Application of automated process plan system: a constraint approach for feature extraction and recognition

Despite over two decades of research, CAD and CAM systems are not yet completely integrated in the manufacturing environment. Feature Technology and the Object-Oriented Design represent crucial factors to develop an automated process plan system, linking CAD/CAM systems. This work intent is to recognise Manufacturing Feature which is a general entity for CAD/CAM data exchange, composed by Primary Features (Form, Precision and Technological). The paper describes an automated process plan application to the feature extraction and recognition of a 3D prismatic workpiece, using a constraint programming approach. This approach, coupled to an Attribute-Value Table AAG method, is focused on the compound features recognition task. The work exposes how constraint expressions and object-oriented classes of problem model have been formalised and give a Manufacturing Feature definition. A general-purpose CAD system (CATIA 4.1. 7) and a C++ library set (ILOG Solver 3.2) has been used to implement the proposed methodology.