Three-Dimensional Kernel Development With Parasolid for Integral Sheet Metal Design With Higher Order Bifurcations

The technology of linear flow splitting to produce bifurcated sheet metal structures is researched by the collaborative research center 666 since 2005. So far the product design process is supported by 3D-CAD models on the basis of User-Defined-Features in standard 3D-CAD systems. This paper now presents a new approach for generating 3D-models of integral sheet metal design products with higher order bifurcations based on a low-level 3D-kernel. The emphasis is placed on two aspects, namely the processing of the model’s topology and geometry as well as the software implementation. First, a methodology for the generation and manipulation of the geometry and topology of the Boundary Representation (B-Rep) structure is proposed. This methodology is integrated into an algorithm-based product design approach, which enables engineers to plan and design their complete draft for bifurcated sheet metal parts in an automated, computer aided way. Further functionalities to support the subsequent manufacturing process are developed and integrated. The idea is then implemented by developing a 3D-CAD application using the B-Rep CAD-kernel Parasolid. The programming framework. NET has been chosen for the development of the software on a Windows NT platform using the object-oriented C++ and C# programming languages. The work presented here has significant implications on the quality, accurateness and efficiency of the product generation process of sheet metal products with higher order bifurcations.