A hint-based machining feature recognition system for 2.5D parts

The recognition of machining features in a part with arbitrary feature interactions is a difficult task. In this paper a hint-based machining feature recognition system for 2.5D parts with arbitrary feature interactions is presented. A pre-processor is used to screen out invalid 2.5D parts automatically and calculate the possible machining directions. The feature recognition starts with identifying the traces of features present in the part. Once a hint is found, geometrical reasoning is then used to compute other parameters to complete a maximally extended feature instance. The system handles hole, linear slot and circular slot features in the first pass. Various possibilities, like through or blind hole, through or blind slot, floorless or multi-floor slots are instantiated after their testing and repairing. The system then, likewise, handles floor-based and floorless pockets, in the second pass. The recognition process is tightly coupled with the machining environment to ensure machinability of the recognized features. A prototype of the system is implemented in visual C++ and ACIS (R) 3D modelling toolkit.