LAYERED MANUFACTURING PROCESS SUPPORTED BY EXPERT SYSTEM
Layered manufacturing is rapidly growing and increasingly pervasive technology in the modern industry. Therefore, progress of this technology allows production not only presentation models for visual impression, but also functional parts. Because of this, it is very important to get a high quality parts without production errors or reduce these errors on the minimum. There are lots of things which effect on the production of the work piece and its general quality of the final surfaces. This paper presents an expert system, which includes fully design analysis of some CAD model in order to improve production quality at layered manufacturing objects. A knowledge base is developed and as such contains mentioned features, specific for adaptive slicing in layered manufacturing process. This expert tool assists designers with higher level of intelligent advice within fabrication process of 3D model. The system provides multiple geometric analyses, and based on that proposing to user an optimal building solution. This approach is an engineer's need to build own knowledge base in making very important decisions in all phases of product development. This knowledge base contains specific functional features, which determine the crucial way of production. The plastic electrical switch is designed and used as case study in order to show how intelligent advisory system improves functional value of a product for better production. The final goal of this paper is to obtain complete expert tool that examines all crucial issues about model geometry which effects to optimal build orientation.