A methodology for recognizing features in two-dimensional cylindrical part designs

SUMMARY

The interfacing of computer-aided design (CAD) to computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is a vital step in automated manufacturing. An essential operation is the recognition of features from the part design. This paper presents a methodology for the recognition of features from two-dimensional rotational objects. First, this work defines the term ‘feature’ as a set of connected lines in the profile of the object, which satisfy certain geometric properties. Then, the task of feature recognition is decomposed into a set of distinct functions. These recognize, classify, decompose and reconstruct, and identify face sets which satisfy the definition of features. A prototype is developed which implements these functions. The important characteristics of this methodology are: (1) all cylindrical features are recognized, and most of them identified according to the input formats of a desired CAPP system; and (2) the system is modular and flexible and its functions can be easily modified.