This page highlights a project in which Digital Resources provided automatic drawing and NC program generation from a simple Order-Entry screen. This project covered an entire product line which included many patterns and variations and was punched on multiple machines and/or cut with a waterjet.

The user fills-in the following fields:

• Pattern type and variation = Poseidon - size = 1.5
• Grille size - horizontal = 10.50
• Grille size - vertical = 7.75
• Minimum left border = .75
• Minimum right border = .75
• Minimum top border = .75
• Minimum bottom border = .75

The DRI custom parametric system automatically generates the CAD drawing shown here.

In generating the CAD drawing and the NC program, some issues which had to be addressed included:

• Automatic calculation of the maximum ‘active’ area of the grille ( X & Y grille dimensions minus the borders).
• The number of complete patterns (including close-offs) that could be placed in the ‘active’ area.
• The dimensions and geometric relationships of the punches in each pattern, and the correct placement and rotation angle of those punches.

Once these calculations were made, a script was automatically written, the CAD program was automatically opened, and the part drawn and dimensioned.

Also, a completely accurate, machine specific program was written to create the part shown above. 

Benefit = greatly reduced engineering time and errors, and input did not require highly skilled personnel.