An approach to identify design and manufacturing features from a data exchanged part model

Due to the large variety of CAD systems in the market, data exchange between different CAD systems is indispensable. Currently, data exchange standards such as STEP and IGES, etc. provide a unique approach for interfacing among different CAD platforms. Once the feature-based CAD model created in one CAD system is input into another via data exchange standards, many of the original features and the feature-related information may not exist any longer. The identification of the design features and their further decomposition into machining features for the downstream activities from a data exchanged part model is a bottleneck in integrated product and process design and development. In this paper, the feature panorama is succinctly articulated from the viewpoint of product design and manufacturing.