System and method for numerical control processing of an in-processing part
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMichael Evans Graham, John Dennis Jackson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for numerical control processing of an in-process part. A mathematical mapping is generated which approximates the deformation of the in-process part as measured against a nominal model. The mapping is applied to nominal NC tool paths to generate modified tool paths that travel in the distorted coordinate space of the in-process part. A result is that local features may be machined into the in-process parts in reasonable locations, and non contact measurement systems as well as surface finishing systems can travel at a more constant distance from the surface of the in-process part.
Claims31
A system for NC processing of an in-process part, comprising:
- a nominal model of the in-process part;
- means for measuring a series of n points on the in-process part;
- a processor for generating a deformation model that approximates deformation of the measured part relative to the nominal model, the processor comprising:
- means for determining a plurality of mapping functions for mapping point locations from the nominal model to approximate measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- means for optimizing the plurality of mapping functions to minimize the distance between the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- and
- means for transforming the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part according to the plurality of optimized mapping functions;
- and
- a computerized numerical controller for controlling the processing of the in-process part according to the deformation model.
A method for NC processing of an in-process part, comprising:
- obtaining a nominal model of the in-process part;
- measuring a series of n points on the in-process part;
- determining a plurality of mapping functions for mapping point locations from the nominal model to approximate measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- optimizing the plurality of mapping functions to minimize the distance between the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- transforming the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part according to the plurality of optimized mapping functions;
- and
- controlling the processing of the in-process part according to the transformation.
An article of manufacture, comprising:
- a computer usable medium containing computer readable program code means embodied therein for NC processing of an in-process part, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code means for obtaining a nominal model of the in-process part;
- computer readable program code means for measuring a series of n points on the in-process part;
- computer readable program code means for determining a plurality of mapping functions for mapping point locations from the nominal model to approximate measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- computer readable program code means for optimizing the plurality of mapping functions to minimize the distance between the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part;
- computer readable program code means for transforming the point locations from the nominal model to the measured locations of points on the in-process part according to the plurality of optimized mapping functions;
- and
- computer readable program code means for controlling the processing of the in-process part according to the transformation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.