A Hybrid Expert System for Estimation of the Manufacturability of a Notional Design

Table 2

ES variable type.

Type	Use	Example
Fuzzy	Capturing subjectivity precisely	How mature is the primary manufacturing process?
Multiple choice	Capturing categorical or ordinal information	Is the primary material/component available in this state, an adjacent one, the nation as a whole, or only internationally?
Binary	Capturing yes/no-true/false information	Is a “high-bay” required in the core manufacturing facility?
Simple numerical	Capturing a number in a range	How many times does the mode of conveyance (ex: sea, land) of the primary material/component change (ex: at a port)?