Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing flank millable components
AssigneeConcepts NREC, LLC
InventorAlexander Plomp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Flank milling checks during a computer automated design process which may include notifying a user when a component geometry option is selected that will result in the component not being flank millable. In some examples, the user is prevented from selecting a geometry option that would result in the component not being flank millable. In some examples, devices, systems, and methods are provided for manufacturing a component with a flank milling process, in which optimized machine instructions are determined that minimize milling machine motion.
Claims17
A method of designing a flank millable component with a computer automated design (CAD) program that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), the CAD program executed on a computing device that includes a processor, the method comprising:
- providing a user, via the GUI, with a plurality of geometry options for defining a geometry of the component, the plurality of geometry options including a first group of geometries defined by ruled surfaces, a second group of geometries that require a user-defined thickness applied to a mean profile, and a third group of geometries that are not flank millable;
- determining, by the processor, whether a user-selection of one of the plurality of geometry options is flank millable according to whether the user-selected geometry option is in the first, second, or third group;
- detecting, by the processor, a modification to the user-selected geometry option that will affect the ability to manufacture the component with a flank milling process;
- and
- notifying the user of a relaxation option or checking whether a relaxation option has been selected in response to detecting the modification, wherein the relaxation option permits a geometry that is only partially flank millable.
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing machine-readable instructions for a computer automated design (CAD) program for designing a flank millable component, the CAD program including a graphical user interface (GUI), the instructions configured to cause a processor of a computing device to perform operations comprising:
- providing a user, via the GUI, with a plurality of geometry options for defining a geometry of the component, the plurality of geometry options including a first group of geometries defined by ruled surfaces, a second group of geometries that require a user-defined thickness applied to a mean profile, and a third group of geometries that are not flank millable;
- determining, by the processor, whether a user-selection of one of the plurality of geometry options is flank millable according to whether the user-selected geometry option is in the first, second, or third group;
- detecting, by the processor, a modification to the user-selected geometry option that will affect the ability to manufacture the component with a flank milling process;
- and
- notifying the user of a relaxation option or checking whether a relaxation option has been selected in response to detecting the modification, wherein the relaxation option permits a geometry that is only partially flank millable.
A method of designing a flank millable turbomachinery blade with a computer automated design (CAD) program that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), the CAD program executed on a computing device that includes a processor, the method comprising:
- providing a user, via the GUI, with a plurality of geometry options for defining a geometry of the turbomachinery blade, the plurality of geometry options including a first group of geometries defined by ruled surfaces and a second group of geometries that are not flank millable;
- determining, by the processor, whether a user-selection of one of the plurality of geometry options is flank millable according to whether the user-selected geometry option is in the first or second group;
- and
- notifying the user, via the GUI, that that the turbomachinery blade will not be flank millable in response to a selection of one of the plurality of options in the second group;
- wherein the second group of geometries are selected from the group consisting of (1) a geometry that defines a non-linear thickness of the turbomachinery blade along a mean camber sheet, (2) a geometry option for bowing said turbomachinery blade, (3) a geometry option for a turbomachinery blade ruled in cylindrical or spherical coordinates rather than Cartesian coordinates, (4) a geometry option for an addition of a fillet, and (5) a geometry option for smoothing a surface of the turbomachinery blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.