A machining feature extraction approach for casting and forging parts

An approach to extract machining features based on machined faces (M-faces) for casting and forging parts is presented. There are four phases in the recognition process: 1) identification of M-faces; 2) decomposition of the removed simple volumes into delta simple volumes (DSV) with M-faces. 3) gluing these DSVs into sets of maximal simple volumes (MSV) by M-faces. 4) mapping these MSVs into feasible machining process types. This strategy is process oriented and feature independent. It recognizes features that can be produced by common machining operations in a uniform way and produces alternative sets of machining features.