The EDM is still very often used, specially in tool engineering where tools for mass production are produced. The shape of the tool is a negative image of the product and it has to be easily and cheaply made. To adapt tool design, and at the same time also product design, for easier manufacture of the tool we distinguish two levels: design and manufacturing level. On the manufacturing level a manufacturing technology for tool machining is determined. There is always feedback information from manufacturing to design level to change the tool and the product design according to easier (cheaper) manufacture of the tool. The designer considers the suggestions of the technologist and together they find the best design by taking into account also the demands for the product and the tool.
A system for segmentation and determination of a proper machining process for machining each segment of the tool separately, has already been developed at the Faculty of mechanical engineering. A high speed milling (HSM) and the EDM process are considered as two machining processes for making each segment of the tool. In our work the system for adaptation of the product to easier tool manufacture with EDM process was developed. It is designed for designers to establish critical parts of the product from the point of view of machining the tool with EDM process. With these information the designer can adapt the critical parts of the product design without the tool engineer. By using the system it is possible to reduce number of information from manufacturing to design level and to reduce the time necessary to manufacture tools. In reality it is impossible to eliminate all information from manufacturing to design level or to replace the tool engineer with an expert system.
Figure: Scheme of the design adaptation system for EDM.
No comments:
Post a Comment