Automation of strip-layout design for sheet metal work on progressive die

Strip-layout design is an important step in the planning stage of sheet metal work on progressive die. It is an experience-driven activity and the quality of strip-layout is highly dependent on the knowledge and skill of die designers. This paper presents an expert system for automation of strip-layout design process. The proposed system is developed using the production rule-based expert system approach of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It comprises six modules to impart expert advices to the user for identifying sheet metal operations, sequencing of operations, selection of proper piloting scheme, number of stations, staging of operations on progressive die and selection of proper dimensions of stock strip. Finally, the system models the strip-layout automatically in the drawing editor of AutoCAD using the output data files of other modules. Usefulness of the system is demonstrated through an example of an industrial component. The system is flexible and has low cost of implementation.