Horizontally-structured CAD/CAM modeling for virtual concurrent product and process design
Disclosed herein is a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling and manufacturing for concurrent product and process design, comprising: selecting a blank for machining into an actual part establishing a coordinate system (6); and creating a master product and process concurrent model (40) comprising: a virtual blank (10) corresponding to the blank; a manufacturing feature (12a - 12j); virtual machining of the manufacturing feature (12a - 12j) into the virtual blank (10); where the manufacturing feature (12a - 12j) exhibits an associative relationship with the coordinate system (6). The method also includes generating a product drawing (44) of the actual part; and generating machining instructions to create the actual part by machining the manufacturing feature (12a - 12j) into the blank. Also disclosed herein is a horizontally structured CAD/CAM model for concurrent product and manufacturing processes comprising: a blank for machining into an actual part; a coordinate system (6); and a master product and process concurrent model (40) comprising: a virtual blank (10) corresponding to the blank; a manufacturing feature (12a - 12j); the manufacturing feature (12a - 12j) virtual machined into the virtual blank (10); and the manufacturing feature (12a - 12j) exhibiting an associative relationship with the coordinate system (6). Further disclosed is a storage medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling. The storage medium including instructions for causing a computer to implement the method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling and manufacturing for concurrent product and process design. Additionally disclosed is a computer data signal for horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling. The computer data signal comprising code configured to cause a processor to implement a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM modeling and manufacturing for concurrent product and process design.
