| This research presents the K&barbelow;nowledge-B&barbelow;ased P&barbelow;rocess C&barbelow;ontrol A&barbelow;dvisor (KBPCA) for in-process probing on CNC milling machines. For unmanned machining operations, in-process probing is a valuable method to improve the quality of the finished parts, reduce re-work and scrap, and increase productivity. Modern CNC machines have integrated touch probes used for in-process probing to perform process control of manufactured parts. In-process inspection can be done automatically by incorporating the probing cycles with the original parts program. In-process probing is very complicated and several factors are involved to determine the probing cycle for each process control task. The main process control tasks included in this advisor are establishing fixture offsets and compensating tool length and diameter. Since there are many aspects involved in the decision-making process of performing the in-process probing, the advisor will assist users, such as process engineers or NC analysts, on how to use in-process probing techniques for process control of manufactured parts on CNC milling machines. The advisor can also be used to train new users on how to perform the probing tasks. This research is focused on 4-axis horizontal CNC milling machines. |
