Rapid product realization process

Abstract

A process for designing and optimally fabricating a plastic object begins by creating a surface model (215) of the object on a digital computer. The surface model contains information about the exterior of the product. A set of constraints (222) that are based on physical attributes of the product and resources available to make the product is defined, and is used to determine an optimum path (223) through a set of manufacturing processes (230) by selecting certain of those processes. A precedence relationship between the selected processes creates a set of interconnected activities. The surface model is processed (224) to convert the databank supporting the model to information that is usable by the selected processes, and this information is sent to the selected processes. Each process performs an activity in accordance with the defined precedence relationship, so that an output of the last one of the selected processes is the plastic object (235). Techniques such as surface modeling, solids modeling, stereolithography, CNC machining, and RIM molding are linked together and a common database is used to create a process of rapidly realizing a product.