| Summary: | The kinematic mechanism model is an important part of the representation of e.g. machine tools, robots and fixtures. The basics of kinematic mechanism modeling in classic CAD are about to define motion constraints for components relative other components. This technique for kinematic modeling is common for the majority of CAD applications, but the exchange of kinematic mechanism between different CAD applications have been very limited. The ISO 10303 STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product data) addresses this problem with the application protocol ISO 10303-214 (AP214) which provides an information model for integration of the kinematics with 3D geometry. Several research projects have tried to, as subtasks, implement the kinematic functionality of AP214. But until recently no one have been able to create a valid dataset to prove the standard’s applicability. In this research, a framework for integration of the STEP-based kinematic mechanism modeling with existing commercial CAx systems is presented. To evaluate how well the framework is able to be applied for industrial practices, two applications are developed to demonstrate the major outputs of this research. A pilot standalone application, KIBOS (kinematic modeling based on STEP), is developed to prove the feasibility for Java-based STEP implementation on kinematics and to provide comprehensive operation logic to manipulate the kinematic features in STEP models based on ISO/TS 10303-27 Java binding to the standard data access interface (SDAI). And then, an integrated application based on STEP and Siemens NX, KIBOS for NX, is developed to demonstrate the translation and operation of kinematic modeling between Siemens NX and STEP.The result of this research provides the industrial practitioners with an implementable framework for kinematic modeling exchange between different CAx systems, the IT venders can enhance their products with STEP based kinematic modeling or data exchange in addition to their current support for standard geometric modeling, and the developed application can assist academic researchers to create STEP files with valid kinematic mechanism. The major outputs of this research, KIBOS and KIBOS for NX, can be, and has been, used and extended in the research project Digital Factory Building Blocks at KTH.
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