Page at Twente for ESPRIT grant The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate a new generation of integrated modelling systems for product design and process planning, including machine control data generation.
The two main goals are to improve the efficiency of software vendors by making software easier to integrate, and to improve the user's efficiency by enhancing the functionality of existing CIM modules.
Current limitations of integration, caused by the use of specific data representations for different CIM modules, will be overcome by a conceptual approach using features in all stages of the manufacturing process of a product.
IMPPACT aims to improve the understanding of the integration of successive production phases by recognising that the information system needs feedback loops.
The reference model to be specified serves as a general approach for deriving specific software development strategies for different application areas. It helps build the framework and ensures a reduction in the gap between the user's requirements and the software developed.
A flexible, adaptable architecture will be used, capable of handling software packages with individual structures and environments while running on different hardware. The architecture is open for the integration of future software. The integrated product model will contain all necessary information about standards and processes.
The main functional improvements will be to:
- combine solid and surface techniques and make these available at the process planning stage
- offer practice-oriented unfolding techniques for 3-D models to create flat patterns
- combine generative and knowledge-based process planning
- offer fully automated NC-part programming, including feature recognition with advanced nesting facilities.