Development of a Prototype Knowledge-based System for Die Casting Die Design

摘要

In this study, a prototype of a knowledge-based system is developed to assist casting engineer to systematically design the running/gating system and venting/overflow system of the die as well as determine the proper operation conditions for die casting. The knowledge-based system developed in this study basically consists of three major components. The first component is the inference procedure, which simulates the step by step logic of a die casting expert when he or she is to design a die casting die. The second component is the knowledge/data base to support the design work for each and every step of the design procedure. For die casting die design, it is often required to identify the geometric features of the casting. Graphics libraries are implemented in this system to aid the engineer to provide the necessary geometric characteristics to the computer. The third component is the graphics software incorporated with the system, which directly displays the result of the design during the design procedure. The key to the establishment of a knowledge-based system is then to acquire knowledge from experts and format the knowledge into the forms that can be adopted by computer programming. In this study, Visual Basic is employed to write the computer program, which can be executed on a personal computer under the Windows environment. The developed knowledge-based system is then demonstrated on the design for a die casting of gear box housing. While executing the program, the engineer is guided through each and every step of the design procedure. For each design step, certain data/parameter need to be input by the engineer, some of which are assisted by the graphics libraries implemented in the computer system. With the knowledge/data base associated with each design step, a proper design is then recommended by the computer and directly shows on the screen along with the die casting under consideration. As the program execution is completed, a proper design for the gating/running system and overflow/venting system of the die as well as operation conditions is then proposed.