The Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (AML)
The creation of the Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) has been the result of a several NSF grants to the Department of Computer Science and the Center for Engineering Design. The AML allows our research into computer vision, computer-aided geometric design, and geometric modeling to produce not only pictures, but also solid objects. The objects may have use as parts of real machines, as prototypes during the design and engineering process, or as solid visualizations of three-dimensional phenomena. In addition, the difficult requirements of controlling Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) manufacturing and inspection equipment spurs us to further research in design, modeling, inspection and reverse engineering.
A Sparc 20 workstation in the AML serves as the gateway from the network of workstation computers to the equipment there. Control programs for the machines, generated algorithmically from geometric or ``process plan'' models, are downloaded via serial lines to the program memories of the machines. A Sun4 workstation expands the gateway function, as well as allowing co-research in robotics and vision algorithms.
The CNC manufacturing and inspection equipment in the AML includes:
The AML provides access to a 3D Systems stereo lithography machine in the AML uses a new manufacturing method to produce plastic ``three-dimensional hardcopy'' or prototype parts, directly from solid geometric models on workstations via the network. The stereo lithography machine works by building up an object in 5 thousandths of an inch layers, hardening a polymer resin with a computer-controlled ultra-violet laser in narrow strips. By cross-hatching the interior spaces of the part, resin is trapped as in a honeycomb and finally hardened by a UV lamp to make solid parts if desired.
