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.

In the present paper, a 3-D rigid visco-plastic finite-element method coupled with void damage was developed for analyzing the fine-blanking process with an ineremental implicit algorithm. Based on the Gurwon Tvergaard-Needleman plastic peoteial equation and the orthogonal rules, the effect of of void volume fraction was introduced into the material constitultive law to document the ductile damage of the deformed material. A principle of variation of rigid visco-plastic material was presented considering both the shear work and the work caused by the cahange of vloume. This proposed principle revals both the effects of equivalent stress and bydrostatic pressure. The related FEM equations coupled with void damage based on this principle of ductile fracture in the blanking process. Based on the obtained system. the fine blanking process was simulated and the onset of the micro-crack of the sheet wais predicted. Furthermore, the influence of the studied work-piece shape on the deformation process was also discussed.

On the basis of the practical situation of cold forging process planning, the disadvantages of a rule-based solution are discussed, and a case-based reasoning-based cold forging process planning (CFPP) system model is proposed. Several key problems involved are analyzed, among which a feature-based part representation scheme and a two-level retrieval mechanism are introduced to solve the problems of case representation and case retrieval. It is established in this paper that case-based reasoning-based CFPP is a promising technology for both long-term research and the promotion of efficiency for current cold process planning systems. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

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.