The algorithms for trimmed surfaces construction and tool path generation in reverse engineering

In the duplication of a physical part such as die and mold, aerospace part and so on, most of patches are trimmed surfaces resulting from Boolean manipulations. Direct generation of tool paths from the practical parts is a fundamental problem. This paper presents an efficient method for generating NC tool paths from some trimmed surfaces. Three types of control points are determined to construct an underlying NURBS surfaces. NC tool paths are then generated based on these surfaces. The method can deal efficiently with parts composed of trimmed surfaces. It can be considered as a tool for reverse engineering software integration. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.