US 12,650,677 B2Granted

Utilization of 3D modeling application data for model-to-machine operation of cutting and bending fabrication machines

AssigneeAllied BIM, LLC

InventorBrian D. Nickel

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Abstract

A method facilitating operation of a fabrication machines includes generating, by a fabrication center application (FCA): an enhanced cut list (ECL) usable by a cutting machine control application (CMCA) to direct a cutting machine (CM) to cut a work piece (WP) into ≥2 pieces; an enhanced bend list including x,y,z positional information (PI) for bending ≥1 piece(s) of the ≥2 pieces at least once; and printing routine(s) (PR) for printing human- and/or computer-readable bend instructions (BI) including the x,y,z PI on the WP or the ≥1 piece(s); and transmitting, by the FCA, and via a fabrication center connector websocket: the ECL to a fabrication desktop application (FDA) of the CM to enable use of the ECL by the CMCA to cut the WP; and the PR(s) to the FDA and/or a printer to enable use thereby to print the BI(s) on ≥1 location(s) on the WP or the ≥1 piece(s).

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method executed on at least one computing device to facilitate operation of two or more fabrication machines using digitally stored part or assembly information of a three-dimensional (3D) modeling application, the method comprising:

generating, by a fabrication center application running on the at least one computing device, and based at least in part on data representative of a 3D model of a to-be-fabricated part or assembly received using a communications interface operably coupled to the at least one computing device and via a fabrication center connector websocket, data representative of:
an enhanced cut list usable by a cutting machine control application running on a cutting machine workstation computing device and configured to control operation of a cutting machine to direct the cutting machine to cut a work piece of the to-be-fabricated part or assembly into at least two pieces;
an enhanced bend list including data representative of x,y,z positional information for bending, using a bending machine, at least one piece of the at least two pieces at least once;
and
at least one of:
a first printing routine to cause a printer operably coupled to, or otherwise associated with, the cutting machine to print human-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
a second printing routine to cause the printer to print computer-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
directing, by the fabrication center application, the communications interface to transmit, via the fabrication center connector websocket:
the data representative of the enhanced cut list to a fabrication desktop application of, or associated with, the cutting machine control application to enable use of the data representative of the enhanced cut list by the cutting machine control application to direct the cutting machine to cut the work piece;
and
the data representative of the at least one of the first printing routine and the second printing routine to at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to enable use by the at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to direct the printer to print at least one of the human-readable bend instructions and the computer-readable bend instructions on one or more locations on the work piece or on the at least one piece.

10 more elements

A system comprising at least one processor, a communications interface operably coupled to the at least one processor, and a fabrication center application including program instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor to facilitate operation of two or more fabrication machines using digitally stored part or assembly information of a three-dimensional (3D) modeling application, cause the system to:

generate, based at least in part on data representative of a 3D model of a to-be-fabricated part or assembly, data representative of:
an enhanced cut list usable by a cutting machine control application running on a cutting machine workstation computing device and configured to control operation of a cutting machine to direct the cutting machine to cut a work piece of the to-be-fabricated part or assembly into at least two pieces;
an enhanced bend list including data representative of x,y,z positional information for bending, using a bending machine, at least one piece of the at least two pieces at least once;
and
at least one of:
a first printing routine to cause a printer operably coupled to, or otherwise associated with, the cutting machine to print human-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
a second printing routine to cause the printer to print computer-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
direct the communications interface to transmit, via a fabrication center connector websocket:
the data representative of the enhanced cut list to a fabrication desktop application of, or associated with, the cutting machine control application, to enable use of the data representative of the enhanced cut list by the cutting machine control application to direct the cutting machine to cut the work piece;
and
the data representative of the at least one of the first printing routine and the second printing routine to at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to enable use by the at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to direct the printer to print at least one of the human-readable bend instructions and the computer-readable bend instructions on one or more locations on the work piece or on the at least one piece.

10 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon program instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a system to facilitate operation of two or more fabrication machines using digitally stored part or assembly information of a three-dimensional (3D) modeling application, cause the system to:

generate, by a fabrication center application running on at least one computing device of the system, and based at least in part on data representative of a 3D model of a to-be-fabricated part or assembly received using a communications interface operably coupled to the at least one computing device and via a fabrication center connector websocket, data representative of:
an enhanced cut list usable by a cutting machine control application running on a cutting machine workstation computing device and configured to control operation of a cutting machine to direct the cutting machine to cut a work piece of the to-be-fabricated part or assembly into at least two pieces;
an enhanced bend list including data representative of x,y,z positional information for bending, using a bending machine, at least one piece of the at least two pieces at least once;
and
at least one of:
a first printing routine to cause a printer operably coupled to, or otherwise associated with, the cutting machine to print human-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
a second printing routine to cause the printer to print computer-readable bend instructions including the x,y,z positional information on the work piece or on the at least one piece;
and
direct, by the fabrication center application, the communications interface to transmit, via the fabrication center connector websocket:
the data representative of the enhanced cut list to a fabrication desktop application of, or associated with, the cutting machine control application to enable use of the data representative of the enhanced cut list by the cutting machine control application to direct the cutting machine to cut the work piece;
and
the data representative of the at least one of the first printing routine and the second printing routine to at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to enable use by the at least one of the fabrication desktop application and the printer to direct the printer to print at least one of the human-readable bend instructions and the computer-readable bend instructions on one or more locations on the work piece or on the at least one piece.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/458,274Filed 30 Aug 2023 · continuation in part
Priority: 17 May 2022
Published: US 2024/0045402 A18 Feb 2024
Granted: 9 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G05B 19/4097
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…
G05B 19/4099
Characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM: surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g.…
G05B 19/4145
Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller:…
G05B 2219/32023
Operator till task planning: print label, instructions for operator and job code for machining parameters

Family

Application63/343,079Us provisional application · filed 17 May 2022
Application63/345,671Us provisional application · filed 25 May 2022
Application18/319,474Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 May 2023
US 2024/0045402 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Feb 2024
US 11,907,618 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2023/0376640 A1Published application
US 12,650,677 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.