ArticlePDF Available

Computer Aided Process Planning: The State-of-the-Art Survey,”

Taylor & Francis
International Journal of Production Research
Authors:
Leo Alting at Technical University of Denmark
Leo Alting
Hong-Chao Zhang at Texas Tech University
Hong-Chao Zhang
Download full-text PDFDownload full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract

Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) has been recognized as playing a key role in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). In the last two decades, a tremendous effort has been made in developing CAPP systems. However, the benefits of CAPP in the real industrial environment are still to be seen. In this paper, a comprehensive summary on the state-of-the-art and projection of future trends in CAPP is presented to help make decisions concerning CAPP implementation today and to aid in guiding research for tomorrow. We systematically overview the historical background of the development of CAPP and discuss the current techniques which includes the implementation approaches, GT technology, application of AI techniques, programming languages, etc., for implementation CAPP systems. About 14 well-known CAPP systems, which are based on the variant, generative or semi-generative approach, are briefly introduced in this paper. In total about 156 currently existing CAPP systems are listed in Table 1 in the appendix. Table 1 provides the general information of the existing systems, such as the characteristics of the systems, the domain of planable workpieces, implementation approaches, commercial situation, interfacing abilities, programming languages, references, and developers, etc. Future trends proposed in this paper covers the topics about interfacing, integration, AI techniques, and single data base systems, as well as PC, workstations and software migration strategy, etc., which might be used to guide coming research. More than 200 technical papers have been read and are referenced at the end of this paper.
computer aided process planning the state-of-the-art-surv
ey.pdf
Content uploaded by Hong-Chao Zhang
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Hong-Chao Zhang on Nov 20, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Computer aided process planning the state of the art surv
ey.pdf
Content uploaded by Hong-Chao Zhang
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Hong-Chao Zhang on Oct 28, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Any attempt at improvement within an Individual Microenterprise (MEI) must be very well developed and highlighted with great attention, due to the impact that development without due efficiency may be carried out within the company (Blanch, Pellicer, Romeu, & Ciurana, 2011). Entrepreneurs are often unable to understand how harmful the disorganization of a production process is, poor programming and development can suck up all the company's profits, and due to the lack of control over planning and production control, this situation can be makeup (Alting & Zhang, 1989). ...
... Just like every industry, PPCP also evolved, in the 80s, with the high use of information technology in industries, resources such as CAD/CAE achieved great automation. Its purposes were to provide data for programming and control, dealing with production planning (Alting & Zhang, 1989). ...
Improvement intervention proposal for a small clothing company: airtable software
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2023
The basis for any industry to achieve high growth potential and, consequently, profitability, comes from organization, efficiency, standardization, quality, among other factors. Entrepreneurs are often unable to pinpoint how damaging the disorganization of a production process is, poor programming and development can suck up all the company's profits, and due to the lack of planning and production control this situation can be imperceptible in the final process. All of these points can be resolved with good company organization aligned with good production planning and control. However, every optimization process requires everyone's involvement and commitment, that is, everyone needs to be willing to donate to achieve process improvement that brings positive impacts to both the worker and the company. In this work we observed the importance of developing and implementing Production Planning, Programming and Control (PPCP) software on an online platform called Airtable. With the software it was possible to access the company's entire data history, making the information easily accessible for everyone in the company. As a result, it was possible to see a significant improvement in the company's organization, a reduction in lead time and consequently a significant growth.
View
... In particular, one of the roots is Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) [11,65,176] where process specifications for each manufacturing step (e.g., a tool path) are defined in a semiautomatic way. Another problem, however, is how to define the overall strategy to realize the part which requires Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) (e.g., the selection from alternative ways of manufacturing a part, placement of the part, sequence of operations), which is currently only partially solved [2,50,54,85,144,163,180,255,280]. Even additive manufacturing (AM) [5,126] that initially was proposed as a technology to automatically translate a drawing into a part needs very sophisticated process planning if conforming parts need to be realized at the first attempt. ...
... (1) On the one hand, some platforms create a first centralized quotation without considering tolerances and ask the producers to propose in a distributed way their quotation based on the whole set of data available (including possibly tolerances) even if not provided in a structured format. (2) On the other hand, other platforms such as Spanflug, are trying to create more sophisticated interfaces to be able to acquire all the information in a structured way and be able to consider all the aspects in the (instant) quotation. This second approach involves quite complex technical issues and requires an in-depth analysis of each type of technology used in the production of parts. ...
View
... Sheet metal cutting operations play a crucial role in the aerospace manufacturing industry in the production of fuselage panels, wings, and engine parts. Aerospace producers may create intricate cutting patterns with CAPP software, which guarantees excellent dimensional accuracy and adherence to the stringent tolerances needed for aerospace applications [17]. In the construction business, sheet metal cutting activities are essential for creating building components like structural supports, cladding panels, and roofing sheets. ...
Computer Aided Process Planning for Sheet Metal Cutting Operations in the Manufacturing Industry
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
This paper describes computer-aided process planning for sheet metal cutting operations. The two designs to production stages that is highlighted are sheet metal processing and machining. There are four modules in this object's system. Virtual factory environments, feature-based designs, process planning, and process-based feature mapping. Feature-based design is utilized for the conception, modeling, and representation of the components for manufacturing applications. Whenever it involves sheet metal cutting operations in the manufacturing sector, computer-aided process planning, is extremely important for streamlining manufacturing procedures. The provides a general introduction to computer-aided process planning as it relates to sheet metal cutting, emphasizing its importance in boosting productivity, saving costs, and raising product quality. The main goal of computer-aided process planning for sheet metal cutting is to integrate computer technology, CAD/CAM systems, and sophisticated algorithms to automate and streamline the planning process. Based on design requirements, material characteristics, and production limitations, this method enables manufacturers to produce exact and ideal cutting plans. To create blanking and piercing holes, stamped or punched die are utilized in generative shape design; the generative computer-aided process planning system is created in C++ and used in various case studies presented in the present work. The application of computer-aided process planning for sheet metal cutting has several advantages, including greater output, less material waste, shortened lead times, and improved competitiveness in the industrial sector. The potential of computer-aided process planning to revolutionize sheet metal cutting operations, making them more efficient and cost-effective while ensuring high-quality final products is highlighted in the present research.
View
... Additionally, PPCP helps small businesses avoid excessive or insufficient inventory, better controlling costs and increasing profitability. Therefore, PPCP is not exclusive to large companies; it is equally important for small businesses that want to grow, prosper, and maintain an effective and sustainable operation (Alting & Zhang, 1989). ...
Proposal for improvement intervention for a sawmill: airtable software
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2023
With the competition that exists between the timber sector in Brazil, companies in this sector need to adapt to the market, where many of the causes that hinder companies are in the way in which internal activities are carried out. Within this issue, a process that generates problems within a company is the lack of Production Planning, Programming and Control (PPCP). The lack of PPCP causes delays in production and products are made without quality, thus damaging the company's name. Using quality tools and the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act), phenomenon and process analyzes were carried out. As a result, it was found that the lack of a PPCP was causing delays and losses for the company. In order to act on this problem, data on the processes and their causes were collected. Based on the data collected, PPCP software was created using the Airtable platform, which enabled solutions to problems involving delays in order delivery. Finally, the work achieved its objectives, meeting the company's needs and continuing with future improvements.
View
... In the also year, Alting et al. summarized more than 200 papers and 14 well-known CAPP systems. The future trends suggested by the authors include interfaces, integration, artificial intelligence technologies, and individual database systems [21]. ...
Knowledge graph-based manufacturing process planning: A state-of-the-art review
Article
  • Aug 2023
  • J MANUF SYST
Computer-aided process planning is the bridge between computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. With the advent of the intelligent manufacturing era, process knowledge is important for process planning. Knowledge graph is a semantic representation method of knowledge that has attracted extensive attention from the industry and academia. Process planning using the process knowledge graph has become an important development direction for computer-aided process planning. From the analysis of the published reviews, there have been many computer-aided process planning reviews with different focuses. We focus on the techniques and applications of knowledge graph in manufacturing process planning. Therefore, this paper comprehensively reviews knowledge graphs in manufacturing process planning. We analyze the key technologies of process knowledge graph, including process knowledge representation, process knowledge extraction, process knowledge graph construction, process knowledge graph refinement, process knowledge graph validation, and process generation. We also explore the combination of process knowledge graphs and large language models. Finally, potential future research directions are proposed.
View
... US company named Computer-Aided Manufacturing International (CAM-I) established the most significant CAM-I automated process planning system in 1976 (Butterfield et al., 1986). Later, the area was covered by numerous research and review articles (Alting & Zhang, 1989;Cay & Chassapis, 1997;Zhang & Xie, 2007). ...
Computer-Aided Design, Computer-Aided Process Planning, and Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Aug 2023
Increasing demand in product development and its automating information-processing functions to support designs and manufacturing have explored new horizons for researchers and designers to control production processes directly. The production industry has been revolutionized for better product agility and flexible manufacturing. This chapter focuses on the basic understanding of computer-aided designing (CAD), computer-aided process planning (CAPP), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems concerning their definition, classification, mathematical modeling, and software implementation. The development of these systems, along with their evolution, is detailed. Integrating CAD, CAPP, and CAM systems are explored through state-of-the-art industrial examples to link the individual systems. At the end of this chapter, essential aspects of CAD, CAPP, and CAM have been detailed as well.
View
Product Design and Process Planning
Chapter
  • Apr 2024
This chapter introduces the activities of market research, forecasting, product design (what is going to be manufactured), process planning (how is the product going to be manufactured), and schedule design (when is the product going to be manufactured). These activities precede the facility design process and provide the data for analysis. Discussions include fundamental internal functions serving as the platform on which facilities planning strategies are developed and coordinated to reach the company’s goals. A product is chosen to illustrate through the various chapters of the textbook the six sections of the project. Sections I and II of the factory design project are illustrated in this chapter using the selected product.
View
View
View
Handbook of Manufacturing Systems and Design: An Industry 4.0 Perspective
Book
Full-text available
  • Aug 2023
Handbook of Manufacturing Systems and Design: An Industry 4.0 Perspective is concerned with a comprehensive overview of manufacturing systems, their role in product/process design, and interconnection with the Industry 4.0 perspective, especially concerning design, manufacturing, and operations. Since modern manufacturing is composed of more intrinsic operations compared to the traditional view of constructing the physical product, some of the most important decisions in the manufacturing industry are directly related to the nature of products, the economics of production, fluctuations/changes in consumer demands, and subsequent design changes. Moreover, the advancement of information technologies has paved the way for the evolution of production systems, inviting the concept of Industry 4.0. This handbook aims to provide up-to-date, convincing answers to the myriad problems arising in manufacturing systems, their design, operations, and management of products/processes. This handbook will help students, engineers, managers, designers, and manufacturers to understand the core concepts of manufacturing systems in connection with Industry 4.0 and optimize alignment between supply and demand in real-time for effective implementation of the design concepts. The handbook will also supply literature with the missing pieces and, thus, a research- enabling platform in the design and control of smart manufacturing systems. Moreover, it will be a source of inspiration and, to some extent, implementation for industrial managers and engineers, particularly those contributing to production control in enhancing the manufacturing processes and increasing profits. For this handbook, we have secured contributions from leading researchers and practitioners from around the globe who have identified critical elements that could be made part of this handbook. It consists of 17 chapters and follows a process systems engineering approach to design, monitoring, and control of smart manufacturing systems and covers all aspects from design to supply chain and logistics. The topics covered include computer-aided process planning, Quality 4.0, digital twins, robotic systems, control strategies, sensors, energy harvesters, IoT, Logistics 4.0, cloud manufacturing, risk management, and reverse engineering, among others. The handbook is planned so that by using the table of contents and the index, the reader can locate references to a topic of concern and easily access information referring to a problem at hand.
View
XPLAN — An Expert Process Planning System and Its Further Development
Chapter
  • Jan 1988
Computer Aided Process Planning is a very important area integrating design and manufacturing. It is a prerequisite for establishing a CIM strategy. Many researchers are working on creating process planning systems based on AI techniques. In this paper the system XPLAN and it’s further development are described. It is based on the expert system shell DCLASS which is a general tree processor. The system concept is described including the main steps: part interrogation, process selection, machine and tool selection, operation sequencing and time/cost calculation. Three examples are introduced in this paper to show how XPLAN works. Finally, it is mentioned some of the areas where XPLAN will be expanded in the near future.
View
View
Bridging the Gap between CAD and CAM — GIPPS: a Generative Integrated Process Planning System
Chapter
  • Jan 1987
The output from a computer aided design (CAD) system is a product specification. Among the inputs required for a computer aided manufacturing (CAM) system is a process plan, and perhaps NC programs. At present the necessary step from product specification to process plan is generally carried out by a human expert, a process planner and/or NC programmer. The objective of our work is to develop an evolutionary system which will receive the output from a CAD system and automatically produce an appropriate process plan, which determines raw material shape & size and sequence of operations. The work is being carried out in collaboration with Anderson Strathclyde PLC and the Turing Institute in Glasgow, and focusses on a wide range of valve blocks. Progress to date is reported i.e. the acquisition of knowledge from the human process planners and the building of GIPPS v.1.0 which comprises modules for material shape & size selection.
View
Computer-Aided Production Planning
Chapter
  • Jan 1986
This section is confined to the problems of discrete manufacturing. For a systematic approach to production planning and control it is useful to subdivide the entire field into three main areas (Fig. 79):1. Input information and influences of manufacturing 2. Production planning 3. Output information for the realization and control of manufacturing (including feedback from manufacturing itself)
View
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CAD/CAPP/CAM BASED ON CELL-CONSTRUCTED-GEOMETRIC-MODEL (CCM).
Article
  • Jan 1986
Computer integration of CAD, CAPP and CAM is a very serious problem for industry, and a number of research works have been done on it. In order to realize the integration of CAD/CAPP/CAM, a geometric model which is named Cell-Constructed-geometric-Model (CCM), and a neutral meta-interface which is called MKS (Machining Kernel Software) are introduced for CAD/CAPP/CAM interface. This paper presents the concept of integration for CAD/CAPP/CAM, and the developed CAD/CAPP/CAM system which is based on the Cell-Constructed-geometric-Model (CCM) and Machining Kernel Software (MKS).
View
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SERIES, PART 8: AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR GROUP TECHNOLOGY.
Article
  • Oct 1987
One way of solving the group technology (GT) problem is by using an expert system combined with algorithms. According to the tandem system architecture, the expert system selects an appropriate model and algorithm for solving the GT problem. In addition, the expert system closely interacts with the model selected. For example, it may modify constraints, evaluate partial solutions or change the parameters of the model. In EXGT, which is under development, GT problems have been divided into three classes.
View
GT AND CAPP - PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR HYBRIDS.
Article
  • Nov 1982
Improved productivity in the production of hybrids can be obtained through the application of Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) and Group Technology (GT). These concepts have been applied to the design and fabrication of thick film substrates and multiple hybrid packages. The concepts of CAPP and GT have been applied to hybrid production by optimizing process knowledge and capturing it in algorithmic form using DCLASS (Decision Classification Information System). This knowledge allows the user to obtain a process plan complete with time standards, documentation requirements, and tooling approximately 50 percent of the time required by conventional methods. Through regular meetings with design engineering, product attributes and cost drivers were identified and converted to a decision tree structure. By classifying and coding existing designs the data base can be searched for specific product attributes with the potential of reducing the number of redundant designs. Feedback to the designer on expected factory costs can now be easily obtained by using the process planning software. By using optimized routings with improved time standards, productivity gains have been achieved while improving feedback to the design engineer. Additional benefits such as design and manufacturing standardization, reduced process planning learning time, and improved schedules are considered.
View
View
View
View