An attempt of CNC machining cycle's application as a tool of the design feature library elaboration

This paper presents a novel approach to a problem of the design feature library elaboration. As a tool of the design feature library development CNC machining cycles were proposed. Because of the great number of commercially available CNC machine controllers, with different CNC machining cycles definitions, it was necessary to make a decision about a research methodological framework, it is the selected CNC machine controller. Taking into account the criterion of popularity as the research framework the selected group of Sinumerik CNC machine controllers was chosen. Presented in the paper idea of the feature library development is based on an assumption saying that it is possible to find a relationship between a particular CNC machining cycle and the simple design feature or even compound design features. Identified, thanks to this assumption, set of the design features could be the base for elaboration of the design feature library. This solution, it is the feature library next gave opportunity for elaboration of the feature based design modelling module (FBDMM) working in the SIEMENS NX system environment. Hence, the FBDMM module can support both a designer and CNC machine programmer which is possible due to received in the module modelling paradigm. In FBDMM module the removal feature based modelling technique is received.