Decision making Tool for Moving from 3 axes to 5 axes CNC Machine tool
Abstract Nowadays most of the parts within machine building industry are machines on CNC machine tools. According to their mechanical and kinematic structure, CNC machine tools can be divided into 3 axes and 5 axes ones. Each type has its advantages and drawbacks and choosing between them could be a very difficult process. This paper presents a decision support tool for aiding the process of selecting between using and/or buying either a 3 axes CNC milling machine or a 5 axes milling machine, based upon fuzzy logic. The tool was built using the Fuzzy Logic Toolbox and the fuzzy graphical user interface (GUI) within Matlab software package.