Knowledge-Based System for

Supporting the Design of a Plate-Press

David Potocnik
Emo orodjarna d.o.o.,
Bezigrajska 10, SI-3000, Celje, Slovenia
e-mail: dpotocnik@siol.net

Miran Ulbin
e-mail: ulbin@uni-mb.si

Bojan Dolsak
e-mail: dolsak@uni-mb.si
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Maribor,
Smetanova 17, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia

This paper presents a knowledge-based system capable of giving

the designer quality support when making decisions from the aspect
of modeling the reinforcement of a plate-press within a position of
maximum compressive load, and by choosing suitable material for
the plate. Based on the selected combination of reinforcement and
material, this system acquaints the user with the size and position
of the largest comparative stress, and the greatest nodal displacement in the load-direction. This system operates based on the
implemented knowledge of experts in the execution of design, material selection, and numerical analysis based on the finite-element
method (FEM), which was written with the help of parameters
within the knowledge-base of the CATIA V5 CAD-system. Using this
system gives the user an opportunity to reach conclusions that are
crucial for designing a plate-press or pressure-loaded die-elements,
in general. The results reveal that the system can dramatically
shorten design time and improve design quality in comparison to
manual design process. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4006444]

Introduction

Nowadays, computer-aided design (CAD) is so widespread that

most companies execute the majority of their design processes
using CAD-systems. There is also an opinion, however, that the
advantages that CAD-tools bring are below expectations. The
authors believe that the reason for this is in the current inadequacies of existing CAD-systems, in the sense of offering professional
help for those engineers in the process of designing a new product.
Modern CAD still concentrates rather too much on providing the
means for representing a final form of design including various
analyses and simulations, whereas designers also need a continual
stream of advice and information in more creative parts of the
design process while making decisions or searching for design
solutions [1]. It has been proven that the increase of intelligence
within existing software, such as CAD-systems, leads to important
progress in efficiency and reliability when performing various engineering tasks, including design. One of the key problems for every company during product development is also the capturing
and reusage of knowledge. Every such company creates data and
product information daily; however, converting this data into an
accessible knowledge-base presents a more challenging task.

Contributed by the Design Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the

JOURNAL OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING. Manuscript
received December 5, 2011; final manuscript received February 27, 2012; published
online April 9, 2012. Assoc. Editor: Ashok K. Goel.

There are a series of articles on systems regarding intelligentsupport for engineering design [25]; and this one presents a
knowledge-based system that is intended for design-support
within the die-making industry.
The purpose of developing a knowledge-based system for supporting the design of a plate-press was to remove the previously
mentioned problem, the bottleneck of the CATIA V5 parametric
CAD-system in the sense of supporting the designer [6]. This has
been achieved by using the knowledge and experiences of experts
for increasing CAD-system intelligence.
This article describes, in detail, the development of the aforementioned system by following several steps (Fig. 1), its performance and an evaluation of its usage value in the sense of
supporting inexperienced designers. The process shown in Fig. 1
can be universally applicable for all pressure-loaded die-elements
that transfer compression workloads with the help of casted
reinforcements.

2 The Need for Decision Support During Plate-Press

Design
The function of the plate-press is to transfer workloads (especially compression) from the press to the dies, thus enabling the
attachments (mounting) of forming-dies. It is desirable that the
plate is as light as possible while, at the same time, the stresses in
the plate at maximum load must be lower or equal to the permissible values. The latter depends on the type of selected material,
and the structural design of the reinforcement at the position of
maximum load.
Inexperienced designers often have no idea or knowledge
about creating reinforcements at the position of maximum
load or are even unaware that the shapes and dimensions
affect those internal stresses that occur within the plate-press
when under a load. The same problems occur when selecting
suitable materials and by understanding the consequences of
selecting a specific material. This system would enable them
to fill these gaps in a way that will help them to search for the
aforementioned design solutions and then to make the correct
decisions.

Development of the System

3.1 Creating a Parametrical CAD-Model of the PlatePress. During the first phase, a CAD-model of the plate-press in
CATIA V5 was built using completely defined geometry, without
any reinforcements in the position of the maximum compressive
load (Fig. 2).
In this way, the plate contains the following constituents or
functional features, which are shown in detail in Fig. 2: bolt-type
hooks (2a), T-slots (2b), and threaded holes (2c) for attaching the
forming-dies, starting surfaces for machining (2d), deepened holes
(2e), U-grooves (2f) for attaching the plate onto the press,
cushion-pin holes (2g), and ribbed reinforcements (2h) in positions without maximum load. A parametrically built plate-model
enables simple modification of the model in real-time.
3.2 Definition of Reinforcement Implementation at the
Position of Maximum Compressive Load and Plate-Material
Selection. This is followed by defining the design versions of
the reinforcements at those positions of maximum compressive
load that were implemented within the parametrical platemodel based on experts recommendations. The authors considered manufacturability assessment (design for the manufacturing method) and previous experience when modeling such
elements.
The design experts suggested four reinforcement versions, as
shown in Fig. 3: cross-reinforcement with a rib-thickness of 60
mm (3a), cross-reinforcement with a rib-thickness of 80 mm (3b),
a 160 mm-thick cylinder-shaped reinforcement (3c), and reinforcement with a hexagonal-shaped profile and 60 mm-thick sides

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Fig. 1 Consecutive steps when developing a knowledge-based system for supporting the
design of a plate-press

(3d). All the above versions were also modeled in CATIA V5 software based on the recommendations.
The experts recommended two options for the platematerial; EN-JL-1040 (gray-cast with lamellar-graphite) and
EN-JS-1030 (nodular-cast with ball-graphite). The choice was
substantiated by the fact that gray-cast excels at compressive
stability and is used in pressure-loaded positions, but it must
not be bend-loaded. Nodular-cast is similar to steel in its static
and dynamic characteristics while, at the same time, it preserves those characteristics that are more valued than graycast: namely damping and wear resistance. The suggested
materials represented a suitable choice from the aspect of
ensuring the plates functionality.
024502-2 / Vol. 12, JUNE 2012

3.3 Defining the Parameters for Definition of Various

Plate-Configurations. This is followed by determining the parameters of the plates CAD-model and, on this basis, determining
the various configurations of the plate for performing numerical
analyses. In this way, three user parameters were created: a multivalued string-type parameter for defining plate-material and
length-type parameters that define the thickness of the central longitudinal and transversal plate-rib. Using this, it was then possible
to define both suggested cross-reinforcements within the database
(design table) in a simple manner.
Besides the aforementioned parameters, those internal Boolean
parameters (they have true or false values) were also studied that
represent individual versions of the plate-reinforcement. These
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execution of numerical analyses. Using this program, the goal was

to acquire results on the largest comparative stresses and the
greatest nodal displacements, which could then lead to an additional upgrading of the existing knowledge-base.

Fig. 2 Constituent components of the plate-press

are based on a conceived plate configuration for the execution of

numerical analyses, activated or deactivated within the
knowledge-base. These parameters represent the characteristics of
the CATIA document, are defined as features, and contain values.
The parameters are used to describe model properties and can be
defined by relations or used as arguments regarding relations.
3.4 Connecting the Parameters Into a KnowledgeBase. The parameters were sensibly included within the design
table that represents the knowledge-base and, with the help of
deactivating some activities, geometry was excluded that would
insignificantly influence the numerical analyses results (bolt-type
hooks and starting surfaces for machining); as their presence
would only expand the calculation times. Parametric models that
are defined in this manner represent a quality starting-point for
performing engineering analyses since, with the help of the
included parameters, a simple choice can be made between those
model characteristics required for executing analyses. Eight varied plate-configurations were defined in the design table based on
the experts suggested plate-reinforcements in the position of
maximum compressive load, and based on the suggested material
with the help of parameters (Fig. 4). It is worth mentioning that
each column defines parameter values and each line defines its
configuration. In this way, knowledge is included from the fields
of designing reinforcements, choosing a suitable material, and
knowledge of preparing a CAD-model of a plate-press for the quality execution of numerical analyses.
3.5 Selecting Plate-Configuration and Import the Model
Into ABAQUS. Through choices from the design table, individual
plate-configurations were exported to ABAQUS, a program for the

3.6 Execution of Numerical Analyses Based on Selected

Plate Configuration. Engineering analyses enable us to understand design behavior better and give us guidelines for designoptimization [7]. The range of structures that need to be analyzed
is very wide, from the obvious ones that are meant to carry any
kind of mechanical load and/or the analysis is even prescribed by
special engineering standards [8], to more special at first sight less
obvious cases [9,10]. Engineering analyses and simulations are
also applied to optimize the manufacturing processes [1113].
However, on many occasions inexperienced designers know too
little about the basic principles of engineering analyses. This is
why the results of completed analyses within the CATIA V5
knowledge-base have been included as, in this way, designers
could acquire quality information on the effects of reinforcementselection, and how plate-material can affect the occurrence of internal stresses and nodal displacements.
Numerical analyses, based on FEM [14], have been performed
by experts. They were given all the necessary data, as stated
below. Only elastic modulus and Poissons ratio were needed for
defining isotropic material, because consideration of the plates
gravity and the material model also include density data for both
materials (Table 1).
In regard to the modeling part, it was initially presumed that the
dies would always be placed at the centre of the plate. The smallest die area within which the press would be working is 250,000
mm2 (500 mm  500 mm), where the pressure on the plate with
the peak-force of the press at 30 MN would be 120 N/mm2.
Besides this pressure, the weight of the plate was also considered
where 9.81  103 mm/s2 would be used as the value for ground
acceleration. The models were meshed with tetragonal-volumetric
parabolic elements with a global size of 40. The defining of
boundary conditions for the mounts was followed by drive and
analysis monitoring. Eight statistical material-linear analyses were
performed from the CATIA V5 design table for each individual
plate-configuration.
3.7 Recording the Numerical Analyses Results Within the
V5 Knowledge-Base. Based on the execution of numerical
analyses, results were acquired on allowable stress limits by
Mises, and on the maximum movement of the node on the plate.
The results showed that the largest comparative stresses during all
plate-configurations were within the permissible values. This information was defined in CATIA V5 using points and text-records.
Then, those parameters were connected that represent the aforementioned constituents with appropriate plate configuration, and
thus included numerical analyses results within the knowledgebase. Detailed information about the analysis execution and the
results interpretations was also recorded, in the forms of a textfile and graphical prints. In this way, the user could access the information at any given time.
CATIA

Fig. 3 Experts suggested plate-reinforcement variations in

the position of maximum compressive load and material
selection

The Application of the System

The knowledge-based system for supporting the construction of

press plate is used as a support for inexperienced designers within
the Emo-orodjarna Company, which is a developmental production company, specializing in the planning, designing, and making
of high quality transfer and progressive dies for the cold transformation of sheet metal. The system works based on the implemented knowledge of experts within the fields of design, material
selection, and numerical analysis execution based on the finiteelement method. All this knowledge is recorded and stored in the
knowledge-base in the form of parameters. Specific parameter
combinations represent individual plate-configurations, which can
easily be accessed by the specification tree of CATIA V5.

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Fig. 4 Selecting plate-configuration from the knowledge-base (above) and the knowledge-equipped
(below)

By activating a certain plate-configuration within the design table,

the system offers the user a design solution for platereinforcement in the position of a maximum compressive load. In
addition, it also offers suitable material for building the plate, and
acquaints the user with any effects of the reinforcement-shape and
the selected material on the size and position of the maximum
comparative load and the largest plate-shift in the direction of the
load. Currently, there are eight design configurations (two types
of materials  four reinforcement versions) stored within the systems knowledge-base, each representing a feasible design solution according to the maximum expected compressive load.
Table 1 Display of plates material data for numerical analysis
execution

Material
EN-JS-1030 (nodular-cast)
EN-JL-1040 (gray-cast)

Elastic modulus,
E (N/mm2)

Poissons
ratio, 

169,000
110,500

0.275
0.26

024502-4 / Vol. 12, JUNE 2012

Density,
q (kg/mm2)
7.1  10
7.2  10

6
6

CAD-model

of the plate

The usage of this system saves a great deal of time concerning

the selection of appropriate material for the plate, the selection of
technically suitable geometrical shapes and dimensions of the
reinforcements, repetitive geometrical modeling of the reinforcements, and the execution of numerical analysis. The efficiency of
the system was tested by three companys inexperienced designers
who had to resolve the problems of designing suitable reinforcements within a position of maximum compressive load for pressplates. The problems differed according to the available design
area for placing the reinforcements and customer requirements
regarding the prices of elements in correlation with material selection. Based on the results, it was estimated that usage of this system could reduce overall design time by up to 70% in comparison
with a manual design process while, at the same time, inexperienced designers through varying design configurations can obtain
great insight into how different design parameters influence the
occurrences of size and position of the largest comparative stress,
and the greatest nodal displacement in the load-direction. Finally,
the designs were evaluated by highly experienced designers who
concluded that the systems outputs are acceptable and that use of
this system provides excellent design quality.
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Conclusions

We developed a knowledge-based system for supporting platepress design. It enables a suitable choice of plate-material for an
inexperienced user by providing him or her with design solutions
in the sense of modeling plate-reinforcement in the position of
maximum compressive load. It also acquaints the user as to how
the reinforcement and material type would affect the size and
position of the maximum comparative load and the greatest nodal
displacement in the load-direction. Using this system gives the
user an opportunity to reach conclusions that are crucial for
designing a plate-press.
The presented system is still a research prototype. There are
several possibilities for further system-upgrading that will be
taken into account in our future research. The more important
future developments include:
the inclusion of additional variants regarding platereinforcements and some other materials, suitable for building
pressure-loaded plate
developing an interface that would mutually compare results
from the numerical analyses of individual plate-configurations
execution of dynamic analyses and contact problems analyses
relating to the press-plate, and in recording the acquired results
within the knowledge-base.

Acknowledgment
Operation is partly financed by the European Union from the
European Social Fund.

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