Abstract
Reverse engineering is becoming a practical approach to generating a 3D virtual model of an existing physical component (part) for use in 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, or other software [1, 2]. As the world's leading CAD/CAM software, CATIA can help users provide complete design capabilities and manufacture a windmill water pumping curving Sail die. At the same time, it provides the designer with capabilities to work in a 3D environment with embedded 2D drafting, technical specifications, and software system modeling as a fully integrated system. CATIA combines mechanical design, engineering analysis, and simulation processing functions to provide users with a strict paperless work environment to shorten design time, improve quality, and reduce production cost effects [3-6]. CATIA can build a working environment for the whole development process of digital enterprise [2, 3, 7]. CATIA software developed by the French company DASSAULT SYSTÈMES offers die and tool makers powerful virtualized functions to better suit the design and construction of dies and powerful automation capabilities to reduce Numerical Control (NC) programming and processing time dramatically. The NC codes can be generated using a CAD/CAM program and a virtual model of the piece [8-11]. In this study, the RE process with a CAD system was adopted to design, develop, and manufacture the die of a Rotor Sail of a water pumping windmill. To attain all the applicable dimensional data necessary to construct a CAD model or to design a part drawing, the use of digitizing or scanning may be needed. The 3D Acquisition with a noncontact technique was used to …