CAM system and method

A computer aided manufacturing system for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the computer aided manufacturing system comprising a processor to:

• load the design data;
• extract geometrical shapes and attribute information of a features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether each of opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• obtain dependence relationships among the features from the extracted geometrical shapes and attribute information of the features;
• determine from the obtained dependence relationships among the features whether one feature is divided by another feature;
• determine, when a determination result in that one feature is divided by another feature, whether a divided feature is machined earlier than a dividing feature in a machining sequence;
• and
• generate, when a determination result in that the divided feature is machined earlier than the dividing feature in the machining sequence, the manufacturing data for the feature before the divided feature is divided, the manufacturing data for machining the workpiece.

A computer aided manufacturing system for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the computer aided manufacturing system comprising a processor to:

• load the design data;
• extract geometrical shapes and attribute information of a features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• obtain dependence relationships among the features from the extracted geometrical shapes and attribute information of the features;
• determine from the extracted attribute information of the features whether a machining posture is available to be changed, a change of the machining posture being based on data according to an instruction entered by a user, the machining posture being indicative of a posture of the workpiece to be machine;
• and
• display, in a user viewable manner, information indicative of the dependence relationship and of whether the machining posture is available to be changed or not.

A manufacturing data generating method executed by a computer for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the method comprising:

• loading the design data by the computer;
• extracting geometrical shapes and attribute information of features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of a hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether each of opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• obtaining dependence relationships among the features from the extracted geometrical shapes and the extracted attribute information of the features;
• determining from the obtained dependence relationships among the features whether one feature is divided by another feature;
• determining whether a plurality of features are machined earlier than one feature in a machining sequence, when the one feature is divided into the plurality of features;
• and
• generating the manufacturing data for the feature before the one feature is divided, when the plurality of features are machined earlier than the one feature in the machining sequence.

A computer aided manufacturing system for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the computer aided manufacturing system comprising a processor to:

• load the design data;
• extract attribute information of features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether each of opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• determine from the extracted attribute information of the features whether a machining posture is available to be changed, a change of the machining posture being based on data according to an instruction entered by a user, the machining posture being indicative of a posture of the workpiece;
• and
• display, in a user viewable manner, information indicative of that the change of the machining posture is not permitted.

A manufacturing data generating method executed by a computer for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the method comprising:

• loading the design data by the computer;
• extracting geometrical shapes and attribute information of features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether one of opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• obtaining dependence relationships among the features from the extracted geometrical shapes and attribute information of the features;
• determining from the obtained dependence relationships among the features whether one feature is divided by another feature;
• determining whether the one feature is machined later than the another feature in a machining sequence, when based on the obtained dependence relationships among the features a determination result in that one feature is divided by another feature;
• and
• generating the manufacturing data for the divided feature, when the determination results in that the divided feature is machined later than the dividing feature in the machining sequence.

A manufacturing data generating method executed by a computer for converting design data designed by a computer aided design apparatus to manufacturing data used in a working machine for machining a workpiece, the method comprising:

• loading the design data by the computer;
• extracting geometrical shapes and attribute information of features based on the loaded design data, the features being one of hole elements included in one of machining features, the attribute information including at least information which indicates whether each of opening directions of the geometrical shapes is reversible or not;
• obtaining dependence relationships among the features from the extracted geometrical shapes and attribute information of the features;
• determining from the extracted attribute information of the machining features whether a machining posture is available to be changed;
• displaying in a user viewable manner the dependence relationships among the features and a situation as to whether the machining posture is available to be changed;
• and
• updating automatically the attribute information of one or more features affected by a change of the machining posture, when an instruction of a change of a changeable machining posture is received from a user through input device.