A framework for a process planning system for the machining of axisymmetric parts using case-based reasoning is proposed. It is composed of four major modules: retriever, modifier, simulator and repairer. This paper focuses on the representation, indexing and retrieving of process planning cases. A feature-based representation for parts and processes is presented. An effective similarity metric is developed to measure the similarity between two parts so that the most similar case can be retrieved rapidly and correctly. It is based on the hierarchical representation of part features. In addition, indexing and retrieving mechanisms are discussed in this paper. A prototype based on the proposed representation, indexing and similarity metric was developed on a Sun workstation using ACIS and 3D-Toolkit from Spatial Technology Inc.
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