Development of an expert system for turning and rotating tool selection in a dynamic environment

In metal cutting, the selection of a proper cutting tool plays a significant role in achieving consistent quality and in controlling the overall cost of manufacturing. However, searching for a proper tool/insert — job combination calls for a huge amount of data and an extensive knowledge base. In the present paper, the manual effort of searching is substituted for by Extool, an expert system, which automatically selects the turning tool/insert or milling insert, the material and the geometry, based on the requirements of users. Trade-off among the different cutting parameters of the operation is also performed by the developed system as and when necessary. The application of this developed expert system is highlighted by executing some practical problems. This research effort can be of great use in manufacturing industries for optimum use of their resources.