An embedded system for knowledge-based cost evaluation of molded parts

In this paper, we present an embedded knowledge-base system and apply it to estimate the manufacturing cost of molded parts. This system is designed on a tiny single board computer, called the “Gumstix™”, which is an inexpensive and high-performance miniaturized platform. It consists of a knowledge-base, knowledge processing units and server service unit for user interactions, all of which are implemented on the Gumstix computer. A CAD server is provided for the interaction with commercial CAD software and all operations with users are performed via a web browser. This hardware and software structure features a realization of the Plug & Play concept and provides low-cost, low-power consumption, high-performance and high portability of complex engineering software. The system is demonstrated with cost estimation of molded parts. A knowledge set for the injection molding process is formalized in XML and a knowledge-base is constructed. The system is tested with examples, which illustrate the capability of our system for engineering applications.