perm filename PROP4C[1,VDS] blob
sn#083674 filedate 1974-01-21 generic text, type C, neo UTF8
COMMENT ā VALID 00002 PAGES
C REC PAGE DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00002 00002 A DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
C00008 ENDMK
Cā;
A DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
An Automated Sheet Metal Shop
Sheet metal fabrication has long been considered a hard to
automate field because of the types of machines used and the need to
do a lot of manipulating of material, which can frequently be large
floppy sheets of varying thickness, yield strength and stock
r e;teach. For prototype manufacture, the setup time of each
cutting, notching, punching, bending or spot welding operation
represents almost the entire cost of manufacture. Automation of these
processes has been limited to numerically controlled (n.c.) punches
and n.c. stops on hand fed shears. True automation has been
accomplished only in very high production runs using special purpose
dies in cascaded blanking and stamping transfer presses to replace
the traditional short run methods.
I propose to study and design an automated design and
manufacturing system consisting of an interactive graphics display
terminal, a large timeshare computer, a design automation program, a
manufacturing planning program, a manufacturing execution program,
and a totally automated manufacturing facility containing a
collection of computer controlled sheet metal working machines and
one or more computer controlled manipulators to set up the machines
and perform all the necessary manipulation of the sheet material.
To demonstrate the completeness of the design study, I also
propose to develop and assemble a demonstration fully autometed
prototype part sheet metal fabricating shop.
To execute this ambitious project, I will develop new
programs and will utilize existing programs and routines to create a
complete chain of automation. More specifically, I will take existing
and shortly forthcomming rapid geometric design (GEOMED) programs and
will develop new monitor routines to provide interactive design
assistance reflecting the manufacturability of a particular design,
as it is being designed. I will also develop a program to interpret
the completed design in terms of manufacturing operations. This
manufacturing planning program would have as its inputs the design,
the materials available, and the machines available. The output will
be a set of instructions detailing each operation required to make
the part. Completing the entire system, I will work to develop a set
of computer controlled machines and a manipulator with a suitable
grasping device to handle the material and operate the machines.
Along with this hardware setup, I plan to develop a workable
execution program which would properly interpret the planning
program's output in terms of machine and manipulator commands.
To make the scope of this project realistic from a standpoint
of both actually working, and being completed in a reasonable period
of time, I propose to limit the acceptable design to sheet aluminum
chassis and boxes of a generally regular shape. Included in this
category would be degenerate shapes, such as brackets and sections
with simple hole patterns and bends.
Coupled with this programming effort and hardware
development project, will be a study of new technology and new
approaches to the execution of some traditional problems. As an
example, laser cutting of cloth is in industrial use now, and its
implications for use in the sheet metal cutting , shaping and forming
field are obvious. Electromagnetic, impact, and explosive forming are
other areas where new automatic planning , control and execution
methods can put laboratory demonstrated techniques into a realistic
and viable place in industry.