Method and designing and manufacturing rubber process tooling using an interface to a CAD/CAM software program

The invention relates to computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems and methods and, more particularly, to methods for designing and manufacturing rubber (elastomer) process tooling used in manufacturing rubber (elastomer) tire components. An interface tool is provide...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Bedont, Jr., William James, Burg, Gary Robert, Helle, Donald Edward, Looman, Jr., Ernest Wilford, Dubru, Sylvie Catherine Evelyne Claire
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 10.08.2004
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Summary:The invention relates to computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems and methods and, more particularly, to methods for designing and manufacturing rubber (elastomer) process tooling used in manufacturing rubber (elastomer) tire components. An interface tool is provided for a user to interface with a CAD/CAM software package, such as Pro/ENGINEER (tm) which is resident on the client computer or on a second server computer. The interface tool is resident on the client computer. Parameters are input by the user onto web pages, and then are transferred to Pro/ENGINEER by the interface tool. Pro/ENGINEER outputs drawings, 3-D models and machining codes by using the information that was transferred from the interface tool. The user can create or modify, and verify from various aspects, models of machineable process tooling such as "preformers". Pro/ENGINEER can then create appropriate toolpaths and output the machining code for CNC (computerized numeric control) machines.