Automated cad process for creating mold packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569564-B2
Application number	US-201313763900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides methods to create a pattern part, and a subsequent mold core package, that can be used in the casting process to cast one or more die components having a near net-shape of the finished part. In this way, the present invention provides a cast part which greatly reduces the amount of finishing work that needs to be performed on the part after casting. Further, the present invention provides a method which involves less upfront stock material to cast the near net-shape of the desired die component part. The present invention accomplishes this by providing an efficient and effective automated method to determine where and how to add appropriate mechanical features to a design model part to produce a manufacturing model part in a CAD software program.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer implemented method for converting a design model part to a manufacturing model part in a solid modeling application, comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional design model part and selecting a reference face therefrom;
obtaining a retrieved face and identifying a base face that corresponds to the reference face;
providing a set of potential mechanical features, each potential mechanical feature of the set of potential mechanical features corresponding to a predetermined topological configuration;
recognizing a geometric pattern of the design model part that matches at least one of the predetermined topological configurations relating to the set of potential mechanical features, the geometric pattern relating to the identified base face;
identifying new structural machined features for a manufacturing model part, wherein the new structural machined features are defined by the potential mechanical features relating to the matching topological configurations recognized in relation to the geometric pattern, wherein the identified new structural machined features are free of definition within the recognized geometric pattern;
generating a manufacturing model part by adding the new structural machined features to the design model part based upon the geometric pattern of the design model part; and
forming a printed sand casting of the manufacturing model part.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying a base face that corresponds to the reference face further includes the steps of:
identifying normal vector N 0 and center point P 0 of the reference face;
identifying normal vector N 1 and center point P 1 of the retrieved face; and
determining if the retrieved face is the base face of the design model part.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining if the retrieved face is the base face of the design model part further includes the steps of:
incorporating the normal vector N 0 and center point P 0 of the reference face and the normal vector N 1 and center point P 1 of the retrieved face into an equation; and
determining whether the normal vector and center point of the retrieved face satisfy the equation.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the normal vector N 0 of the reference face and normal vector N 1 of the retrieved face are equivalent and, further wherein the equation to be satisfied is the equation:

(

(

P
1

-

P
0

)

·

N
1

N
0

·

N
1

)

=
0

and wherein N 0 =N 1 , wherein if the equation is not satisfied, a different face is retrieved and the equation is used to determine whether the different face is co-planar with the base face such that the equation is satisfied.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating a manufacturing model part by adding the new structural machined features to the design model part includes adding new structural machined features selected from the group consisting of threaded screw hole material, dowel hole material, counterbore seating face thickness, joint and heel machining face thickness, blade edge filleting, counterbore top filleting, inner corner edge filleting, inner edge filleting, and witness marks.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the step of generating a manufacturing model part by adding the new structural machined features to the design model part further includes adding material stock to the design model part at locations designated for the new structural machined features to be added.

7. A computer implemented method for converting a design model part of a die component to a manufacturing model part in a solid modeling application, comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional design model part;
selecting a reference face disposed on the design model part;

identifying parameters of the reference face;
obtaining a retrieved face and identifying a base face of the design model part that corresponds to the parameters of the reference face;

providing a set of potential structural elements, each potential structural element of the set of potential structural elements corresponding to a predetermined topological configuration;
recognizing a geometric pattern of the design model part within the solid modeling application, wherein the recognized geometric pattern corresponds to the identified base face and matches the predetermined topological configuration that relates to the potential structural element indicative of a removal of at least one aperture of the design model part;
removing at least one aperture identified on the base face; and
generating a manufacturing model part by adding material stock to the design model part, wherein the added material stock defines the new structural element, wherein the manufacturing model part is generated using a printed sand casting process.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the step of identifying parameters of the reference face further includes the step of identifying the normal vector N 0 and center point P 0 of the reference face.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the step of identifying the base face of the design model part that corresponds to the parameters of the reference face further includes the steps of:
identifying the normal vector N 1 and center point P 1 of the retrieved face; and
determining whether the retrieved face is co-planar with the base face of the design model part by satisfying the equation:

(

(

P
1

-

P
0

)

·

N
1

N
0

·

N
1

)

=
0

and wherein N 0 =N 1 , wherein if the equation is not satisfied, a different face is retrieved and the equation is used to determine whether the different face is co-planar with the base

Assignees

• Ford Motor Co
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Phillips John
• Saini Varinder Singh
• Gafken Scott
• Urban Richard Raymond
• Susalla Paul Christopher
• Ma Lixing
• Hu Yuan-Ping
• Boren David Michael

Classifications

• G06T17/10 Primary

  Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2113/22

  Moulding · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G06F2113/10

  Additive manufacturing, e.g. three-dimensional [3D] printing · CPC title