Interactive design of complex mechanical parts using a parametric representation

Abstract

In CAD, when considering the question of new designs of complex mechanical parts, such as engine pistons, a parametric representation of the design is usually defined. However, in general there is a lack of efficient tools to create and manipulate such parametrically defined shapes.

In this paper, we show how the geometry of complex mechanical parts can be parameterised efficiently enabling a designer to create and manipulate such geometries within an interactive environment. For surface generation we use the PDE method which allows surfaces to be defined in terms of a relatively small number of design parameters. The PDE method effectively creates surfaces by using the information contained at the boundaries (edges) of the surface patch. An interactively defined parameterisation can then be introduced on the boundaries (which are defined by means of space curves) of the surface. Thus, we show how complex geometries of mechanical parts, such as engine pistons, can be efficiently parameterised for geometry manipulation allowing a designer to create alternative designs.