Abstract
This paper proposes a new knowledge representation and a new reasoning for an expert system in assisting production line design which is the planning process used when introducing new machine tools into a factory.
In this system hybrid knowledge representations are used. These are the hierarchical knowledge representing the structure in three layers and the knowledge representation using semantic network. In semantic network a machine tool type is divided by its machine mechanism and function in detail. In regard to the reasoning, we propose the multiobjective evaluation reasoning which has a two stage reasoning process. These processes use the elimination reasoning method which can examine a machine structural characteristic and compare the multiplicative utility function values. Because of this comparison capability it is able to evaluate many objectives simultaneously when purchasing machine tools.
