CAD 3D models decomposition in manufacturing processes

Data exchange between different computer systems in design and manufacturing processes planning is a very important issue of computer aided engineering. Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) systems require properly pre-processed design data. Such data refer not only to geometry, but also to additional information such as dimensions, dimensional and geometrical tolerances and surface roughness. This paper focuses on data exchange between a parametric CAD 3D system and a prototype CAPP system. The proposed CAPP system enables realization of main steps of manufacturing process preparation. Special attention is paid to the data transfer from the CAD system to a design database and from the design database to a feature recognition module of the CAPP system. The article presents feature recognition algorithms and the structure of technological features database. Authors developed also graphical user interface which allows displaying a part geometry as well as recognized features and their parameters.