Abstract: The invention described herein is a method, system, and computer program product for the design and fabrication of the surfaces of an object. The process begins by using a CAD process to design surfaces of the object. In particular, the surfaces are modeled using developable surfaces only. The intersections of the developable surfaces are then calculated. Any excess surface area of the developable surfaces is then trimmed. The boundaries of each developable surface are abstracted to produce a two-dimensional planar model of each developable surface. From each planar model, a full-sized two-dimensional shape can then be fabricated in proportion to the planar model. Each fabricated shape can then be bent in accordance with the corresponding developable surface of the CAD model. Finally, the edges of the fabricated shapes are attached as determined by the calculated intersections of the developable surfaces of the CAD model.

Abstract: In a conventional method for controlling successive machine processes, a central control unit only communicates the start commands to the individual decentralized control units when the decentralized control unit responsible for a previous machine process has communicated an end message to the central control unit. As a result of overloading the central control unit with other, a time delay arises between the individual process steps. In the method disclosed herein, the central control unit communicates a preparatory command for a second machine process to the decentralized second control unit during the execution of a first machine process together with a start condition. The second machine process is only started when the second control unit receives a completion signal directly from the first control unit to satisfy the start condition.