plan determined by the system. The tray files represent production jobs for production by additive manufacturing. The tray files are then scheduled and assigned, by the system to the production queue of indexed production resources defined in the system by the commercial user, according to the production criteria for each tray file. The tray files are then made available and or transmitted or routed to an additive manufacturing device for production of the geometry described within each tray file and where the Additive manufacturing device produces the geometry described within the tray file using the data in the tray file, at least in part to do so, such that the objects produced corresponds directly to the three-dimensional models received and processed by the system.

To provide processing information to a CAM that generates an NC program of a processing machine for processing an object to be processed with a tool, a processing support system comprises, in a cloud storage device installed on a processing tool manufacturer side, a user knowledge database of a storage unit that stores processing information so as to be unshareble with other users and a sharing knowledge database of the storage unit that stores processing information so as to be sharable with other user, wherein a user side transmits and receives, by a transmitting/receiving unit, extended STEP-NC data of processing information via a network.

A design and manufacturing system includes a multi-axis machine tool including a cutting head able to support a plurality of available tools and a part support, the cutting head and part support fully controllable in at least two axes, a design system operable using a computer to generate a 3-D model of a part to be manufactured, and a machine learning model operable using the computer to analyze the part to be manufactured to identify features and develop a manufacturing plan at least partially based on the multi-axis machine tool and the plurality of available tools, the manufacturing plan including a type of tool used for each feature, a feed-rate for each type of tool for each feature, and a speed of the tool for each type of tool for each feature.

To optimize NC program cores included in a generated machining program and expedite operation of a machine tool. An optimization device includes a block analysis unit, a code processing unit, and a program generation unit. The block analysis unit analyzes a preparatory function code and/or an auxiliary function code for each of a plurality of blocks included in a first program. The code processing unit performs a process on the preparatory function code and/or the auxiliary function code in a plurality of successive blocks based on a result of the analysis by the block analysis unit and optimizes the first program. The program generation unit generates the first program optimized by the code processing unit as a second program.

Example systems and methods allow for use of a graphical interface to cause one or more robotic devices to construct an output product. One example method includes causing a graphical interface to be displayed on a display device, receiving input data corresponding to one or more interactions with the graphical interface indicating at least one motion path and at least one sequence of tool actions to execute at one or more points within the at least one motion path for use in construction of an output product, generating a plurality of digital nodes including at least one robot node, at least one motion command node, and at least one tool command node, and providing instructions for the at least one robot actor to move according to the sequence of robot motion commands determined by the at least one motion command node and execute the sequence of tool commands determined by the at least one tool command node to construct the output product.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for cycle-based programming of a control program for a numerically controlled machine tool at a control apparatus of the machine tool. Geometrical features, which have been detected and/or identified within a data analysis processing performed on the basis of workpiece data including a 3D workpiece model, each detected and/or identified geometrical feature being associated with a respective predetermined machining operation, are associated with a respective machine control cycle which is associated with a respective predetermined machining operation with which the respective associated geometry feature is producible. Further, one or more user-selectable options for cycle-based programming of the control program for the machine tool are provided by a graphical user interface on a display of a control panel of a control apparatus of the machine tool, each user-selectable option enabling a user to select a respective one of the machine control cycles being respectively associated with a respective one of the detected and/or identified geometrical features.