Engineering Faculty Internship: Intelligent Computer Aided Design (CAD) System for Fixture Design

目前的研究已经建立了自动化夹具设计方法的有效性，即在专家系统中表示单个操作的知识。研究的目的是将知识扩展到更现实的场景，即固定一系列操作。实习是基于主要研究者在夹具自动化设计（AutoFix）方面的既定工作。它计划重新设计该系统，以便为有限的操作序列执行夹具。这项工作将从从工业实践者那里获得知识开始。将开发一个系统结构来处理多选项启发式（策略、元规则和知识规则）。多种操作的夹具设计知识将以规则/框架结构表示。现有的电脑辅助设计（CAD）系统介面会被纳入系统。在自动化设计中，这项工作将提供一种表示和处理复杂设计知识的方法。这种方法可以推广到其他系统的机械设计。对制造研究的贡献更为重要，因为这将大大减少夹具设计和机器设置时间。为今后柔性制造环境下夹具领域的研究奠定了基础。

Current research has established the validity of the approach to automated fixture design whereby knowledge for a single operation is represented in an expert system. The objective of the research is to extend the knowledge to incorporate a more realistic scenario, namely, fixturing for a sequence of operations. The internship is based on established work by the principal investigator in automated design of fixtures (AutoFix). It plans to redesign the system to carry out fixturing for a finite sequence of operations. The work will commence with knowledge acquisition from practitioners in industry. A system structure to handle multiple-optioned sets of heuristics (strategy, meta, and knowledge rules) will be developed. Knowledge on design of fixtures for multiple operations will be represented in a rule/frame structure. An existing computer-aided design (CAD) system interface will be incorporated. In automated design, this work will present a method of representing and handling complex design knowledge. This method may then be extended to other systems for mechanical design. The contribution to manufacturing research is more significant as this will greatly reduce fixture design and machine set-up times. It will lay the foundation for future research in this field of fixturing for a flexible manufacturing environment.