Development of an integrated CAD/CAM system for shoe last

Shoe last is the solid form around which a shoe is molded. The application of CAD/CAM technology is the vital solution to improve shoe last industry. This paper presents an integrated CAD/CAM system development approach for shoe last. The system is implemented in Unigraphics software and Visual C++ programming. The shoe last CAD model is represented by a regular surface point data set. The design process is realized by manipulating the data set. The data set can then be used to construct surface model of shoe last. With the help of the CAM functions provided by UG/Manufacturing, the NC program can be obtained from the surface model and then controls a specialized shoe last NC machine to finish the machining process. The use of this integrated system greatly results in the production of high quality shoe lasts in a shorter time. This system development method is suitable for other CAD/CAM systems development of products with complex shapes.