Watertight Spline Morphing for CAD-to-Manufacturing Digital Twins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CAD models are not directly suitable for downstream digital engineering applications due to non-geometric watertightness, leading to inaccuracies and loss of design intent information, and there is a lack of automated methods to integrate as-executed manufacturing data with CAD models for improved decision-making.
Innovation Solution
The use of watertight spline models to determine a warp function that characterizes discrepancies between as-designed and as-constructed objects, allowing for the creation of geometrically accurate digital twins that maintain semantic PMI data throughout the design-through-manufacturing lifecycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional CAD models are used for downstream digital engineering applications, then the design process is completed, but the models lack geometric watertightness and cause loss of design intent information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by constructing a watertight spline model from manufacturing data before downstream digital engineering applications are executed. This pre-constructed watertight model ensures geometric accuracy is established in advance, preventing information loss during subsequent simulation and analysis processes. The warp function is also determined in advance to characterize discrepancies between as-designed and as-constructed models.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital twin copy of the physical manufactured object using watertight spline modeling. This copy maintains geometric watertightness while preserving design intent information through the warp function that characterizes deviations from the original CAD model. The digital twin serves as an accurate representation for downstream applications without losing critical design information.
2Productivity
If as-executed manufacturing data is collected from CNC machines, then production monitoring is enabled, but automated integration with CAD models for decision-making is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by determining a warp function that characterizes discrepancies between as-designed CAD models and as-constructed models based on collected manufacturing data. This feedback mechanism enables automated comparison and integration, allowing the system to automatically identify deviations and provide actionable insights for decision-making without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a watertight spline model as an intermediary between raw manufacturing data and CAD models. This intermediary representation enables automated integration by providing a common geometric framework that both manufacturing data and CAD models can reference, facilitating seamless data flow and automated decision-making processes.
3Measurement precision
If watertight spline models are constructed from manufacturing data, then geometric accuracy is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming manufacturing data into a watertight spline model representation with specific geometric parameters. This transformation enables precise geometric representation while managing complexity through parameterized modeling. The warp function also uses parameter changes to efficiently characterize deviations without requiring full model reconstruction.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable memory media for determining a warp function. An as-designed watertight spline model of an object is received. A point cloud and the as-designed watertight spline model are used to construct a model of the object. The point cloud is obtained from a physical or virtual (simulated) inspection and/or manufacturing process. A warp function is determined based on a difference between the as-designed watertight spline model and the constructed model. The warp function is a continuous function quantifying differences between the as-designed model and the constructed model. As-preprocessed instructions for a simulation or analysis process of the object are determined based on metadata of the as-designed watertight spline model and the warp function. The simulation or analysis process is performed on the object according to the as-preprocessed instructions to produce as-simulated data, and the as-simulated data is stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium.