The field of solid modeling has developed a variety of techniques for unambiguous representations of three-dimensional objects. Feature recognition is a sub-discipline of solid modeling that focuses on the design and implementation of algorithms for detecting manufacturing information from solid models produced by computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Examples of this manufacturing information include features such as holes, slots, pockets and other shapes that can be created on modern computer numerically controlled machining systems. Automated feature recognition has been an active research area in solid modeling for many years and is considered to be a critical component for integration of CAD and computer-aided manufacturing. The paper gives an overview of the state-of-the-art in feature recognition research. Rather than giving an exhaustive survey, we focus on the three of the major algorithmic approaches for feature recognition: graph-based algorithms, volumetric decomposition techniques, and hint-based geometric reasoning. For each approach, we present a detailed description of the algorithms being employed along with some assessments of the technology. We conclude by outlining important open research and development issues.

Manufacturing feature recognition from solid models: a status report

This paper presents a methodology for efficiently recognizing both isolated and interacting features in a uniform way. The conventional, graph-based recognition method is combined with hint-based feature recognition to recognize and extract alternative interpretations of interacting features. First all isolated (non-intersecting) features are recognized based on a Manufacturing Face Adjacency Graph. Interacting features are then recognized based on the feature's minimal condition subgraph (MCSG) that is used as a feature hint. Unlike Previous hint-based recognition methods, the MCSGs of all features are defined, generated and completed in a uniform way, independent of the feature type. Hints are defined by an Extended Attributed Adjacency Graph, generated by graph decomposition and completed by adding virtual links, corresponding to entities lost by interactions. An efficient algorithm for generating virtual links is developed. A new classification of feature interactions is also presented.

Automatic recognition of interacting machining features based on minimal condition subgraph

A discourse on geometric feature recognition from CAD models

In the market-place of the 21st century, there is no place for traditional ‘over-the-wall’ communications between design and manufacturing. In order to ‘design it right the very first time’, designers must ensure that their products are both functional and easy to manufacture. Software tools have had some successes in reducing the barriers between design and manufacturing. Manufacturability analysis systems are emerging as one such tool — enabling identification of potential manufacturing problems during the design phase and providing suggestions to designers on how to eliminate them. In this paper, we provide a survey of current state-of-the-art automated manufacturability analysis. We present the historical context in which this area has emerged and outline characteristics to compare and classify various systems. We describe the two dominant approaches to automated manufacturability analysis and overview representative systems based on their application domain. We describe support tools that enhance the effectiveness of manufacturability analysis systems. Finally, we attempt to expose some of the existing research challenges and future directions.

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Automated manufacturability analysis: a survey

The CAD models of real-world mechanical parts usually have many fillets and rounds that are essentially important to ensure the manufacturability and assembability. In feature-based modeling, fillets and rounds are often referred as secondary features that are used to modify the local details of the primary features such as holes, slots and pockets. Although the major shape of the primary features may not be affected, fillets and rounds can greatly change the geometric and topological patterns of the primary features. The geometric and topological variations can result in inefficient feature semantics classification in feature recognition. When feature interactions occur, it may become even worse to identify the regular patterns of the primary features. In addition, the fillets and rounds consist of no-linear surfaces such as cylindrical surfaces, spherical surfaces and toroidal surfaces, which bring the difficulties in volumetric feature extraction by half-space partition. In order to facilitate volumetric feature extraction and feature semantics classification, we pre-process the input B-Rep models by suppressing fillets and rounds before the feature recognition. Thus the input B-Rep models can be simplified without altering the major shapes of primary features, the targets of the feature recognition. The B-Rep simplification can be viewed as the reverse process of the edge blending in feature-based design. In this paper, several issues on fillet/round suppressing are discussed and a relatively general and robust approach is proposed to suppress blendings in B-Rep models of mechanical parts before the surface feature recognition and volumetric feature extraction.

B-Rep model simplification by automatic fillet/round suppressing for efficient automatic feature recognition

This paper investigates the extraction of machining features from boundary descriptions of iso-oriented (having no inclined faces) polyhedrons. We prove that manufacturing the features proposed by our feature extractor results exactly in the desired part-in this respect, the approach is both sound and complete. Our method uses the adjacency information between faces to derive the features. This keeps the determination of isolated features in a part straightforward. However, interaction of features creates difficulties since the adjacency information between some faces is lost. We derive this lost information by considering faces that when extended intersect other faces to form concave edges. The derived face adjacencies are termed virtual links. Augmenting the virtual links to the cavity graph of the object leads to its feature graph, and subgraph matching of primitive graphs in this graph results in feature hypotheses. A feature hypothesis is considered valid if the volume corresponding to it is not shared with the part in question; therefore, we verify the feature hypotheses by checking the regularized intersection of the feature volume and the part. Thus, feature verification employs a constructive solid geometry approach. We have implemented a prototype of the system in the Smalltalk-80 environment. >

S.N. Trika

Papers

Geometric reasoning for extraction of manufacturing features in iso-oriented polyhedrons