Cad-Based Automated G-Code Generation for Drilling Operations

Abstract

The automated generation of G-code for machining processes is a valuable tool at the hands of every engineer and machinist. Nowadays, many software systems exist that provide automated functions related to G-code generation. Most free software require the import of a Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file and cannot work directly on a 3D part. On the contrast, the equivalent commercially-available software systems are feature-rich and can provide a variety of automated processes, but are usually highly priced. The presented application aims to supplement the existing free Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems by providing a way of generating G-code for drilling operations, using already owned commercial 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems such as SolidWorksTM. Thus, in the case of 3D part drilling, a standard 3D CAD system is sufficient since the code can be adopted by most modern CAD software with minor changes. Moreover, no specialized CAM software is required. In order to achieve this automation, the Application Programming Interface (API) of SolidWorks™ 2018 was utilized, which allows for the design of visualized User Interfaces (UI) and the development of code under the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA™) programming language. The available API methods are employed to recognize the features that were used to design the part, as well as extract the geometric parameters of each of these features. In addition, an embedded calculator automatically defines the cutting conditions (cutting speed, feed and tool) based on the user selections. Finally, the application generates the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) code for the summary of the discovered holes according to the standardized G-code commands; the output can be a typical TXT or NC file that can be easily converted to the preference of the user if necessary.

Proceedings - The Eleventh International Symposium GRID 2022

“…They make use of a complete methodological proposal in order to apply the computational strategy in a variety of product design areas. Tzotzis et al (2021) automated the generation of the necessary G-code for a number of drilling operations from different directions on a CNC machining centre. A general purposes CAD system is used via its Application Programming Interface (API) and it is utilized for implementing a user-friendly piece of software that guide the G-code generation for machining purposes.…”

“…Furthermore, the aforementioned modern approach of product brand image also includes design elements like material's texture and roughness, color, and the unique design style of the specific brand. Nowadays, novel Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems afford advanced features and capabilities that can be used to produce unusual geometries in product design engineering field (Tzotzis et al, 2021). More specifically, computational design is a supportive methodology for designing branded products according to the brand-new theory of the holistic design strategy.…”

The “Do-it-yourself (DIY)” brand design strategy through computational design tools

“…Furthermore, the aforementioned modern approach of product brand image also includes design elements like material's texture and roughness, color, and the unique design style of the specific brand. Nowadays, novel Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems afford advanced features and capabilities that can be used to produce unusual geometries in product design engineering field (Tzotzis et al, 2021). More specifically, computational design is a supportive methodology for designing branded products according to the brand-new theory of the holistic design strategy.…”