A Neural Network/Expert System Approach for Design Improvement of Products Manufactured by EDM

The stochastic nature of the electro discharge machining (EDM) process does not allow for a precise prediction of its effect on the machined features. However, there is a direct interrelation between feature design and the process results. The objective of this work is to suggest a neural network based system to facilitate and optimize the design process of products to be machined by EDM. A comprehensive analysis by a neural network and expert system is presented. Aspects of features coding and relations with the process parameters are discussed. Experimental results confirm design improvements and a practical system is described.