Robust Fixture Layout Design for a Product Family Assembled in a Multistage Reconfigurable Line

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Eduardo Izquierdo ◽  
S. Jack Hu ◽  
Hao Du ◽  
Ran Jin ◽  
Haeseong Jee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Layout Design ◽  
Single System ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Reconfigurable Assembly ◽  
Multistation Assembly ◽  
Locator Layout

Reconfigurable assembly systems enable a family of products to be assembled in a single system by adjusting and reconfiguring fixtures according to each product. The sharing of fixtures among different products impacts their robustness to fixture variation due to trade offs in fixture design (to allow the accommodation of the family in the single system) and to frequent reconfigurations. This paper proposes a methodology to achieve robustness of the fixture layout design through an optimal distribution of the locators in a multistation assembly system for a product family. This objective is accomplished by (1) the use of a multistation assembly process model for the product family, and (2) minimizing the combined sensitivity of the products to fixture variation. The optimization considers the feasibility of the locator layout by taking into account the constraints imposed by the different products and the processes (assembly sequence, data scheme, and reconfigurable tools’ workspace). A case study where three products are assembled in four stations is presented. The sensitivity of the optimal layout was benchmarked against the ones obtained using dedicated assembly lines for each product. This comparison demonstrates that the proposed approach does not significantly sacrifice robustness while allowing the assembly of all products in a single reconfigurable line.

Robust Fixture Layout Design for a Product Family Assembled in a Multistage Reconfigurable Line

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E. Izquierdo ◽  
Hao Du ◽  
S. Jack Hu ◽  
Ran Jin ◽  
Jianjun Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Layout Design ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Assembly Lines ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Multistage System ◽  
Process Disturbances ◽  
Reconfigurable Assembly ◽  
Locator Layout

Reconfigurable assembly systems enable a family of products to be assembled in a single multistage system by adjusting and reconfigurabling fixtures according to each product. The sharing of fixtures among different products impacts their robustness to fixture variation and process disturbances due to frequent reconfiguration. This paper proposes a methodology to achieve robustness of the fixture layout design through an optimal distribution of the locators for a product family. This objective is accomplished by: (1) the use of a multistage assembly process model for the product family, and (2) minimizing the combined sensitivity of the products to fixture variation. The optimization considers the feasibility of the locator layout by taking into account the constraints imposed by the different products and the processes (assembly sequence, datum scheme and reconfigurable tools workspace). The high dimension design space makes the problem challenging from the optimization point of view. A case study where three products are assembled in four stages is presented. The sensitivity of the optimal layout was benchmarked against the ones obtained using dedicated assembly lines for each product. This comparison proves that the proposed approach does not significantly sacrifice robustness while allowing the assembly of three products in a single reconfigurable line.

Multiobjective Optimization for Integrated Tolerance Allocation and Fixture Layout Design in Multistation Assembly

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Li ◽  
L. E. Izquierdo ◽  
M. Kokkolaras ◽  
S. J. Hu ◽  
P. Y. Papalambros
Keyword(s):  
Multiobjective Optimization ◽  
Layout Design ◽  
Tolerance Allocation ◽  
Assembly Process ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Dimensional Variation ◽  
Product Variation ◽  
Multistation Assembly

Cost and dimensional variation of products are significant attributes in multistation assembly processes. These attributes depend on product∕process tolerances and fixture layouts. Typically, tolerance allocation and fixture layout design are conducted separately without considering potential interrelations. In this work, we use multiobjective optimization for integrated tolerance allocation and fixture layout design to address interactions and to quantify tradeoffs among cost, product variation, and assembly process sensitivity. A nested optimization strategy is applied to a vehicle side frame assembly. Results demonstrate the presence and quantification of tradeoffs, based on which we introduce the concept of critical variation and critical budget requirements.

Multiobjective Optimization for Integrated Tolerance Allocation and Fixture Layout Design in Multistation Assembly

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijun Li ◽  
Michael Kokkolaras ◽  
Luis E. Izquierdo ◽  
S. Jack Hu ◽  
Panos Y. Papalambros
Keyword(s):  
Multiobjective Optimization ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Layout Design ◽  
Tolerance Allocation ◽  
Assembly Process ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Process Robustness ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Multistation Assembly

Cost and product quality are significant attributes in manufacturing processes, such as multistation assembly. We use multiobjective optimization for integrated tolerance allocation and fixture layout design to address their interaction and to quantify tradeoffs among cost, product quality, and assembly process robustness. Design decisions relate to product tolerances, assembly process tolerances, and fixture locating positions. A nested optimization strategy is adopted, and the proposed methodology is demonstrated using a vehicle side frame assembly example. The obtained results provide evidence for the existence of tradeoffs, based on which we can identify critical quality and budget requirements.

scholarly journals Machining Fixture Layout Design for Milling Operation Using FEA, ANN and RSM

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 1693-1703 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vasundara ◽  
K.P. Padmanaban ◽  
M. Sabareeswaran ◽  
M. RajGanesh
Keyword(s):  
Layout Design ◽  
Fixture Layout ◽  
Milling Operation

A Process Model and Data Mining to Support Designing Families of Services

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Ki Moon ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Soundar R. T. Kumara
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
New Service Development ◽  
Recent Trends

Product family design is a cost-effective way to achieve mass customization by allowing highly differentiated products to be developed from a common platform while targeting individual products to distinct market segments. Recent trends seek to apply and extend principles from product family design to new service development. In this paper, we extend concepts from platform-based product family design to create a novel methodology for module-based service family design. The new methodology helps identify a service platform along with variant and unique modules in a service family by integrating service-based process analysis, ontologies, and data mining. A function-process matrix and a service process model are investigated to define the relationships between the service functions and the service processes offered as part of a service. An ontology is used to represent the relationships between functional hierarchies in a service. Fuzzy clustering is employed to partition service processes into subsets for identifying modules in a given service family. The clustering result identifies the platform and its modules using a platform level membership function. We apply the proposed methodology to determine a new platform using a case study involving a family of banking services.

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