Computer Aided Prototyping

这个机构基础设施奖是为了支持研究 在计算机辅助制造工程领域。 犹他州小组采用的方法是计算机辅助原型设计 要制造的物体。 该过程被分解为 三个独立的研究领域：设计，原型设计， 验证。 设计方面的研究涉及提高 Alpha 1计算机辅助几何设计系统 该系统 能够数学地描述要制造的物体。 是 通过将一些常见的制造过程 步骤作为特殊元素进入模型（例如，这个洞将是 counterbored）。 原型方面是采取数学 描述对象（比如齿轮）并生成NC代码 以及实际生产产品所需的加工顺序， 加工中心 犹他州大学已经拥有了一个五 三轴加工中心、数控车削中心、三维聚合物设备、 和机器人设备，因此可以通过实验验证他们的 research. 长期目标是优化加工顺序 以及其他必要的制造活动， 工厂在没有人监督的情况下运作。 这个原型 设施也将用于与博士合作。 雅各布森工程设计中心。 该中心设计和 制造许多原型产品。 使用计算机来辅助和指导制造业的情况越来越多。 在日本和欧洲国家比在美国常见 States. 这个机构基础设施奖是为了支持 自动化制造实验室， 制造产品的设计和原型制作。 一旦原型 被认为是可以接受的，改进制造的方法， 特别是小批量项目。 的 犹他州的大学有着悠久的历史，成功的工业 合作，预计这项研究的结果 将广泛传播到美国制造业 行业

This Institutional Infrastructure award is to support research in the general area of Computer Aided Manufacturing Engineering. The approach taken by the Utah group is computer aided prototyping of objects to be manufactured. The process is broken down into three separate areas of research: design, prototyping, and validation. The design aspect of the research involves enhancing the Alpha 1 computer aided geometric design system. This system is able to mathematically describe objects to be manufactured. It is enhanced by incorporating some commonly occurring manufacturing steps into the model as special elements (e.g., this hole is to be counterbored). The proto-typing aspect is to take the mathematical description of the object (say a gear) and generate the NC codes and the tooling sequences necessary to actually produce the item on a machine center. The University of Utah already possesses a five axis machine center, a CNC turning center, 3-D polymer equipment, and robotics equipment and so can experimentally validate their research. A long term goal is to optimize the tooling sequences and other necessary manufacturing activities in order to have the factory operate without human supervision. This prototyping facility would also be used in collaborative work with Dr. Jacobsen's Center for Engineering Design. This center designs and manufactures many prototype items. The use of computers to aid and guide manufacturing is more common in Japan and the European countries than in the United States. This Institutional Infrastructure award is for the support of an automated manufacturing laboratory that will allow the quick design and prototyping of manufactured items. Once the prototype is deemed acceptable, methods of improving the manufacturing of the item, particularly in small batch numbers, can be explored. The University of Utah has a long history of successful industrial collaborations and it is expected that the results of this research will be widely disseminated to the United States manufacturing industry.