CyberCut: An Internet-based CAD/CAM System

Abstract

“CyberCut™” is a testbed for an Internet-based CAD/CAM system. It was specifically designed to be a networked, automated system, with a seamless communication flow from a client-side designer to a server-side machining service. The creation of CyberCut required several new software modules. These include: a) a Web-based design tool in which Design-for-Manufacturing information and machining rules constrain the designer to manufacturable parts; b) a geometric representation called SIF-DSG, for unambiguous communication between the client-side designer and the server-side process planner; c) an automated process planning system with several sub-modules that convert an incoming design to a set of tool-paths for execution on a 3-axis CNC milling machine. Using this software-pipeline, a CyberCut service, modeled on the MOSIS service for VLSI chips, has been now been launched for limited student-use at a group of cooperating universities.