Direct duplication of physical models in discrete 5-axis machining

This paper deals with the feasibility of direct duplication of physical objects as regards a classical approach based on Reverse Engineering. The object surface acquisition is performed using optical devices. Algorithms for tool path generation directly from the cloud of points have been developed in 3-axis machining. A n-buffer simulation completed by the real machining emphasize that direct duplication is efficient in terms of conformity to the geometry. As the surface reconstruction step is removed, the proposed process is faster and simple to implement. The last step is concerned with the extension to discrete 5-axis machining. The main issue is related to the determination of the part set-ups and the corresponding point cloud segmentation.