A study in applying case-based reasoning to engineering design: Mechanical bearing design

Case-based reasoning (CBR) is a promising methodology for solving many complex engineering design problems. CBR employs past problem-solving experiences when solving new problems. This paper presents a case study of how to apply CBR to a specific engineering problem: mechanical bearing design. A system is developed that retrieves previous design cases from a case repository and uses adaptation techniques to modify them to satisfy the current problem requirements. The approach combines both parametric and constraint satisfaction adaptations. Parametric adaptation considers not only parameter substitution but also the interrelationships between the problem definition and its solution. Constraint satisfaction provides a method to globally check the design requirements to assess case adaptability. Currently, our system has been implemented and tested in the domain of rolling bearings. This work serves as a template for application of CBR techniques to realistic engineering problems.