[step-manufacturing] Minutes of sixteenth conference calll

[Martin Hardwick]

Attendees
---------------
Martin Hardwick, STEP Tools
David Loffredo, STEP Tools
Mikael Hedlind, KTH
Fred Proctor, NIST
Larry Maggiano, Mitutoyo
Sid Venkatesh, Boeing
David Odendahl, Boeing
Aydin Nassehi, University of Bath
Ian Stroud, EPFL
Bengt Olsson, Sandvik

Apologies for Absense
--------------------------------
Alain Brail, AlBavis
Leon Xu, Boeing
Chris Pfeifer, CCAT

The mystery STEP-NC implementor is Fanuc (see message from March 10)

The machining demonstration to be given at Boeing next week will use 
this control to machine the moldy part. The control reads tool path 
data defined by AP-238 in the P21 format. There is also some ability 
to translate the workpiece geometries into VRML for viewing.

The participants are still setting up their systems to machine the 
part. There have been a lot of issues with the tooling. KTH needed 
some tooling to be sent from Being. Bath needed a new version of the 
part to be generated for Metric tooling. NIST needs a version of the 
part that does not use any tooling with a diameter larger than half an inch.

We cannot require the contractor to generate STEP-NC programs for 
every possible combination of tooling. Therefore, we need to show 
that STEP-NC contains the information necessary to allow new tool 
paths to be generated, or existing tool paths to be modified, when a 
supplier does not have the exact tooling required by a STEP-NC 
program. This will be a good technical goal for the next 
demonstration to be given in Bath in September.

Mitutoyo has inspected the part given to them by Boeing. They did a 
first pass laser sensor scan with about 1.5 million points, and they 
tested the 22 points embedded in the STEP geometry using a touch trigger probe.

ftp://ftp.steptools.com/private/Vancouver/pictures/Moldy_Top_Laser.JPG
ftp://ftp.steptools.com/private/Vancouver/pictures/Measure_Moldy.jpg

KTH presented some slides with suggestions for Edition 2 of AP-238 
including possible enhancements for the name and scope of the 
standard. They have a proposal for how to model compensation curves 
and there is  feedback on the use of via-points for data compression, 
and cross section area curves for feed speed computation.
ftp://ftp.steptools.com/private/Vancouver/KTH_Sandvik_comments_and_proposals.pdf

This was the last conference call before the meeting. A recording of 
the call is at:
ftp://ftp.steptools.com/private/Vancouver/stepmanuf_telecon_20090506.wmv

There will be a web site for the meeting. The coordinates will be 
announced when they become available.

Action items
------------------
1.   Bath, KTH, CCAT, NIST and Al's machine shop to machine the part.
2.   Boeing to set up and test a web site for the first day of the meeting.
3.   NIST to develop data for machining the part using half inch tooling.
4.   STEP Tools to confirm meeting numbers and logistics for social 
event and visit to Mitutoyo