Automated method and apparatus for fabricating sheet metal parts and the like using multiple manufacturing stations

A method for fabricating parts on a unified design and manufacturing system including a computer-aided design terminal having an input, and a plurality of manufacturing stations programmed with a set of manufacturing commands to execute manufacturing and transport operations in accordance with part definition data records, the method comprising the steps of:

• entering at the input of the computer-aided design terminal the configuration of a part desired to be fabricated;
• entering manufacturing process planning data into the system;
• generating from the configuration and the manufacturing process planning data a set of part definition data records corresponding to a part desired to be fabricated, each of the part definition data records corresponding to one of the manufacturing stations;
• transmitting to the first one of the manufacturing stations, in response to a command to fabricate a part, a first part definition data record from the set of part definition data records corresponding to a part desired to be fabricated, the first part definition data record corresponding to the first manufacturing station;
• executing a set of manufacturing instructions at the first manufacturing station in accordance with the manufacturing commands programmed into the first manufacturing station and the first part definition data record to transport the material to the first manufacturing station and to machine the material;
• transmitting to a subsequent manufacturing station a subsequent part definition data record from the set of part definition data records corresponding to the part desired to be fabricated, the subsequent part definition data record corresponding to the subsequent manufacturing station;
• executing a set of manufacturing instructions at the subsequent manufacturing station in accordance with the manufacturing commands programmed into the subsequent manufacturing station and the subsequent part definition data record to transport material to the subsequent manufacturing station and to machine the material;
• and
• repeatedly performing the immediately preceding two steps until manufacturing and transport operations corresponding to all part definition data records in the set have been executed;
• each of the steps of executing a set of manufacturing instructions comprising the substeps of converting the part description data into dimensional parameters, combining the dimensional parameters with the manufacturing commands stored in the manufacturing station to form electrical signals for driving actuators and cutting tools of the manufacturing station, and supplying the electrical signals to corresponding actuators and cutting tools of the manufacturing stations to machine a part to a configuration designated by the part description data.

Apparatus for fabricating parts, comprising:

• a computer-aided design station for generating a set of CAD data in response to entered inputs, the set of CAD data corresponding to the configuration of a part to be fabricated and being expressed with respect to an operator-entered reference point;
• a plurality of manufacturing stations oriented with respect to at least one common axis for performing operations on a workpiece to produce the fabricated part and for transferring the workpiece between the stations;
• manufacturing process planning means coupled to the computer-aided design station for receiving the CAD data for the part to be fabricated, for receiving manufacturing process planning data for the part to be fabricated, and for generating a set of part definition data records corresponding to the part to be fabricated, each of the part definition data records corresponding to one of the manufacturing stations and containing quantitative data for the corresponding manufacturing station to perform manufacturing operations required to fabricate the part;
• master computer means coupled to the manufacturing process planning means for storing the part definition data record sets and for receiving commands to fabricate parts;
• and
• a plurality of machine computer means, each coupled to the master computer means and to one of the manufacturing stations and programmed with instructions to performing generic manufacturing procedures, for receiving one of the part definition data records, for assigning a fixed relationship between the reference point and a fixed location on the workpiece, and for combining the generic manufacturing procedures with the one part definition data record to generate electrical signals to drive actuators and machining tools of the associated manufacturing station to perform specific transport and fabrication operations on the workpiece while maintaining a predetermined relationship between the fixed location and the at least one common axis to manufacture the part to be fabricated.

Apparatus for fabricating parts, comprising:

• a computer-aided design station for generating a set of CAD data in response to entered inputs, the set of CAD data corresponding to the configuration of a part to be fabricated;
• a plurality of manufacturing stations for performing operations on a workpiece to produce a fabricated part and for transferring the workpiece between the stations;
• manufacturing process planning means for receiving the CAD data for the part to be fabricated, for receiving manufacturing process planning data for the part to be fabricated, and for generating a set of part definition data records corresponding to the part to be fabricated, each of the part definition data records corresponding to one of the manufacturing stations;
• master computer means coupled to manufacturing process planning means for storing the part definition data record sets and for receiving commands to fabricate parts;
• and
• a plurality of machine computer means each coupled to the master computer means and to one of the manufacturing stations and programmed with instructions for performing generic manufacturing procedures, for receiving the part definition data records, and for combining the generic manufacturing procedures with the part definition data records to generate electrical signals from the part definition data record to drive actuators and machining tools of the associated manufacturing station to perform specific transport and fabrication operations on a workpiece to manufacture the part to be fabricated.