Form feature and tolerance transfer from a 3D model to a set-up planning system

Currently, most CAD systems, even the feature-based design systems which were developed for CAPP, cannot provide exact information about an object (e.g. dimensions and tolerances). Some feature-based design systems can provide product data directly or indirectly; however, most CAPP systems still do not have an interface with CAD systems. The product data required by CAPP systems usually has a specific format which is unique to the system. In a CAPP system, it is essential for set-up planning to ensure the precision of the machining processes. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an interface with CAD models, so that the part data file can be obtained directly from the CAD representation. This paper proposes an approach for integrating the set-up planning system with a feature-based CAD system. By using an object-oriented approach - Product Data Translator (PDT), the computer-automated extraction of geometry and complete tolerance information was achieved; and the automated generation of the tool approach direction was developed.