Development of a STEP-compliant design and manufacturing framework for discrete sheet metal bend parts

Abstract

Metal sheets have the ability to be formed into nonstandard sizes and sections. Displacement-controlled computer numerical control press brakes are used for three-dimensional sheet metal forming. Although the subject of vendor neutral computer-aided technologies (computer-aided design, computer-aided process planning and computer-aided manufacturing) is widely researched for machined parts, research in the field of sheet metal parts is very sparse. Blank development from three-dimensional computer-aided design model depends on the bending tools geometry and metal sheet properties. Furthermore, generation and propagation of bending errors depend on individual bend sequences. Bend sequence planning is carried out to minimize bending errors, keeping in view the available tooling geometry and the sheet material properties’ variation. Research reported in this article attempts to develop a STEP-compliant, vendor neutral design and manufacturing framework for discrete sheet metal bend parts to provide a capability of bidirectional communication between design and manufacturing cycles. Proposed framework will facilitate the use of design information downstream at the manufacturing stage in the form of bending workplan, bending workingsteps and a feedback mechanism to the upstage product designer. In order to realize this vendor neutral framework, STEP (ISO 10303), AP203, AP207, and AP219 along with STEP-NC (ISO14649) have been used to provide a basis of vendor neutral data modeling.