Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using roughing toolpath sequences generated for subtractive manufacturing include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining 3D models of a part and a workpiece and information regarding different cutting tools and cutting data therefor; determining a set of candidate combinations of the different cutting tools to effect the roughing operations by estimating a target machining result for each of multiple, tool-size-ordered lists of the different cutting tools; generating an expanded set of combinations of the different cutting tools to effect the roughing operations by adding variations of the candidate combinations; populating a multidimensional roughing operations representation vector using the expanded set of combinations; optimizing values of the multidimensional roughing operations representation vector using simulation of the roughing operations; and p

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using roughing toolpath sequences generated for subtractive manufacturing include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining 3D models of a part and a workpiece and information regarding different cutting tools and cutting data therefor; determining a set of candidate combinations of the different cutting tools to effect the roughing operations by estimating a target machining result for each of multiple, tool-size-ordered lists of the different cutting tools; generating an expanded set of combinations of the different cutting tools to effect the roughing operations by adding variations of the candidate combinations; populating a multidimensional roughing operations representation vector using the expanded set of combinations; optimizing values of the multidimensional roughing operations representation vector using simulation of the roughing operations; and p

Abstract: A method includes: selecting a movement path for a moving component of a machine tool; either before or after the movement path, causing the moving component to make a first predefined movement; before the movement path, causing the moving component to make a second predefined movement; after the movement path, causing the moving component to make a third predefined movement; recording, using a computing device including one or more accelerometers, movement data resulting from the first, second and third predefined movements, and from the movement path; analyzing the movement data by finding waveforms to identify a start point, a finish point, and which one of the predefined movement paths in the set was selected; calculating timing information based on the identified start and end points, and the identified one of the predefined movement paths in the set; and determining performance limits of the machine tool based on the timing information.

Abstract: A method to control a material remover can include generating a test path to be processed by the processing circuitry to cause the material remover of the machine tool to move along a predetermined path; causing the processing circuitry to execute the test path and move the material remover along the test path; timing at least one of the performance of the processing circuitry and the movement of the material remover along the test path to generate machine tool timings; and using the machine tool timings to set limits which are arranged to subsequently be used when cutting paths are generated for the machine tool for which the test path has been generated.

Abstract: A method of generating a plurality of cutting paths for a material remover, which generates a set of offsets from the perimeter of the model for each corner region of the model; creates, for each offset within each of the sets, a subset of cutting paths based upon each offset with each cutting path within the subset separated from a neighbouring cutting path within the subset by a stepover, wherein a portion of a first cutting path in one of the subsets has a distance of greater than the stepover to the last cutting path in a previous subset; joins cutting paths from within a subset at each corner region forming complete cutting paths causing a material remover to move between corner regions; and creates backfill cutting paths used to remove material from between subsets of cutting paths in the portion greater than the stepover between the subsets.

Abstract: A method includes: selecting a movement path along which a moving component of a machine tool, is to be moved; before moving the moving component: causing the moving component to make a first predefined movement; recording, using a computing device including accelerometers and external to the machine tool, first movement data identifying the first predefined movement; causing the moving component to make a second predefined movement; and recording, using the accelerometers, second movement data identifying the second predefined movement; causing the moving component to be moved along the movement path; after finishing moving the moving component along the movement path: causing the moving component to make a third predefined movement; and recording, using the accelerometers, third movement data identifying the third predefined movement; calculating, using the computing device, timing information for movement of the moving component along the movement path based on the first, second, and third movement data.