Generation of Machining Alternatives for Machinability Evaluation

This paper presents a new methodology for evaluating the machinability of a machined part during the design stage of the product development cycle, so that problems related to machining can be recognized and corrected while the product is being designed. Our basic approach is to perform a systematic evaluation of machining alternatives throughout each step in the design stage. This involves three basic steps: (1) generate alternative interpretations of the design as different collections of machinable features, (2) generate the various possible sequences of machining operations capable of producing each interpretation, and (3) evaluate each operation sequence, to determine the relevant information on achievable quality and associated costs. The information provided by this analysis can be used not only to give feedback to the designer about problems that might arise with the machining, but also to provide information to the manufacturing engineer about alternative ways in which the part might be machined.