Autodesk, Inc.

Lee Sanders

Daniel Mario Noviello

Akmal Ariff Bin Abu Bakar

Mark Antony Millership

Richard Matthew Stubley

Marco Adriano

Robert Bowerman

Kelvin Samuel Allan Hamilton

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining data for 3D geometry of a part; simulating at least a portion of a manufacturing process that includes adding first material in a first stage and removing second material in a second, subsequent stage, where the second material includes a portion of the first material, removing the second material includes blending between the material added in the first and second stages, and thermal effects of adding and removing the material in the first and second stages is simulated; and adjusting an amount of the portion based on results of the simulating to prevent deviation of the part from the three dimensional geometry that results in not enough material being available for the blending.

Hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques include, in one aspect, a method including obtaining information regarding a geometry of a part to be machined by a computer-controlled manufacturing system from a workpiece; based on the information regarding the geometry, identifying machine components to be used by the computer-controlled manufacturing system during machining the part; determining a position for the machining of the part with respect to at least one of the machine components, to even out wear on the machine components, based on data indicating previous positions, movements and wear of components associated with the computer-controlled manufacturing system; and providing instructions usable by the computer-controlled manufacturing system, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the computer-controlled manufacturing system to use the position for the machining.

Even out wearing of machine components during machining

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for automatic generation of probe path for surface inspection and part alignment. A mesh model is obtained of at least a portion of a three dimensional model of a part to be manufactured using a computer-controlled manufacturing system. Vertex points from the mesh model are collected to be an initial set of probing points in a three dimensional space of a working coordinate system of the computer-controlled manufacturing system, and filtering out points are filtered out from the initial set of probing points based on coverage of the least a portion of the three dimensional model to produce a final set of probing points. The final set of probing points is provided for use in alignment or surface inspection of the part by the computer-controlled manufacturing system.

Automatic generation of probe path for surface inspection and part alignment

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining a toolpath specification for a three dimensional model of geometry of a part to be machined from a workpiece; calculating predicted cutting forces to be applied to the workpiece when machining the part; generating a set of holding tabs for the part based on the predicted cutting forces, wherein each of the holding tabs bridge from the part to the workpiece so as to keep the part fixed, in situ, within the workpiece during the machining, and at least one position of a holding tab from the set is determined in accordance with the predicted cutting forces; and providing the set of holding tabs for use by a computer-controlled manufacturing system.

Generation of holding tabs for fixing a part during machining

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques and a determined stock allowance include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining a finishing toolpath specification for three dimensional (3D) geometry of a part; generating 3D geometry of a model of a semi-finished structure in accordance with a computer simulation of deflections experienced by a workpiece as stock material is cut from the workpiece using the finishing toolpath specification; creating a semi-finishing toolpath specification for the semi-finished structure; and providing the semi-finishing toolpath specification for use in machining the part by cutting away a first portion of the stock material using the semi-finishing toolpath specification to form the semi-finished structure, followed by performing a finishing operation of the semi-finished structure by cutting away a second portion of the stock material to form the part.

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Tamworth, United Kingdom

Lee Sanders