Abstract
A set-up is a group of features that are machined together in one particular orientation and position of a workpiece. Hence, the task of set-up planning is to group the features that are required on a part into set-ups and sequence these resultant groups to form an optimally ordered plan to produce the part. This ordered plan has forthright effects on the process and fixture plans that are needed to produce this part. This paper presents the knowledge modelling and formulation process for the development of an intelligent set-up planning system. The knowledge-based information needed for set-up planning from experts in the machining domain and the problem-solving procedures of these experts were obtained from a knowledge acquisition process and modelled in this set-up planning system. The acquired knowledge is modelled using production rules and fuzzy sets, and is coupled with a fuzzy-set-based formulation of the problem-solving procedures of these experts. This formulation and a control framework for set-up planning that closely emulates the expert's thinking processes during planning are integrated to formulate set-up plans.