Extension Modules for a Cold Forging Expert System

Summary.

Further development of an expert system for the cold forging of steel is described. In the process planning stage the graphics extension module provides dimensioned drawings of the slug and forgings to scale, the tooling immediately adjacent to the forging, together with tool stresses and loads and other relevant information.

In another module either an existing press can be assessed for suitability for the particular operation or, by using information in the data base, the program can specify a press which satisfies the requirements. The user is then given two options. Either the values of different cost factors relevant to the particular manufacturing organisation can be provided as input, and the present worth of production costs obtained by using discounted cash flow. Alternatively, the present worth of costs is calculated from information in the data base Finally the sensitivity of costs to potential variables can be checked and the results displayed.