A Volume-Reconstruction Approach for Converting Design Feature to Machining Feature

This paper presents an approach for converting design features in a part model generated with the se systems into machining features.The main characteristics of this method is that it can produce both milling features and turning features with a unified procedure reconstructing swept volumes of those design features.The method consists of three major steps.First,the various types of design features in part and blank models are converted into the forms of swept volumes；the n,the delta volumes between blank swept volumes and part swept volumes are decomposed into new swept volumes that capture different cutting-tool moving styles and align with original swept volumes as well as possible；finally,the new swept volumes are merged to different types of machining features according to the ir adjacency and orientation relationships as well as the structures of the target machining features.The proposed method has been implemented and applied in a CAPP system,and some practical examples show that it can generate a wide range of alternative machining features for process selection and optimization.