act/wood: technical description

3D CAD import

The import of 3D CAD models takes place via the standard STEP and IGES volume formats, some native-import formats being available as an option (Catia v4/v5, Inventor, ProEngineer, SAT/ACIS). Nevertheless, act/wood is independent of CAD since it implements a geometry recognition and not a machining “feature” recovery, often specific to each CAD system and to the design method. act/wood allows a part-by-part machining within an assembly and offers complete 3D visualization of the imported part.

Recognition of technological functions

act/wood allows automatic recognition of the basic technological functions on both faces (pocket, drilling, groove, rebate, chamfer), automatic assignment of the process (hole pocketing, routing, grooving, chamfering) and tool to be used. The automatic assignment of tools takes into account tolerances: minimum and maximum radius for drilling, minimum and maximum angle for slopes. A basis of editable rules enables the user to customize this automatic assignment.

Further processing by act/cut

After this machining, act/wood generates a 2D part file to which the tools, machining contours and corresponding depths are associated. This 2D part is directly usable by the act/cut nesting module (Nester environment) but can also be modified in the 2D drawing module (Drafter environment).