A New Approach to Programming Flexibility for CNC Machines an Example of Application in Woodworking Machining

摘要

The research work, here described, deals with a woodwork flexible manufacturing centre. The cell integrates an edgebander and two milling machines for wood panels. The cell inherent flexibility is seriously compromised by the complexity of task and process planning and programming. Indeed, when changing production type, an expert and many unsuccessful trials are always needed. Our research effort is aimed to study and develop methodologies and tools intended to: obtain the part program of the machine out of the CAD model of the panel and create the process information; check the edgebanding process with a 3D simulation tool, meant to verify the machine behavior in a virtual environment, before the process is started in the real world; modify process parameters in order to perform the best edgebanding; provide a marketing tool thanks to the full simulation of the complex 3D machine cinematic behavior; provide a training tool. The approach to the problem is meant to be modular, so that it can be easily changed and developed. The result is a great integration among the various phases of product design, process planning and manufacturing on a flexible production unit and therefore greater utilization efficiency.