USOO6272447B1

(12) United States Patent

Gavin et al.

(10) Patent N0.2

(45) Date of Patent:

US 6,272,447 B1
Aug. 7, 2001

(54)

FABRICATION AND DESIGN OF

STRUCTURAL MEMBERS

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

(75) Inventors: Peter Geo?'rey Gavin; Peter Robert

Brennan; Thomas William Ellis, all of

Levy et al., Featurebased Design Approach in the Sheet Metal Industry, Proc. 4th Inter. Conf. Computer Integrated
Man. and Tech, pp. 6671, Oct. 1994.*
(List continued on neXt page.)

Napier (NZ)
(73) Assignee: Scottsdale Building Systems Limited,
Napier (NL)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35

Primary ExaminerKevin J. Teska Assistant ExaminerDouglas U. Sergent (74) Attorney) Agent) Or Firm_WOrkman, Nydegger &
Seeley

U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl' N05 09/306,082 (22) Filed, May 6, 1999

(57)

ABSTRACT

(30)
(51)

Foreign Application Priority Data

(NZ) ................................................... .. 332446
Int. Cl.7 .................................................... .. G06F 17/50

A method of designing structural members for a building frame using a computer includes the steps of inputting a predetermined plan of the layout and orientation of the structural members. This information is then stored. The computer then analyses the stored plan information to pro
Vida Speci?cations of length and jointing details for each
structural member to enable the structural members made

Oct. 21, 1998

(52)
(58)

US. Cl. ................................... .. 703/1; 703/6; 700/97;

according to speci?cation t9 ?t together to form the frame

700/98; 700/118
Field Of Search ........................ .. 703/1, 6, 7; 700/97, 700/98, 118, 182; 706/919, 923; 345/964

The speci?cations of each structural member are outputted

from the Computer In another method of fabricating Struc tural members the members are formed on a forming machine Which also creates the connecting features enabling the structural members to be assembled as a building frame. A forming machine to fabricate structural members includes a memory to store structural member speci?cations of length
and jointing features enabling the Structural members to be

(56)

References Cited

U-S~ PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,660,399
4,858,146 *

4/1987 Suter et a1. .......................... .. 72/181

8/1989 Shebini .... ..

5,033,014 * 5,526,628
5,555,406 * 5,559,708 *

7/1991 Cawer et a1_ 6/1996 Knudson

__

assembled as a building frame. The forming machine is adapted to form each structural member according to the length speci?cation and create the jointing features. In a
method for designing the structural members of building frames a plan of a predetermined layout of the

9/1996 NoZaWa ....... .. 9/1996 TllIIlbllll et al. ..................... .. 292/48

(List continued on neXt page.)

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
52665/93 52666/93 0 846 549 A2 2 279 594 12/1993 12/1993 12/1997 1/1995 (AU) . (AU) . (EP) . (GB) .

frames including details of frame openings is input into a computer. The layout is analyzed to determine parameter lines and frame opening lines for each frame. The computer program then designs the layout of the orientation of struc tural members for each frame and the plan of the layout and
orientation of the structural members for each frame is then

output from the computer.

14 Claims, 25 Drawing Sheets

WO 87/01977 WO 96/35022

4/1987 (W0). 11/1996 (W0) .

M30 eachkameimm

is by \he an (rammg package

detemwve mm

use me above Davamners m em langms

and notched

(or wmm |mntmg - Med, insensd

Add completed (we components

and the appropriate operatmns 16 0|:

Dmduclmh queue

Sn! components Into labrlca?nn

nrder

US 6,272,447 B1
Page 2

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,627,763 * 5/1997 Carlson .................................. .. 703/1

Horvath et al., Generation of Manufacturing Process Model

Entities, Inter. Conf. on Intelligent Processing Systems,

vol. 1, pp. 824828, Oct. 1997.* LaZaro et al., Automated Design of Maching Fixtures:

5,651,230
5,761,674 *

7/1997 Knudson
6/1998 Ito ................ ..

52/7481
..... .. 703/1
707/104

5,689,435 * 11/1997 Umney et al

Tolerance and Sequential Operations, Intelligent Systems

Engineering, vol. 1, Issue 2, pp. 172184, Winter 1992.* Hoffmann et al., A Road Map to Solid Modeling, IEEE Trans. on Visualization and Computer Graphics, vol. 2, No. 1, Mar. 1996, pp. 310.* Werkman et al., Design Fabricator Interpreter System: Evaluating Alternative Connection Con?gurations Sixth Conf. on Arti?cial Intelligence for Applications, vol. 1, pp.

5,940,309 *
6,014,503
*

8/1999 White et al.

703/1

5,983,010 * 11/1999

Murdock et al. ...................... .. 703/1

1/2000 Nagata et al. ......................... .. 703/1

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Moradi et al., Geometrybased Part Grouping for Assem bly Planning, Proc. of the 1997 IEEE Inter. Symp. on

Assembly and Task Planning, pp. 281286, Aug. 1997.* Radack et al., Positioning Features Within the Rapid Design System, Systems Engineering, 1991., IEEE International
Conference on , 1991 pp.: 3841, Aug. 1991.*

153159, May 1990.*

Werkman, K.J., Negotiation in DAI as an Infrastructure

Liu et al., CADBased Automated Machinable Feature

Extraction, 27th ASILOMAR Conf. on Signals, Systems and Computers, vol. 1, pp. 558562, Nov. 1993.*

Component for Collaborative Enterprises, Proc. Second Workshop of Enabling Tech: Infra. for Collab. Enterprises, pp. 104117, Apr. 1993.*
* cited by examiner

U.S. Patent
14

Aug. 7, 2001

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US 6,272,447 B1

12

13

M
12
11 11
/

F|G.1a
13

16

14

0/

12

,/
10

K10

/
15

12\
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11

/ 15
15/

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14

0/

16

FIG. 1b

FIG. 1c

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12L
M

25/

FIG. 20

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US 6,272,447 B1

Computer Design Process Overview

1a. Design structure using 3D design

package, from plans or site measurements

1b. Use plans and site measurements

L
Y
2. Specify and design structural steel

frames, using 3D steel framing package

1
3. Analyse frame structures to create

individual component properties

i
4. Use the element properties to control the

roll forming process to produce complete

frame components.

FIG. 3

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/I//

\ 9N

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I c a

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Specify and design structural steel frames, using 3D steel framing

package

Import 3D CAD drawing from

design package
V

Enter frame types and dimensions

Specify properties and design frames

to meet engineering requirements for
loads, wind and earthquake Zones

Wall frames, both ?at and raked, to include window & door openings, lintels, joints with other wall frames

v Ceiling & roof frames, of polygonal shape, to have speci?ed rafter/joist types

l Ridge and support frames to have speci?ed stud spacing and bracing components.

and bracing.

and spacing,
and speci?ed nog

spacing

If required, edit frame elements or

components using CAD, or edit frame

speci?cations and redesign.

ElGJ

Analyse structure & frames to provide

a Bill-of-materials for steel, rivets, wall cladding, roof cladding etc.

Export competed frame designs to roll forming process

U.S. Patent

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Sheet 9 0f 25

US 6,272,447 B1

Specify & design structural steel

frames, using 3D steel framing

software

Import 3D CAD drawing

Enter frame types and

from design package

dimensions
v

Specify properties and design

frames to meet engineering

requirements for loads, wind and

earthquake zones.

/
Wall frames, ?at and raked top plates, to include windows & door openings, lintels, joints with other wall frames and bracing.

1
Ceiling & roof frames of polygonal shape to speci?ed Ridge and support frames to have speci?ed stud spacing and

rafter / jOiSt Spacing, rafter /joist type and nog spacing.

bracing components.

If required, edit frame elements or components using CAD tools or edit

frame speci?cations and rebuild

V

Analyse structure and frames to provide a Bill-of-Materials for

steel, rivets, wall cladding, etc..

V

Export completed frame designs in graphical form to the roll forming

processing

FIG. 7A

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Sheet 10 of 25

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Wall frame design - perimeter &

opening analysis for GcadZ

Get user input of frame outline

footprint in plan view mode. This is limit points from the dxf lines.

Scan the dxf lines and determine the

vertical height of the frame along the footprint outline.

Som both frane fdoes ( the 3D shcpe on each side of the outlined frdne ),cnd find interseding dxf T R M items that represent the opening ( door & window ) positions md sizes md that reach from one face of the frcrne to the
other.

Doors - only one TRIM

Windows - two TRIM

item at a point along the

frame. This one item

items at a point along the

frame. One item represents

represents the opening height.

the top of the opening, the other

the bottom.

Use the frame height and opening sizes and positions to design the items that ?ll the frame. Opening details, studs, nogs & braces

above lintels

FIG. 7B

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Wall frame design detail

2D Plan view

@Zl

Trimsthat
determine

4:// window size

and position

Trims that / determine door width and

//

height
Window opening

Door opening

FIG 7C

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Sheet 12 of 25

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Wall frame design-perimeter & opening analysis for gcad3

Get user input of frame face vertex points in 3D view mode

l
Use the selected vertex coordinates to build a

mathematical equation of the wall planes

Scan these planes for intersecting

TRIM items that represent

openings for doors and windows,

that go from one face to the other.

Door - One TRIM item at

Window ' Two TRIM,

a given position.

Items at any position.

Use the frame plane size and the opening

positions to design the frame by adding Opening details, studs, nogs, braces for
lintels.

FIG. 7D

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Wall frame design detail - gcad3

<_

Vertex points

Window
/

opening

Trim items that touch both wall faces

A mathematical

equation is used to represent the frame surface

FIG. 7E

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Roof / Ceiling frame design

Get user input of frame vertex points

Get user input of frame speci?cations - rafter / joist

types & spacing. Nog spacing and layout pattern.

User vertex points to create frame

perimeter items

Lay rafter / joists over the perimeter to the selected

layout

Lay nogs between perimeters and rafters/joists

as per selected layout options

FIG. 7F

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Ridge frame design

1 User to select Full / intermediate ridge frame.

A full ridge frame is one on a hip or ridge line as

provided by the 3D design program.

An intermediate ridge is one drawn by the user

i
User selects ridge line

l
User draws ridge line at

1
Scan for dxf or user

appropriate position and

height i

designed ceiling items below ridge line

Get user input, from dialog box of ridge frame speci?cations eg. Stud

spacing and bracing items

l Calculate ridge height(s) and

add build perimeter of frame.

(See diagram)

1
Add studs and braces as selected

FIG. 7G

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Ridge height
calculation
Ridge line I

Ridge frame (Full).

Intermediate ridge frame Height is calculated from ridge height and ceiling position

Ceiling frame

FIG. 7H

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Frame selection and design

using 3D steel framing software package

Outline using 3D exported dxf

lines as guides or specify frame
dimensions as text

Specify other frame properties

to meet engineering and

cladding requirements

1
Scan 3D exported dxf lines to determine the frame dimensions (including raked

tops) window and door openings and joint

positions.
Scan 3D dxf lines to

determine opening and joint

sizes for the frame.

l
Build the components of the frame. Specify type and orientation of each

component.

Walls : add plates, studs

Ridges and support

frames : Add plates,

and nog components.

Ceiling and roof : Add

perimeter, rafter , joist and nog components.

Add opening, joint and

lintel structures.

studs and bracing components

FIG. 8

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AA

FIG. 9

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FIG. 10

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