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ComputerAided_Design_Engineering_amp_Manufactur.pdf

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FIGURE 2.7<br />

For each batch of nodes to be machined, two NC programs are required: one for the CNC of the<br />

machining center and one for the CNC of the rotary table. To produce consistent and reliable NC<br />

programs quickly without specially employing a process planner/NC programmer, a PC-based, computerautomated<br />

process planning system has been developed to directly translate the aforementioned geometric<br />

data from the computer-aided, space-frame design software to NC programs for the two controllers,<br />

without intervention by the operator. The PC-based system is also connected by serial communication<br />

lines to the two CNC systems for direct transfer of the NC programs.<br />

An important consideration in developing a suitable process plan for the machining of the space-frame<br />

nodes is the setup planning, in which the CAD-referenced hole configuration is transformed to a mountinghole-referenced<br />

configuration that minimizes the required number of mounting holes and setups. The<br />

determination of the optimal mounting-hole-referenced configuration is detailed in Reference 10. Based<br />

on the mounting-hole-referenced hole configuration, NC programs are automatically generated for the<br />

following sequence of operations:<br />

• Machining of the node in the fixed fixture<br />

• Machining of the node mounted on the rotary table<br />

Two machine-referenced coordinate systems (G54 and G55 in word address format for the FANUC CNC<br />

system) are set during the machining of the nodes. One is set with reference to the node in the fixed<br />

© 2001 by CRC Press LLC<br />

Space frame nodes.

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