A 3-DIMENSIONAL CAD CAM/CAE INTEGRATION SYSTEM OF SCULPTURE SURFACE DIE FOR HOLLOW COLD-EXTRUSION/

In this paper, a CAD/CAM/CAE integration system for a sculptured surfa ce die for hollow cold extrusion has been developed by using C languag e for Windows. A sculptured surface model with variable control points is incorporated with a general three-dimensional velocity field to an alyze the extrusion process. The profiles of the product and the bille t are generated in the CAD module. The fitting points are generated to interpolate the profiles of the product and the billet. The initial g uess of control points are created by using the offset of correspondin g fitting points in the axial direction. The control points are varied automatically to obtain the optimum die surface by using the upper-bo und method and optimization procedure. The CAM module generates the cu tter locations by using the optimized die surface model. The gouging a reas of the tool path are detected and removed. The calculated cutter locations are verified through the tool path simulation. The NC codes are generated automatically by using the gouging-free cutter locations and then sent directly to a three-axis CNC machine centre to manufact ure the EDM electrodes. The extrusion die cavity is made by using an E DM process. Extrusion experiments have verified the proposed CAD/CAM/C AE integration system is successful. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.