Process planning optimization for parallel drilling of blind holes using a two phase genetic algorithm

  • Authors:

  • Shujuan Li;Yong Liu;Yan Li;Robert G. Landers;Lie Tang

  • Affiliations:

  • School of Mechanical and Instrument Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China 710048;School of Mechanical and Instrument Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China 710048;School of Mechanical and Instrument Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China 710048;Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, USA 65409-0050;Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, USA 65409-0050

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

Determining the optimal process parameters and machining sequence is essential in machining process planning since they significantly affect the cost, productivity, and quality of machining operations. Process planning optimization has been widely investigated in single-tool machining operations. However, for the research reported in process planning optimization of machining operations using multiple tools simultaneously, the literature is scarce. In this paper, a novel two phase genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to optimize, in terms of minimum completion time, the process parameters and machining sequence for two-tool parallel drilling operations with multiple blind holes distributed in a pair of parallel faces and in multiple pairs of parallel faces. In the first phase, a GA is used to determine the process parameters (i.e., drill feed and spindle speed) and machining time for each hole subject to feed, spindle speed, thrust force, torque, power, and tool life constraints. The minimum machining time is the optimization criterion. In the second phase, the GA is used to determine the machining sequence subject to hole position constraints (i.e., the distribution of the hole locations on each face is fixed). The minimum operation completion time is the optimization criterion in this phase. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in solving the process planning optimization problem for parallel drilling of blind holes on multiple parallel faces. In order to evaluate the performance of proposed algorithm, the simulation results are compared to a methodology that utilizes the exhaustive method in the first phase and a sorting algorithm.