Assembly sequence generation based on the CAD model simplification

Abstract

At present, Computer-Aided tools are at the heart of the product development cycle. These tools can accelerate and make more efficient the design and simulation tasks. However, there is no commercial aid tool for the assistance in the assembly/disassembly tasks. In this context, many approaches and methods are proposed in which feasible assembly/disassembly sequences can be generated. Amongst the limitations of those approaches is the considerable processing time. In this paper, we propose an approach for the simplification of the product CAD model in order to generate Assembly Sequences (AS). The developed approach, which is automatic and integrated to CAD system, begins by the identification and the elimination of standard components (such as screws, nuts, keys, etc.) present in the model. Then a simplified AS is carried out using a collision analysis. Finally, the global AS is obtained by inserting the eliminated elements into the final AS using a case-based algorithm which contains a census of the different standard component types. This developed case-based algorithm allows, according to the type, the identification of the assembly direction and the chronological order of the eliminated standard component.