Gentlemen,
I have seen this project for over two decades. It WAS the next 'greatest'
answer to part production. This 'answer' was initiated in the late 1970's.
Iges was going to be the main tool to machine parts directly from geometry
ie (no programmer). The project driver is 'cost savings'.
The 'stockholders' ultimate dream is for the design engineer to input the
design rules describing the object desired and the machine tool then
internally creates the geometry and creates the part.
For thirty years design engineers have spouted the mantra 'In a couple
years NC programmers will no longer be needed'. For the most part the
design engineers do not realize once the CAM of CAD/CAM is automated then
CAD will be the next automation project.
Iges is a graphics exchange standard. I was a peripheral player in some of
the testing during the late 1980's.
Surface definition has always been the achilles tendon of the automatic
geometry to manufacturing project. Boeing was a driver. Wichita was one of
Boeing sites so we saw Iges projects and development AND foibles.
As computer power increases, surface definition becomes more
complex/powerful. This complexity/power resulted in surface integrity
problems for the Iges translator. The surface designed in system A, iges
translated out of system A and then iges translated into system B was not
the exact same surface. Sometimes system B would not be able to describe
the surface and a hole would exist in the system B model. It is so bad
(within the last ten years with system A being the top aerospace CAD/CAM
software) I have seen a surface created in system A, iges translated out of
system A and immediately iges translated into system A (same computer, same
software) result in two different surfaces. The iges IN/OUT translator was
unable to recreate an identical surface.
This led to STEP, which changed the moniker of the automatic programming
project to STEP-NC.
STEP is better than IGES. STEP has not arrived at perfection, YET.
There are many parameters to consider during the manufacturing process. We
have not arrived at the point of removing the programmer.
thanks
Stuart
--
dos centavos
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