A short note on an intelligent system for selection of materials for progressive die components

Selection of materials for die components is an important activity during progressive die design in stamping industries. This paper presents an intelligent system for selection of materials for progressive die components. The proposed system SMPDC comprises of two knowledge base modules, namely DIEMAT and SELHRD. The module DIEMAT is designed for selection of materials for both active and inactive components of progressive die. The module SELHRD is developed for determination of hardness range of materials for active components of progressive die. Knowledge for both the modules of the proposed system is acquired, analyzed, tabulated and incorporated into a set of production rules of IF-THEN variety. The system is coded in the AutoLISP language and loaded into the prompt area of AutoCAD. The system is designed to interact with the user through the user interface. The usefulness of the proposed system is demonstrated through a sample run using an example of an industrial component. The knowledge base of the system can be modified depending upon the availability of new materials and advancement in technology.