FEM Engineering AS
Leiv Eiriksson Senter
P.O.Box 1239 Pirsenteret
N-7462 Trondheim
Norway

TLF: +47 73546420
FAX: +47 73546425

info@femengineering.no

CAPP-Tool

Introduction

CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning) is a key component of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) systems which have been implemented in various industrial and economic fields.

Process planning in machining involves determination of cutting operations and sequences, selection of machine tools and cutting, calculation of machining parameters, and the generation of CNC part programs.

Integrated process planning will emerge as a key factor in machining process. On this basis FEM Engineering AS have developed a system for Computed Aided Process Planning.

What is CAPP-Tool...

CAPP links CAD and CAM by implementing its main functionality:

  • Automatically generate part Process Plans for production, on basis of the design feature information from the CAD system.
  • To provide users with process editing and managing functionality.
  • Automatically generate the NC-codes needed to control the CNC-machines on basis of the Process Plans, and control the CNC-machines directly.
CAPP-Tool's concepts

The system is not intended to be a general solution for all users, but is meant to provide a specialized practical solution for each user.

Therefore the following points are emphasized during development:

  • Usefulness
  • Modular design
  • Reliability and safety
  • Efficiency
  • Expandability
  • Adaptability
  • Generalization
The picture shows the main window for the software. Here the user selects what method he wants to use for creating new part information.

Click on the picture for an enlargement of the user interface.

Architecture

The entire system are made from three main modules:

  • CAD / CAPP-interface
  • CAPP-module
  • CAPP / CAM-interface
CAD / CAPP-interface

The major functions for this module are:

  • To extract the design information (geometric and feature) from the CAD-system.
  • To process and recognize the extracted information, and generate information for the process reasoning.
  • To process the CAPP-information and make it compatible with the CAD-systems data-format, so that the process drawings can be displayed automatically.
CAPP-module

The CAPP-system provides functions for automatic and manual process generation, process editing and management, information combination, process dispatching, resource management, process information shearing, etc.

The system also provides a user interface for PDM.

Several major modules are included in the system

Process reasoning module
Process editing module
Process management module
Process information dispatching
Manufacturing resource management
System management module
CAPP / CAM-interface

This module does the transformation from process plans, to information necessary to produce NC-codes, and then extracts this information, and generates the NC-code.