APPLYING CASE-BASED REASONING TO MANUFACTURING

CLAVIER is a case-based reasoning (CBR) system that assists in determi ning efficient loads of composite material parts to be cured in an aut oclave. CLAVIER'S central purpose is to find the most appropriate grou pings and configurations of parts (or loads) to maximize autoclave thr oughput yet ensure that parts are properly cured. CLAVIER uses CBR to match a list of parts that need to be cured against a library of previ ously successful loads and suggest the most appropriate next load. CLA VIER also uses a heuristic scheduler to generate a sequence of loads t hat best meets production goals and satisfies operational constraints. The system is being used daily on the shop floor and has virtually el iminated the production of low-quality parts that must be scrapped, sa ving thousands of dollars each month. As one of the first fielded CBR systems, CLAVIER demonstrates that CBR is a practical technology that can be used successfully in domains where more traditional approaches are difficult to apply.