Automated synthesis of modular fixture designs using an evolutionary search algorithm |
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Authors: | F. Mervyn A. Senthil Kumar |
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Affiliation: | Department of Mechanical Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore 119260 |
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Abstract: | Fixture design is a complex problem that requires a designer to ensure that a workpiece is located deterministically, totally restrained and sufficiently supported during a manufacturing process. The use of modular fixtures, while presenting an opportunity to improve the responsiveness of a manufacturing system, adds to the complexity of the fixture design problem. The complexity is a result of the large number of fixture elements in a modular fixture system and the constraints of specified locations in which fixture elements can be placed in a grid-based modular system. This paper presents an evolutionary search algorithm that aids a fixture designer by exploring the large number of possible fixture designs and suggesting an appropriate one. The algorithm can explore the large solution space using a flexible and generic representation and it considers fixture layout and fixture configuration constraints concurrently in arriving at appropriate solutions. The initial results of the algorithm are promising. |
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Keywords: | Fixture design Automated design Modular fixtures Evolutionary algorithm |
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