Method and apparatus for a cutting system for avoiding pre-cut

42 Pages·2013·2.3 MB·English

US006609044B1
(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,609,044 B1
Basista et al. (45) Date of Patent: *Aug. 19, 2003
(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A 5,614,115 A 3/1997 Horton et al.
CUTTING SYSTEM FOR AVOIDING PRE- 5,635,086 A 6/ 1997 Warren, 11 6t a1~
CUT FEATURES OTHER PUBLICATIONS
(75) Inventors: Thomas A. Basista, Mentor, OH (US); A Letter of Jan. 16, 1996 from George Powers of Radan
Scott Bockbrader, Fair?eld, OH (US) CIM, Inc. to Gus Pelsor of Cincinnati Incorporated.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ A Letter of Jan. 24, 1996 from George PoWers of Radan
(73) Asslgnee? Clnclnnatl Incorporated, Clnclnnatl, CIM, Inc. to Gus Pelsor of Cincinnati Incorporated.
OH (Us) Affidavit of Michael D. Lundy, President and CEO of
Optirnation, Inc. and exhibits attached thereto.
( * ) Notice: subject_to any disclaimerg the term of this Affidavit of S. Turner Allen, Chairman of Optirnation, Inc.
patent is extended or adJusted under 35 and exhibits attached thereto
U-S-C- 154(k)) by 332 days- Letter from Wm. Bruce Day to Frederick H. Gribbell.
This patent is subject to a terminal dis- P ''i mary Examiner—Ramesh Patel
Claitmm (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Wood, Herron & Evans,
LLP
(21) Appl. No.: 09/672,357 (57) ABSTRACT
(22) Filed: Sep- 28’ 2000 An improved laser cutting apparatus is provided that opti
mizes the amount of time required to perform all of the
Related US. Application Data
required cuts in a piece of sheet material. The optimization
minimizes the amount of rapid-travel movement of the laser
(63) Continuation of application No. 08/723,918, ?led on Sep.
30’ 1996’ now Pat‘ NO‘ 671287546‘ head, and virtually eliminates all head-up/head-doWn move
ments of the laser head. In one embodiment, the present
Int. (:1.7 .............................................. .. invention performs a method that accepts Code that has
(52) US. Cl. ..................... .. 700/166; 700/173; 700/182; already been created by a conventional software product
700/191; 219/121.78; 219/121.82; 219/121.67 produced by a CAD/CAM vendor, and analyzes that NC
(58) Field of Search ............................... .. 700/166, 173, code to create an optimized part program. The NC code is
700/182, 191, 97, 17, 117, 122, 127, 144, broken doWn and analyzed as a series of individual shapes
159, 160, 167; 219/121.78, 121.82, 121.66, to be cut by the laser head. Once the required shapes are
121.67, 121.83, 121.72, 121.73, 121.75, knoWn, a “sweep” is made to determine hoW many cut-outs
121.79; 29/563, 564, 565 are in each “band” being analyzed across the surface of the
sheet material to be cut. The number of bands and the types
(56) References Cited of sWeep are varied to analyze different possibilities of
rapid-travel distance While still eliminating all head-up/
U'S' PATENT DOCUMENTS head-doWn movements of the laser head. The order in Which
4,513,366 A 4/1985 Munekata et al. the cut-outs are to be cut Within a particular band is
4,764,873 A 8/1988 Libby analyzed, and the placement and direction of the lead-in for
4,905,310 A 2/1990 Ulrich each of the cut-outs are determined. Each “sWeep-type” for
49397664 A 7/1990 Nankaku multiple numbers of bands are investigated so as to calculate
4951217 A 8/1990 Clack et a1‘ the rapid-travel distance for each of the possibilities, thereby
5’O88’181 A 2/1992 Jeppsson determining the minimum rapid-travel distance possible for
5,227,606 A 7/1993 Weeks et al. . . .
5,340,962 A 8/1994 Schmidt et a1‘ the particular series of cut-outs to be made on this sheet
5,359,872 A 11/1994 Nashiki mammal
5,550,346 A 8/1996 Andriash et al.
5,584,016 A 12/1996 Varghese et al. 34 Claims, 27 Drawing Sheets
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 1 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 2 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
25%
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 3 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
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m,
FIG. 53
FIG. 5A
U.S. Patent
Aug. 19,2003 Sheet 4 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
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50/
\
\
\
/ \\\
FIG. 4B
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 5 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
START
110
V
CREATE CAD FILE FUR A PART] CREATE CAD/CAM PREIGRAM.
112
CREATE ‘INTERMEDIATE’ PRUGRAM THAT DETERMINES A TDDL
PATH FUR A PARTICULAR PART (BUILD TABLE FDR EACH CUT-BUT).
114
I
ANALYZE TEIDL PATH Tl] DETERMINE UNE UR MURE
RE-SEQUENCED TUEIL PATHS THAT REQUIRE ND HEAD-UP /
HEAD—DE|\»/N MDVEMENTS AND ALSD AVUID PREVIEIUSLY CUT
AREAS.
118
7
SELECT RE~SEQUENCED TEIEIL PATH THAT CUNTAINS THE
MINIMUM RAPID MEIVEMENT.
118
CREATE N.C. CEIDE USING NEW TDDL PATH.
FIG. 6
U.S. Patent Aug. 19,2003 Sheet 6 6f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
START
I
120
CREATE TABLE OF RECTANGULAR AREAS A
REPRESENTING THE X-MIN/MAX AND
Y-MIN/MAX DF ALL CUTDUTS.
K
V
SELECT TYPE UF SWEEP AND NUMBER [IF
BANDSJ INSPECT INTERMEDIATE PRUGRAM FUR
THE ENDING PUINT [IF ALL CUTUUTS,‘
CREATE A RE-SEQUENCED INTERMEDIATE
PREIGRAM THAT CREATES A NEW SURT URDER.
I
IN REVERSE EIRDER [IF THE SIIRT, CREATE A
MUDIFIED INTERMEDIATE PREIGRAM WHILE CHEIEISING
THE PREFERRED LEAD—IN DIRECTIIIIN AND ENDING
PUINT FUR EACH CUTDUT; CREATE NEW
LUCATIUNS [IF ALL RAPID-TRAVEL PATHS.
K:
ANALYZE FUR THIS SWEEP ALL RAPID TRAVEL
PATH MUVEMENTS Tl] DETERMINE WHETHER DR
NUT ANY [1F THEM PASS [IVER ANY PRE—CUT
FEATURE.
180
128
DISCARD THIS
VALID PUSSIBLE
POSSIBILITY
INTERMEDIATE
FIG. 7A
U.S. Patent
Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 7 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
\ T
COMPARE LATEST POSSIBILITY TO PREVIOUSLY
STORED POSSIBILITY,’ FIND LOWER CUMULATIVE
RAPID-TRAVEL DISTANCE.
V
SAVE BETTER POSSIBILITY; DISCARD THE
WORSE POSSIBILITY.
134/
136
IS
THIS THE
FINAL
NO
ATTEMPT TO SWEEP
138 INTERMEDIATE
PROGRAM
'?
I
YES
DO NEW SWEEP WITH
DIFFERENT NUMBER OF
BANDS OR SWEEP TYPE.
I
FINISHED
FIG. 7B
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 8 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1
UPTIUN — REDU SWEEPS
—\ I
\uo
SELECT TYPE EIF SWEEP AND NUMBER UF
BANDS] INSPECT INTERMEDIATE PRUGRAM FUR 142
THE ENDING PEIINT UF ALL CUTUUTS,‘ /
CREATE A RE-SEQUENCED INTERMEDIATE
PREIGRAM. ' I“
CREATE A MEIDIFIED INTERMEDIATE PRUGRAM /
WHILE CHEIEISING THE PREFERRED ENDING PUINT
FUR EACH CUTEIUTJ CREATE NEW LUCATIUNS OF
ALL RAPID-TRAVEL PATHS. 146
T
ANALYZE ALL RAPID~TRAVEL PATH MUVEMENTS /
TU DETERMINE HOW MANY EICCURRENCES UF
PASSING OVER A PRE-CUT FEATURE
[INTERFERENCE EVENT]. 148
T
COMPARE LATEST POSSIBILITY [E] TII /
PREVIUUSLY-STEIRED PUSSIBILITY El; FIND
LUWER NUMBER EIF INTERFERENCE EVENTS,‘ ALSU
FIND CUMULATIVE, RAPID-TRAVEL DISTANCE.
T
SAVE BETTER PUSSIBILITYI DISCARD WDRSE
[BASED UN NUMBER OF INTERFERENCES AND
RAPID-TRAVEL DISTANCE]
f 152 154
IS
THIS THE
FINAL NI]
ATTEMPT TE] SWEEP
INTERMEDIATE
PRUGRAM
Dl] NEW SWEEP WITH
DIFFERENT NUMBER [IF
BANDS EIR SWEEP TYPE.
FINISHED
FIG. 8
U.S. Patent Aug. 19, 2003 Sheet 9 0f 27 US 6,609,044 B1