Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Generating NC tool paths from random scanned data using point-based models

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach for the generation of NC tool paths from random scanned data. Instead of using smooth or triangulated surfaces reconstructed from raw data, which is usually a time-consuming reverse engineering approach, the point-based surfel models computed by a GPU (graphics processing unit) are used to generate NC tool paths. The tool-path generation is highly efficient and still maintains the advantage of having accurate and smooth machining result. The word “surfel” itself is the combination of the two words “surface” and “element”. It is originally applied to the rendering of scanned data. In this paper, the point-based model is created using an elliptical Gaussian re-sampling filter that is based on a signal re-sampling algorithm. Since the input scanned data is of discrete and random nature, the warping process is utilized to transform the input data into a continuous surface and then re-sample the continuous surface by using GPU. Because the re-sampled data can accurately represent the original surface, tool paths can be generated based on the point data set. For cutting tools with various sizes, adaptive re-sampling schemes are employed to generate sufficient sampled points for the generation of accurate and smooth tool-paths.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pfister H, Zwicker M, Baar J, Gross M (2000) Surfels: surface elements as rendering primitives. Proc SIGGRAPH’00, pp 335–342

  2. Zwicker M, Pfister H, Baar J, Gross M (2001) Surface splatting, Proc SIGGRAPH’01, pp 371–378

  3. Ren L, Pfister H, Zwicker M (2002) Object space EWA surface splatting: a hardware accelerated approach to high-quality point rendering. Proc EUROGRAPHICS’02, pp 461–470

  4. Botsch M, Kobbelt L (2003) High-quality point-based rendering on modern GPUs. Proc Pacific Graphics’03, pp 335–343

  5. Guennebaud G, Paulin M (2003) Efficient screen space approach for hardware accelerated surfel rendering. Proc Vision, Modeling and Visualization’03, pp 485–493

  6. Zwicker M, Rasanen J, Botsch M, Dachsbacher C, Pauly M (2004) Perspective accurate splatting. Proc Graphics Interface ‘04, pp 247–254

    Google Scholar 

  7. Zwicker M, Pauly M, Knoll O, Gross M (2002) Pointshop 3D: an interactive system for point-based surface editing, Proc of SIGGRAPH’02, pp 322–329

  8. Zwicker M, Pfister H, Baar J, Gross M (2002) EWA splatting. IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph 8(3):223–238 DOI 10.1109/TVCG.2002.1021576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hwang JS, Chang TC (1998) Three-axis machining of compound surfaces using flat and filleted endmills. Comput Aided Des 30(8):641–647 DOI 10.1016/S0010-4485(98)00021-9

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Choi BK, Jerard RB (1998) Sculptured surface machining. Kluwer, Dordrecht

  11. Park SC (2003) Tool-path generation for Z-constant contour machining. Comput Aided Des 35(1):27–36 DOI 10.1016/S0010-4485(01)00173-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Tang K, Cheng CC, Dayan Y (1995) Offsetting surface boundaries and 3-axis gouge-free surface machining. Comput Aided Des 27(12):915–927 DOI 10.1016/0010-4485(96)83775-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Inui M (2003) Fast inverse offset computation using polygon rendering hardware. Comput Aided Des 35(2):191–201 DOI 10.1016/S0010-4485(02)00052-0

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Lin R, Koren Y (1996) Efficient tool-path planning for machining free-form surfaces. ASME J Eng Ind 188(1):20–28 DOI 10.1115/1.2803642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Computational geometry algorithms library, http://www.cgal.org/

  16. Yau HT, Lee RK, Chuang CM, Hsu CY (2005) NC tool-path generation based on surfel models constructed from random scanned data. Proc CAD’05. 2(1–4):567–576

  17. Chuang CM, Chen CY, Yau HT (2002) A reverse engineering approach to generating interference-free tool paths in three-axis machining from scanned data of physical models. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 19(1):22–31 DOI 10.1007/PL00003965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Teng ZJ, Feng HY, Azeem A (2006) Generating efficient tool paths from point cloud data via machining area segmentation. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 30(3–4):254–260 DOI 10.1007/s00170-005-0081-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Feng HY, Teng Z (2005) Iso-planar piecewise linear NC tool path generation from discrete measured data points. Comput Aided Des 37(1):55–64 DOI 10.1016/j.cad.2004.04.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Huang Y, Wang Q, Huang Z, Wu J (2006) Tool-path generation from densely scattered measure points– on CQEM. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 27(9–10):945–950 DOI 10.1007/s00170-004-2269-2

    Google Scholar 

  21. OuYang D, Nest BA, Feng HY (2005) Determining gouge-free ball-end mills for 3D surface machining from point cloud data. Robot Comput-Integr Manuf 21(4–5):338–345 DOI 10.1016/j.rcim.2004.10.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Lin AC, Liu HT (1998) Automatic generation of NC cutter path from massive data points. Comput Aided Des 30(1):77–90 DOI 10.1016/S0010-4485(97)00066-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Chung-Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hong-Tzong Yau & Chien-Yu Hsu

Authors
  1. Hong-Tzong Yau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chien-Yu Hsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chien-Yu Hsu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yau, HT., Hsu, CY. Generating NC tool paths from random scanned data using point-based models. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 41, 897–907 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-008-1542-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-008-1542-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation