Method and apparatus for production of three dimensional components
AssigneeAmerican Gem Corporation
InventorsGerhard Marxrieser, Erich Alexander Zarzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for cutting or milling three dimensional parts with minimal material waste. The system is comprised of a five or six axis machine, which is equipped with an ultrasonic cutting device and/or a routing unit, and is operated by part programs automatically generated by a software system, which minimizes material waste and creates a toolpath for the three dimensional parts to be manufactured.
Claims22
A device for forming a plurality of three dimensional parts out of a piece of material with minimal waste, comprising:
- means for defining a three dimensional shape for each part;
- at least one tool for cutting said material, said tool having a predefined cutting width;
- means for mapping each shape as a two dimensional contour onto a plane of said material, and including in said contour said cutting width;
- means for nesting the mapped contours to allocate the two dimensional contours in an optimal manner within said material to minimize the material not contained within the resulting three dimensional shapes;
- means for operating said tool to cut said material along the contours determined by said means for mapping and said means for nesting to achieve each of said three dimensional parts.
A method for cutting a plurality of three dimensional parts out of a piece of material with minimal waste with a cutting tool wherein the tool has a predefined cutting width, comprising the steps:
- defining a three dimensional shape for each part;
- mapping each shape as a two dimensional contour onto a plane of said material, including in the contour said cutting width;
- nesting the mapped contours to allocate the two dimensional contours in an optimal manner within said material to minimize the material not contained within the resulting three dimensional shapes;
- operating said tool to cut said material along the contours determined during said mapping and nesting steps to achieve each of said three dimensional parts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.