Computer Aided

Manufacturing

15.1 COMPUTER ASSISTED PROCESS PLANNING

(CAPP)

In aconventional manufacturing system, process planning is one of the activities

in manufacturing that is carried out manually by a group of mechanical engineers
and experienced planners who have sound knowledge about machining aspects and
other shop floor activities. It also involves certain procedures and techniques and is
concerned with selecting proper manufacturing methods, selection of proper tooling,
usage of jigs and fixtures, machinery selection, finding out the operations necessary
for product manufacture and arranging the operations in the right sequence. It might
also include documentation and its preparation for the manufacturing of products. In
aconventional process, most of the activities are done manually without
computer
assistance. Moreover, all these activities when carried out conventionally, are time
consuming and become tiresome especially while dealing with a large number of
process plans, part varieties and reviSions of those plans. But when computers are
introduced in the area of process planning, many of these activities could be success
fully executed without errors and flaws. CAPP is amethod by which the planning
funetion can be implemented by computers. It also helps in determining the steps and
sequence of operations requred to make a product/part from the CAD drawing and
model. It facilitates looking at the operation comprising several complex steps as an
integrated system so that all the operations and steps involved in the manufacture of
parts can be coordinated with others. Hence, all the activities are carried out effici
ently and efectively. Since conventional methods are not highly reliable. the need
 of customner
Computer Aided Manufacturing E 771
effective userequi
of renments, shorter lead times on the
industries to rely manufact u ring and machining product variety and optimum and
on facilities force many manufacturing
Fig.15.1 illustrates theautomated functions in the product life cycle.
simple logic in CAPP. The following

Input (Part Drawing)

Process planning Output (Route sheet)
Operation details
Fig. 15.1 Structure of a Simple CAPP System
In the structure of the
drawing generated either process-planning
through
software, the input might be a component
AutoCAD software or any other CAD software
Such as Pro-E or CATIA. The drawings can be either a
model or a solid model. When this three-dimensional wireframe
information
loaded with process-planning software, it starts
is fed into the computer system
tion and related instructions which can be printedgenerating the sequence of opera
out either from a printer or from a
plotter. In some cases,the computers may also accept two-dimensional models. The
output received from the process-planning software is known as route sheet or rout
ing sheet or process-planning sheet or operations instruction sheet. The person who
is responsible for generating a process plan is known as the process planner. He/ She
must be an engineer familiar with shop-floor practice, and machining and process
capabilities. In a process plan, it is very important to structure the data concerning
the part design, operations,manufacturing facilities and capabilities into categories
and logical relationships. CAPP integrates most of the tools of both CAD and CAM
and process planning is an important step in product development. Design of jigs
and fixtures appears only after process planning in the product life cycle. Adatabase
should be available in such a system soas to supply information and tools pertain
Ing to machines and operations. A facility to edit the operations and instructions
Should also be available. In some cases, a machinability database system also helps
operations in
n selecting optimum process parameters while executing machining tooBs
the System. Aprocess-planning sheet will have information about the machine
convertng the component
and set-uptime andoperation time. It is the outcome of varnous operations
drawing with dimensions and sizes into a complete listing of
performedon the component.
process-planning activity can be divided into the following steps. Based on
The first identifies what processes and tools
the Component drawing, the process planner
product. Fromthis information, he is able to
are necessary for the manufacture of the which can performthe above processes. He
select the machine tools and equipments
conclusion on the sequence in which the operations
also calculates and arrives at a
there are similar operations, he groups them together. In
have to be performed. If operation, some additional workholding devices might
addition, during machining workpiece properly and this decision is also taken by
be
required in orderto holdtheoperation or even duringthe operation, the processed
the process planner. Afterthe to beinspected
and checked with the nspection
Or components need
semi-finished
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