Utility-Fuzzy-Taguchi based hybrid approach in investment casting process

In this paper, the use of the Utility-Fuzzy-Taguchi based hybrid approach in investment casting process for optimizing multiple quality characteristics of wax patterns has been conceptualized. Selection of an appropriate orthogonal array, preference scale construction followed by preference values, generation of multi-performance index (MPI) by fuzzy logic, analysis of means and analysis of variance are employed to study the performance characteristics of the process. The control factors considered are injection temperature, injection pressure and injection time, whereas linear shrinkage, surface roughness and penetration are the corresponding responses. The optimal setting obtained by the proposed method is validated by confirmatory experiments. This concludes the application feasibility of the proposed method for parametric optimizations in investment casting process. Further, the result of the aforementioned optimization technique has been compared with that of Utility-Taguchi technique. It is found that the optimal condition for both is same, while the most influential process parameter is different in both cases due to employment of random selection of weights in Utility-Taguchi method.