Smooth and Time-Optimal Trajectory Generation Methods

In machining complex dies, molds, aerospace andautomotive parts, or biomedical components, it iscrucial to minimize the cycle time, which reducescosts, while preserving the quality and toleranceintegrity of the part being produced. To meet thedemands for high quality finishes and low productioncosts in machining parts with complex geometry,computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools mustbe equipped with spline interpolation, feedratemodulation, and feedrate optimization capabilities.This books presents the development of noveltrajectory generation algorithms for Non UniformRational B-Spline (NURBS) toolpaths that can beimplemented on new low-cost CNC's, as well as, inconjunction with existing CNC's. The methods,presented here, generate near-optimal feed profilesthat have shorter cycle times, approximately 13-26%faster than the feed profiles obtained using theworst-case curvature approach, which is widely usedin industrial CNC interpolators. These methods arepractical and useful to professional in productionand manufacturing and to students, who are interestedin industrial robotics and control systems design.