Knowledge-based systems in sheet metal stamping: A survey

This manuscript surveys and analyses the different implementations of knowledge-based systems (KBS) in sheet metal workings. The scope will cover different stamping phases; specifically the stamped part design, the stamping process planning, the die structure planning and manufacturing with the focus on progressive die designs, and lastly, the strip layout planning. The analysis of the KBS in each of these stamping phases will include the intended function of the system, the KBS construction methodology and the reasoning logic scheme utilised to manipulate the content of the knowledge bases. The survey compares the followed approaches in terms of challenges and merits found for each followed approach. This work serves as a current state-of-the-art analysis for employing KBS in sheet metal stamping (SMS).