SITS – A Semi-Intelligent Tool Selection System for Turned Components

Summary A method of selecting tools for the manufacture of turned components is described. The system, which is user-friendly, is capable of dealing with all the operations normally associated with the manufacture of turned components. The tools, particularly those for external turning operations, an chosen so that optimum economic performance eg minimum cost is achieved. While the system does include a number of automatic routines and is, in fact, capable of automatically selecting the tools, the user can interact with it and override the system choice. However, if the system is overridden the user is informed of any increase in cost caused by the choice of an alternative tool or tools.