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A key task in orthodontic treatment planning is to align the teeth in a given lower and upper arch so as to establish an ideal occlusion (i.e., contact relationship), subject to certain dental constraints. A simulation-based approach is introduced to establish a near-optimal occlusion based on certain dental constraints that are defined using features on tooth surfaces (e.g., cusps, ridges, incisal edges etc.). The alignment process is modeled as the simulation of a hypothetical spring-mass system where masses representing teeth are connected and influenced by springs representing dental constraints. The set of constraints chosen is based on well-known guidelines to achieve normal occlusion and to detect the most common type of orthodontic errors. The design and implementation of such a simulation-based system are discussed and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach.

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This paper presents a method to decompose three dimensional complex parts into readily available stock material to take advantage of advanced joining to build up a rigid assembly. The method generates many alternative assemblies by decomposing the solid geometry iteratively with cutting planes. Each assembly is then evaluated based on cost. The process continues until the developed search algorithm converges on a near optimal solution. Application of this method will reduce material waste, thus reducing per part processing time, energy consumption, and associated production costs. Example parts for a variety of metals show how the computational tool finds near optimal solutions for complex three dimensional solids.

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