Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Sandvik Intellectual Property Ab

Palo Alto Research Corporation Incorporated

Gregory Burton

Saigopal Nelaturi

Christian Fritz

Tolga Kurtoglu

Eric Peeters

Eric Saund

Christopher A Paulson

A Web-based system and method creates one or more qualitatively distinct process plans for machining a part. The surfaces of the part are modeled and parameters for a plurality of CNC machining tools are obtained, including the orientations along which the tool cuts away raw material. A maximal set of translations for each tool is also obtained, where each translation includes a collision-free orientation of the tool and a maximal machinable volume of material removable from the part in that orientation. A search engine navigates through a hierarchically-structured search space that starts at an initial state and transitions to successive states based on actions that satisfy a cost constraint function. Each state and each action includes a tool, orientation of the tool, and a maximal machinable volume. The search ends when a goal condition is satisfied. The actions constitute the process plan.

System and method for computer numerical control (CNC) tool without undercut features operations planning with the aid of a digital computer

Planning of computer numerical control (CNC) machining operations with the aid of a digital computer

Functionally graded materials can be prepared through additive manufacturing by determining the path that a head of 3D printer can follow while extruding a material mix of a required composition at required points of a layer of an FGM. Each point within the layer is evaluated regarding the directions within which the printing head can move into from that point while extruding the material mix of a required composition. Based on the evaluation, a multitude of polygons are defined within the polygonal shape that are guaranteed to be printable. A path can be designed for the printing head to follow to print all of the defined polygons, and consequently, to print the entire polygonal layer. Material extrusion commands are generated for the printing head.

System and method for printing path planning for manufacturing of functionally graded materials with the aid of a digital computer

A method of generating a tool path for an additive manufacturing process, the tool path having an input polygon for a thick region, and an input path for a wire region. The method includes offsetting the input polygon by a minimum step over distance, creating a set of contour parallel offset lines, computing path segments from a medial axis transform of the input polygon, computing a dilation of the medial axis path by a radius approximately half the step over distance, producing a dilated medial axis, clipping the contour parallel offset paths by the medial axis path, producing, and recursively connect the medial axis paths with the clipped contour parallel paths.

Toolpath planning process for conductive materials

A Web-based system and method uses a model of the manufacturing setup and knowledge of a designed part with arbitrary geometry to produce process plans in two successive stages. First, the part geometry is analyzed. A query of determining the maximal volume machinable from an oriented machining tool is transformed into determining the visibility of the part surface from the perspective of a hypothetical camera placed at the tip of the oriented machining tool. Second, a collection of the maximal machinable volumes over the set of all tool orientations is collected. Combinations of the maximal machinable volumes covering the entire difference between the raw stock and the desired part are evaluated for providing feedback on manufacturability and process plans. In a further embodiment, manufacturability is analyzed for tools and machines with arbitrary geometric complexity using high dimensional configuration space analysis.

Computer numerical control (CNC) machining tool and method for controlling a CNC machining tool

A method and system for measurement of ground based vehicle speed includes a movable platform that includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) located in proximity to a roadway, the UAV operates under control and navigation of a UAV control unit, and the UAV also carries camera and monitoring equipment, the camera and monitoring equipment including an onboard computing system, and a camera with a wide angle lens and a camera with a telephoto lens, the cameras being mounted on a pan/tilt device. An algorithm operated by the on-board computing system is used to detect and track vehicles moving on a roadway. The algorithm is configured to detect and track the vehicles despite motion created by movement of the UAV. The cameras mounted on the pan/tilt device are moved under the direction of the computer vision algorithm to maintain a target vehicle of the detected moving vehicles in view, and the speed of the target vehicle is measured.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Gregory Burton