Model Development for Machining Process Sequencing and Machine Tool Selection

Traditionally, machining process sequence was influenced and constrained by the design information obtained from CAD data base, i.e., class of operations, geometric shape, tooling, geometric tolerance, etc. However, even though all the constraints from design information are considered, there may exist more than one way to feasibly machine parts. This research is focused on the integrated problem of operations sequencing and machine tools selection in the presence of the product mix and their production volumes. With the transitional costs among machining operations, the operation sequencing problem can be formulated as a well-known Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). The transitional cost between two operations is expressed as the sum of total machining time of the parts on a machine for the first operation and transportation time of the parts from the first machine to a machine for the second operation. Therefore, the operation sequencing problem formulated as TSP cannot be solved without transitional costs for all operation pairs. When solved separately or serially, their mutual optima cannot be guaranteed. Machining operations sequencing and machine tool selection problems are two core problems in process planning for discretely machined parts. In this paper, the interrelated two problems are integrated and analyzed, zero-one integer programming model for the integrated problem is formulated, and the solution methods are developed using a Tabu Search technique.