Research On Automatic Programming Software Based On Solidworks For Three-dimensional Laser Cutting Machine

The developments of numerical control techniques and the CAD/CAM technology improved the three-dimensional laser processing with high accuracy high flexibility, high speed, low cost, intelligence and high integrated. The automatic programming software, which was an important component of the three-dimensional laser cutting processing CAM system, has great influenced on the accuracy, efficiency, cost and intelligence in the cutting process.This paper developed the automatic programming software of three-dimensional laser cutting machine, which using Visual C++ as programming tool for further development of SolidWorks. The software covered all of functional modules including work piece positioning, cut route selection, cut route discrete approximation algorithm, cut route planning, interferences checking, cutting process simulation and the final NC code generating process. The paper did research on the key technologies of each functional module:The paper used the directly decomposition method and the curve fitting method to acquire the discrete approximation of processing curves, and developed the discrete algorism for the three-dimensional cutting route based on the curve length parameter, and used dichotomy to justify the discrete curve length dynamically, which implemented the precision control of the discrete route; and presented a simple and effective cutting route planning algorism.For the complex part, a strategy for acquiring multi-safe-plane controlled transitional route has been developed. The factors which affected the cut route planning have been analyzed. A simple and effective cut route planning algorism was given.This paper analyzed the interference checking flow using the methods of Modeler Object and AssemblyDoc Object, and developed a couple of parameter adjusting based methods which could be applied in interference avoiding.The cutting process simulation function was implemented by the cut point data which was extracted from the database, as well as the adoption of transformation methods.For the positions of the cut point are heterogeneous, the interpolation calculation between the gestures of the cut point was carried out to optimized the cutting process simulation animation, which made the simulation process continuity and with uniform speed.According to the functional requirements of the automatic programming software, a modularized structure which was based on the three-dimensional laser cut database was presented. And structure flow of each module has been designed accordingly.