A novel concatenation method for generating optimal robotic assembly sequences

Author(s):  
MVA Raju Bahubalendruni ◽  
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal

Selection of optimized assembly sequence is significantly essential to achieve cost-effective manufacturing process. This paper presents a novel efficient methodology to generate cost-effective feasible robotic assembly sequences though concatenation of parts. Part concatenation process will be followed with liaison predicate test and feasibility predicate test. A unique method called bounding box method is described to test the feasibility predicate efficiently in the computer-aided design environment. Assembly indexing technique is proposed to filter the redundant assembly subsets with high energy in order to minimize the computational time. The cost of collision free assembling operation is considered by the weight and distance traveled by the part in the assembly environment to join with the mating part. The method is successful in finding feasible optimal assembly sequence without ignoring any possible assembly sequence and found to be efficient in solving computer-aided assembly sequence generation. The correctness of the methodology is illustrated with an example.

Author(s):  
MVA Raju Bahubalendruni ◽  
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal

Sequence of feasible mechanical assembly operations plays significant role in overall cost optimisation process for manufacturing industry and thus great importance is given to assembly sequence generation from past four decades. Though achieving at least one feasible sequence is focused in the earlier stages of research, the introduction of soft computing techniques attracted the industrial engineers towards cost-effective, optimised assembly sequences to attain economical manufacturing process. The integration of assembly sequence generation methods with computer aided design environment ensures more correctness and flexibility to automate the process. In this paper, a detailed review on various methods, their applications and limitations is presented and well discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. A. Raju Bahubalendruni ◽  
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal ◽  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Radharani Nayak

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find out the significant influence of assembly predicate consideration on optimal assembly sequence generation (ASG) in terms of search space, computational time and possibility of resulting practically not feasible assembly sequences. An appropriate assembly sequence results in minimal lead time and low cost of assembly. ASG is a complex combinatorial optimisation problem which deals with several assembly predicates to result an optimal assembly sequence. The consideration of each assembly predicate highly influences the search space and thereby computational time to achieve valid assembly sequence. Often, the ignoring an assembly predicate leads to inappropriate assembly sequence, which may not be physically possible, sometimes predicate assumption drastic ally raises the search space with high computational time. Design/methodology/approach – The influence of assuming and considering different assembly predicates on optimal assembly sequence generation have been clearly illustrated with examples using part concatenation method. Findings – The presence of physical attachments and type of assembly liaisons decide the consideration of assembly predicate to reduce the complexity of the problem formulation and overall computational time. Originality/value – Most of the times, assembly predicates are ignored to reduce the computational time without considering their impact on the assembly sequence problem irrespective of assembly attributes. The current research proposes direction towards predicate considerations based on the assembly configurations for effective and efficient ASG.


2011 ◽  
Vol 383-390 ◽  
pp. 6357-6362
Author(s):  
B.B. Choudhury ◽  
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal

In product assembly, optimized sequence is a prerequisite for automated systems. The assembly process can be optimized through appropriate selection and allocation of the given tasks in a multi-device framework. These two discrete tasks need to be integrated to produce the optimum result and a cost effective system to cope with the needs of the system, the present work attempts to generate an automatic assembly sequence and seeks for optimal allocation of tasks amongst the available robots. Further, an effective task allocation approach considers the capabilities of the deployable robots. This paper presents an integrated approach for assembly sequence generation and task allocation for multi-robot systems by considering their capability in terms of time and space. An example of a 21 part drive assembly is given to illustrate the concept and procedure of the proposed methodology.


2005 ◽  
Vol 297-300 ◽  
pp. 2261-2265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Gang Qu ◽  
Jian Hui Li ◽  
Hang Gao

The double-vertical-column frame component, 8780mm high, is the key structure of Electrical Slag Founding Furnace (ESFF). Due to its structural complexity and crucial functional role in the entire equipment, the frame structure is actually the most sensitive part of cost-effective manufacturing. Properties design, in which both static and dynamic properties are analyzed in order to meet the functionality requirement, is widely believed as important as other production processes, such as requirement identification, conceptualization, DFM and so on. And its deterministic role in cost effective manufacturing has been discussed in many historical literatures. Finite Element Analysis (FEA), one of most powerful engineering tool, has long been employed in designing of the frame component aiming to reduce computational time and improve computational precision, either in presence of separated tool or as an integrated utility in CAD systems, for a long time. However seamless integration FEM into Computer-Aided-Design is still a challenging topic and one of the bottlenecks of cost-effective design recognized by scientists in the past. Based on a 3D solid model created with the CAD-system-compatible software SolidWorks, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the Furnace frame structure was carried out, which provided easily utilized data for the successive manufacturing processes as well as near-instantaneous feedbacks to designing process.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Wood ◽  
Stewart Moore

Large full-ship engineering analyses and simulations are performed today in various disciplines. Such analysis models are almost always "hand-crafted" by skilled and experienced analysts. There is a need to improve upon the time, cost, and skill mix required to create such large-scale ship models. In order to perform a full ship computational analysis, the engineering analyst must have or create an analysis-ready model. Following current work practices, a computer-aided design (CAD) database of the vessel is created, primarily for design disclosure and manufacturing rather than for analysis. Consequently, the model may not be suitable or easily modified to create an analysis-ready model. Several thousand man hours are required to obtain data and prepare a model that is usable for analyses. Furthermore, solely expanding use of modeling and simulation tools, without accompanying changes in the model generation approach, will not deliver significant savings. Model generation is a complex effort and often is the major cost of full ship analysis. The authors present a summary of several National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) efforts which support ship design and analysis automation from the early concept to the detailed stages. These unique approaches focus on supporting multilevel modeling fidelity within a flexible design environment at the earliest stages of ship concept formulation by implementing a more computer-aided engineering (CAE) centric approach, in which data is captured at the beginning of the ship design cycle, thus having the most cost effective impact as ship design progresses through the ship’s lifecycle.


Author(s):  
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal ◽  
Sujit Kumar Pattanayak ◽  
Rabindra Narayan Mohapatra ◽  
Pramod Kumar Parida ◽  
Panchanand Jha

Automated assembly using robots is being gainfully used to enhance the process capabilities in the manufacturing world because of the fact that it is faster, more efficient, precise and cost effective process than any conventional mechanized process. However in assembly operations it is essential to determine the assembly sequence that is feasible, stable and faster so that an economical process can be evolved. Since robotic system is a cost intensive one it is necessary to find out the correct and optimal sequence with the constraints of the process in mind while dealing with assembled products with large number of parts. One of the most critical situations is to detect the best assembly sequence for products having large number of different alternative solutions. In this paper, a new methodology has been developed to find out the best robotic assembly sequence among the feasible robotic sequences. The feasible robotic assembly sequences have been generated based on the assembly constraints and later, the Artificial Immune System (AIS) has been implemented to find out the best assembly sequence.


2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Boday ◽  
Stewart Moore

Large full-ship engineering analyses and simulations are performed today in various disciplines. Such analysis models are almost always "hand-crafted" by skilled and experienced analysts. There is a need to improve upon the time, cost, and skill mix required to create such large-scale ship models. In order to perform a full ship computational analysis, the engineering analyst must have or create an analysis-ready model. Following current work practices, a computer-aided design (CAD) database of the vessel is created, primarily for design disclosure and manufacturing rather than for analysis. Consequently, the model may not be suitable or easily modified to create an analysis-ready model. Several thousand man hours are required to obtain data and prepare a model that is usable for analyses. Furthermore, solely expanding use of modeling and simulation tools, without accompanying changes in the model generation approach, will not deliver significant savings. Model generation is a complex effort and often is the major cost of full ship analysis. The authors present a summary of several National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) efforts which support ship design and analysis automation from the early concept to the detailed stages. These unique approaches focus on supporting multilevel modeling fidelity within a flexible design environment at the earliest stages of ship concept formulation by implementing a more computer-aided engineering (CAE) centric approach, in which data is captured at the beginning of the ship design cycle, thus having the most cost effective impact as ship design progresses through the ship’s lifecycle.


Author(s):  
A. N. Bozhko

Computer-aided design of assembly processes (Computer aided assembly planning, CAAP) of complex products is an important and urgent problem of state-of-the-art information technologies. Intensive research on CAAP has been underway since the 1980s. Meanwhile, specialized design systems were created to provide synthesis of assembly plans and product decompositions into assembly units. Such systems as ASPE, RAPID, XAP / 1, FLAPS, Archimedes, PRELEIDES, HAP, etc. can be given, as an example. These experimental developments did not get widespread use in industry, since they are based on the models of products with limited adequacy and require an expert’s active involvement in preparing initial information. The design tools for the state-of-the-art full-featured CAD/CAM systems (Siemens NX, Dassault CATIA and PTC Creo Elements / Pro), which are designed to provide CAAP, mainly take into account the geometric constraints that the design imposes on design solutions. These systems often synthesize technologically incorrect assembly sequences in which known technological heuristics are violated, for example orderliness in accuracy, consistency with the system of dimension chains, etc.An AssemBL software application package has been developed for a structured analysis of products and a synthesis of assembly plans and decompositions. The AssemBL uses a hyper-graph model of a product that correctly describes coherent and sequential assembly operations and processes. In terms of the hyper-graph model, an assembly operation is described as shrinkage of edge, an assembly plan is a sequence of shrinkages that converts a hyper-graph into the point, and a decomposition of product into assembly units is a hyper-graph partition into sub-graphs.The AssemBL solves the problem of minimizing the number of direct checks for geometric solvability when assembling complex products. This task is posed as a plus-sum two-person game of bicoloured brushing of an ordered set. In the paradigm of this model, the brushing operation is to check a certain structured fragment for solvability by collision detection methods. A rational brushing strategy minimizes the number of such checks.The package is integrated into the Siemens NX 10.0 computer-aided design system. This solution allowed us to combine specialized AssemBL tools with a developed toolkit of one of the most powerful and popular integrated CAD/CAM /CAE systems.


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