An expert system approach to fault diagnosis in hydraulic systems

Abstract: Increased interest in problem‐solving decisions in the area of engineering leads to an increased demand for expert system applications. This paper presents an expert system that detects faults in hydraulic systems by simulating the reasoning of the expert, using as guide the hydraulic circuit of the system on the screen and extensive graphical information. A graphical user interface, appropriate explanations by using hypertext and user modelling have been implemented in order to produce a system that overcomes the usual interface problems of expert systems in engineering. This system has been developed in close collaboration with the company Automation Systems SA (Mannesmann Rexroth — Greece) and is currently used to detect faults in hydraulic presses, a fact that presents evidence of its usefulness.