Integrated CAD/CAM/CNC software machine tool and machine tool therewith
OwnerJames Edmund Trounson, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims15
A computer implemented method for machining a workpiece with one or more tools via one or more machining operations on an integrated workstation, the computer implemented method comprising:
- rendering a graphical user interface (GUI) having a number of interface sections, each interface section having one or more control elements, wherein a first interface section of the number of interface sections displays one or more control elements that provide computer aided manufacturing (CAM) control, a second interface section of the number of interface sections displays one or more control elements that provide computer aided design (CAD) control, and a third interface section of the number of interface sections displays a list of the one of more tools;
- obtaining computer aided design (CAD) data indicative of a machine part to be manufactured, wherein the second interface section is configured to manipulate the CAD data;
- generating computer aided manufacturing (CAM) instructions from the CAD data without the use of GCodes, the (CAM) instructions generated via user interaction with the first interface section;
- machining the workpiece according to the generated CAM instructions.
A computer controlled apparatus for machining a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a workpiece support mounted on the base and configured to support a workpiece;
- a set of tools, each tool configured to remove material from the workpiece;
- a spindle configured to carry and rotate a tool from the set of tools;
- one or more drives configured and arranged to move the spindle with respect to the workpiece, the one or more drives including one or more electric motors;
- a computing device supported by or position adjacent the base, the computing device comprising a single processor and non-transitory computer readable medium that stores data indicative of the set of tools and instructions that when implemented by the single processor, cause the computing device to:
- create computer aided design (CAD) data indicative of the machine part to be machined based on data input from a user via at least one input device connected in communication with the computing device;
- generate, with the aid of user input via the one or more input devices, computer aided manufacturing (CAM) instructions based on the CAD data and the data indicative of the set of tools and without the use of GCodes;
- machine the workpiece according to the generated CAM instructions in order to create at least part of the machine part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.