An Expert System for Selection of Components of Compound Die

Abstract

Selection of die components is an important activity for the design of a compound die. The traditional methods of carrying out this task are complex, time-consuming, and skill-intensive. This paper describes the research work involved in the development of an expert system for selection of components of compound die. The proposed system is constructed in the form of eight modules. For development of system modules, domain knowledge acquired from different sources of knowledge acquisition is refined and then framed in the form of "IF-Then" variety of production rules. System modules are coded in AutoLISP language and user interface is created using Visual Basic (VB). The system is capable of imparting expert advices for selection of type and size of all major die components including die block, die gages, stripper, stripper springs, punches, punch plate, die-set, fasteners, and knockout bar. The proposed system can be implemented on a PC having VB and AutoCAD softwares. Therefore, the implementation cost of proposed system is low and hence easily affordable for small scale stampingindustries.