Shoe Last Cutting Patterns for Plate-Part Assembly and Material Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing custom shoe lasts require dedicated large machines, are time-consuming, and costly, making it difficult for users to assemble shoe lasts from multiple plate-like parts, which often need to be prepared in advance.
Innovation Solution
A cutting support apparatus and system that generates a cutting pattern for cutting multiple plate-like parts from a plate-like member, such as a wooden board, by dividing the area into sections based on the type of parts and determining their positions for easy assembly, using an input unit, storage unit, and computing unit to output a cutting pattern for efficient cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated large machine is used to manufacture a shoe last, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe last is divided into multiple plate-like parts that can be cut from a larger plate-like member and assembled together. This segmentation allows the use of simpler cutting equipment instead of dedicated large machines, while maintaining manufacturing precision through computer-generated cutting patterns that ensure accurate part shapes and assembly positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from three-dimensional direct shaping (using large dedicated machines) to two-dimensional cutting and assembly. By generating cutting patterns on a 2D plane and assembling the cut parts, the system achieves the same 3D shoe last form without requiring complex 3D shaping equipment.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple plate-like parts are prepared for assembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but loss of substance increases due to material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting pattern is pre-calculated by the computing unit to optimize material usage. The arrangement of plate-like parts on the plate-like member is determined in advance to minimize waste, while still enabling easy user assembly. This preliminary optimization balances ease of manufacture with material efficiency.
3Productivity
If plate-like parts are arranged optimally on the plate-like member, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computing unit generates a digital cutting pattern that serves as a copy or plan for the physical cutting process. This digital representation allows complex optimization calculations to be performed virtually, then transferred to simple cutting equipment for execution, achieving high productivity without requiring complex physical device infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cutting support apparatus (100) includes an input unit (106) that receives shoe last data, a storage (110) in which a shape and a type of a plurality of plate-like parts are stored, a processor (102) that generates a cutting pattern for cutting the plurality of plate-like parts from a plate-like member having a predetermined size based on the shoe last data and the shape of the plurality of plate-like parts, and an output unit (108) that outputs the cutting pattern. The processor (102) divides an area of the plate-like parts to be arranged in the plate-like member into a plurality of areas in accordance with the type of the plate-like parts that form the shoe last, determines positions of the plurality of plate-like parts to be arranged in each of the areas based on an arrangement condition, and generates the cutting pattern.