Building a logical model in the machining domain for CAPP expert systems

Although a number of Computer Aided Process Planni ng (CAPP) systems have been implemented, human planners are still irreplaceable for actual manufacturing. Because process planning requires multiple types of human expertise, there is a common trend to apply knowledge-based techniques for solving the process planning tasks. This circumstance is conducive to developing so-called CAPP Expert Systems (CAPPES). A few approaches to building CAPPES can be found through means-aids analysis of the research literature since 1980. At the same time, it can be seen that authors' efforts in those papers have mostly been made in special cases of CA PPES implementation, whereas the problem of "How to develop CAPPES" on the whole is still open. Se veral general conceptions and methodologies for CAPP have been published, but no fairly versatile technology is yet known. The aim of the paper is to consider the us age of logical models for development of a CAPPES building technology.