In order to continuously analyze the whole fine-blanking process, from the beginning of the ooperation up to the total rupture of the sheet-meta, without computational divergenec, a 3-Drigid visro-plastic element method based on Gurson void model was developed. The void volume fraction wasintrodced into the fineite elment anethod to document to the virtual work theory in which both the sheet was prodicted and the crack propagation was geometrically fulfilled in the simulation by separating the nodes according the stress state. Furthermore the influences of different state-variables on the defomation process were also studied.

This paper introduces the application of a second generation expert system in blankinng technology. Depending on the empiiical knowledge of domain experts and field literature, an expert system can play an important role in the field of blanking technology. An object oriented blackboard modal is given which can realize hyhiid knowledge representation, such as prodnction roles, frameworks and procednres. This paper mainly discusses the structure of the blackbom-d model mid hybrid knowledge representation in blabking technology expert system. Since strip layout is a crucial and deteimining part in blanking technology, given here is an exmnple of a blackboard modal supporting hybrid knowledge representation about the strip layont process.

The extraction of knowledge from simulation results is becoming increasingly important, as numerical simulation is being widely used in the engineering design process. Knowledge extraction systems face challenging problems as the databases of simulation results tend to be dynamic, incomplete, redundant, sparse, and very large. This paper describes a novel approach for handling them. A consistent object-oriented data model for finite-element analysis results has been created usingEXPRESS-G, which has facilitated the construction of a database for the knowledge mining procedure. After briefly introducing Rough Sets Theory (RST) and principal component analysis (PCA), this paper investigates the capabilities andimplementation of both methods for extracting knowledge from simulation results. The methodology developed has been applied to a real application in sheet metal forming simulation and the results are presented.

Challenges and pressures from the growing globalisation of markets have made automotive enterprises shorten produce development cycle time and reduce costs throughthe increasing use of mathematics-based tools and processes. In order to bridge the gap between experience-based design and science-based engineering, this paper establishes a knowledge-based process planning system to fully support auto panel die devel-opment and design automation. The framework of this novel system, knowledge representation and knowledge-based design are desribed in detail. The function model of te system is proposed to illustrate the architecture and functiondlity of the system. The system provieds users with just-in-time access to the appropiate knowledge and information to reduce the search burden. A practial example is used to show the great advvantage of the knowledge-based process planning system.