Automated generation of assembly sequence based on geometric and functional reasoning

Computer-aided process planning forms a vital link in the realization of a completely automated manufacturing environment. This paper addresses issues related to automatically generating assembly sequences from the geometric description of part components. Determination of assembly sequence depends on physical characteristics of the components, and their relative position in the final assembly, in order to accomplish functional goals of the assembly. A knowledge-based architecture for extracting and representing explicit interface information between part components, with minimal expert interaction, is presented in this paper. The concept of articulation points is used to decompose the complete assembly into constituent subassemblies. Finally, a feasible sequence is generated for each subassembly.

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