CAPP

Computer-Aided Process Planning, CAPP – the term for the software tools used across the systems of computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM). CAPP-systems are designed to frame a plan for product manufacturing (an operation or a road map) based on the given CAD-model of the product. Such a plan contains instructions on the consequence of technological and assembling operations, the required machinery and devices, etc.

Computer-Aided Process Planning is always organized according to the database of typical technological processes used at a particular enterprise. There are two approaches to computer-aided process planning – modified (variation) and generative. In the modified approach a CAPP-system searches for the most similar product in the current database and produces its operations map for modification. It widely applies the group technology to classify components in the family of similar components. The generative approach means identifying structural elements of components and then applying typical technological processes (lathing, drilling, etc.) Such an approach uses well-known artificial intelligence methods to identify components and come to a logical conclusion.