Intelligent concurrent manufacturability evaluation of design for electrochemical machining

Abstract An intelligent knowledge-based system (IKBS) for evaluating electrochemical machining, in a concurrent engineering (CE) environment and based on object oriented techniques, is introduced. The design specification is acquired through a feature-based approach. Ten different classes of design features are interactively obtained. The attributes of 72 workpiece material types, eight tool-electrode metals, two electrolyte solutions, and seven different sizes and types of electrochemical machines are stored in a database. For each design feature, information needed in manufacturing, such as the machining cycle time and cost, penetration rate, efficiency and effectiveness, costs for electricity consumed, machine installation and depreciation are estimated. Finally, for the same design specification, machining times are compared and ordered, for alternative unconventional processes of electrochemical, electrodischarge and electrochemical are machining.