Method planning for manufacturing sheet-metal forming parts

A method for computer-aided determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts from sheet metal billets by way of sheet-metal forming processes, wherein a representation of a manufacturing process is produced, which representation comprises a set of machining steps, the method comprising the following steps:

• generating, using a data processing unit, a set of geometry features of a sheet metal forming part in a geometry model of the sheet metal forming part, wherein each of the geometry features is described by way of a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry feature;
• generating, using the data processing unit, an associated method standard for each of the geometry features, wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature, and the selection of the method standards which can be associated with a certain geometry feature is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature, and wherein
• those machining steps for a geometry feature that are executed within the same forming operation constitute a machining unit;
• wherein a machining unit is represented by a module;
• wherein a method standard comprises at least one module;
• and
• producing, using the data processing unit, the method plan for manufacturing the sheet metal forming part, the method plan comprising an ordered sequence of machining operations, by associating each module with a forming operation, thereby taking into account constraints that control the distribution of the modules to the forming operations;
• wherein the constraints comprise constraints specifying the sequence of modules, and
• wherein the constraints comprise constraints specifying the exclusion of modules in the same forming operation.

A method for computer-aided determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts from sheet metal billets by way of sheet-metal forming processes, wherein a representation of a manufacturing process is produced, which representation comprises a set of machining steps, the method comprising the following steps:

• generating, using a data processing unit, a set of geometry features of a sheet metal forming part in a geometry model of the sheet metal forming part, wherein each of the geometry features is described by way of a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry feature;
• generating, using the data processing unit, an associated method standard for each of the geometry features, wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature, and the selection of the method standards which can be associated with a certain geometry feature is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature, and wherein
• those machining steps for a geometry feature that are executed within the same forming operation constitute a machining unit;
• wherein a machining unit is represented by a module;
• wherein a method standard comprises at least one module;
• and
• producing, using the data processing unit, the method plan for manufacturing the sheet metal forming part, the method plan comprising an ordered sequence of machining operations, by associating each module with a forming operation, thereby taking into account constraints that control the distribution of the modules to the forming operations;
• wherein the constraints are of the following category:
• context dependent rules that are automatically generated by the analysis of geometric relations between components
• wherein the constraints take into account the geometric dimensions of the components, or, respectively, the space that the components use when in operation.

A method for computer-aided determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts from sheet metal billets by way of sheet-metal forming processes, wherein a representation of a manufacturing process is produced, which representation comprises a set of machining steps,

• the method comprising the following steps:
• generating, using a data processing unit, a set of geometry features of a sheet metal forming part in a geometry model of the sheet metal forming part, wherein each of the geometry features is described by way of a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry feature;
• generating, using the data processing unit, an associated method standard for each of the geometry features, wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature, and the selection of the method standards which can be associated with a certain geometry feature is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature, and wherein
• those machining steps for a geometry feature that are executed within the same forming operation constitute a machining unit;
• wherein a machining unit is represented by a module;
• wherein a method standard comprises at least one module;
• and
• producing, using the data processing unit, the method plan for manufacturing the sheet metal forming part, the method plan comprising an ordered sequence of machining operations, by associating each module with a forming operation, thereby taking into account constraints that control the distribution of the modules to the forming operations;
• wherein the step of generating an associated method standard for each of the geometry features comprises selecting a method standard from a list which associates, with each type of geometry feature, a sequence of alternate method standards;
• further comprising the following step for determining one or several associated modules, for each of the method standards:
• selecting the module or modules from a list which associates a module or a sequence of modules with each method standard;
• wherein the constraints comprise constraints specifying the sequence of modules;
• wherein the constraints specify the sequence of modules within a method standard;
• and
• wherein the constraints comprise constraints regarding the type of the forming operation, that is, a particular module not being allowed to be used in forming operations of a particular type.

A method for computer-aided determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts from sheet metal billets by way of sheet-metal forming processes, wherein a representation of a manufacturing process is produced, which representation comprises a set of machining steps,

• the method comprising the following steps:
• generating, using a data processing unit, a set of geometry features of a sheet metal forming part in a geometry model of the sheet metal forming part, wherein each of the geometry features is described by way of a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry feature;
• generating, using the data processing unit, an associated method standard for each of the geometry features, wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature, and the selection of the method standards which can be associated with a certain geometry feature is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature, and wherein
• those machining steps for a geometry feature that are executed within the same forming operation constitute a machining unit;
• wherein a machining unit is represented by a module;
• wherein a method standard comprises at least one module;
• and
• producing, using the data processing unit, the method plan for manufacturing the sheet metal forming part, the method plan comprising an ordered sequence of machining operations, by associating each module with a forming operation, thereby taking into account constraints that control the distribution of the modules to the forming operations
• wherein an optimization procedure, taking into account the constraints, varies the association of the modules to the forming operations in order to minimize the number of forming operations;
• and
• further comprising the steps of, in the optimization procedure, determining at least one pivot position in which the part is manufactured, and taking the determined pivot position into account when associating the modules to the forming operations.