Steps Towards an Integrated CAD/CAM System for Mould Design and Manufacture: Anisotropic Shrinkage, Component Library and Link to NC Machining and EDM

The efficient use of commercial CAD/CAM systems for mouldmaking requires the development of application oriented routines and interfaces. Several such specific developments are discussed here. The design of a mould can he speeded up by routines correcting automatically the mould shape in order to compensate for anisotropic shrinkage and by the use of a library of standard mould components, as plates, guides, ejectors, etc. A better link towards mould manufacture has been obtained by the development of a generalized interactive post-processor and a DSC link. A good intepration of CAD/CAM and electro-discharge machinine is achieved in which care is taken of the EDM process planning, the manufacture of the electrodes and the on-line control of the EDM process.