Process planning with multi-level fuzzy decision-making

A great amount of research work involved in computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) is focusing on process planning in the hope of achieving genuine automated functions. This paper presents an effective method that uses fuzzy sets and fuzzy decisions to create optimal process plans for metal cutting manufacture. First, a model of alternative process plans is proposed. Second, fuzzy decisions are applied to the model to select optimal process plans according to certain criteria and constraints. Finally, a computer automated process planning (CAPP) prototype system is presented, followed by an example demonstrating the application of the method in planning metal cutting processes.