Knowledge-based system for computer-aided process planning of laser sensors 3D digitizing

This paper introduces some results of a research work carried out on the automation of digitizing process of complex part using a precision 3D-laser sensor. Indeed, most of the operations are generally still manual to perform digitalization. Zn fact, redundancies, lacks or forgetting in point acquisition are possible. Moreover, digitization time of a part, i.e. immobilization of the machine, is thus not optimized overall. So, it is important, for time-compression during product development, to minimize time consuming of reverse engineering step. A new way to scan automatically a complex 3-D part is presented in order to measure and to compare the acquired data with the reference CAD model. After introducing digitization, the environment used for the experiments is presented, based on a CMM machine and a plane laser sensor. Then the proposed strategy is introduced for the adaptation of this environment to a robotic CAD software in order to be able to simulate and validate SD-laser-scanning paths. The CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning) system used for the automatic generation of the laser scanning process is also presented.