AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO DETERMINING THE SEQUENCE OF MACHINING OPERATIONS FOR PRISMATIC PARTS WITH INTERACTING FEATURES

This paper proposed a framework for integrating artificial intelligenc e (AI) techniques and mechanistic models in the task of generating pro cess plans for prismatic parts. The main issue of process planning add ressed in this paper is the determination of the operation sequence fo r mechanical parts containing interacting features where machining of one feature might adversely affect the surface quality of other featur es. The informed graph-search strategy in Al is used to achieve the fu nction of operation sequence planning. The search graph is built by co nsidering alternative machining operations in converting a blank stock into the final part configuration. Several heuristic functions concer ning machining practices are developed to help to reduce the complexit y of the search graph. Mechanistic models of different interaction mac hining situations are also considered to help the graph-search process so that the process plan generated can ensure the machining of high-q uality mechanical parts. this idea of incorporating mechanistic models in operation sequence planning activities makes it possible to build in surface-quality considerations at the early process-planning stage. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.