Tool Path Optimization of Drilling Sequence in CNC Machine Using Genetic Algorithm

Drilling is a one of the most common machining process. There are a lot of applications where drilling is used, like drilling of holes in the printed circuit boards. . CNC machines are used today to perform the drilling process. These machines are capital intensive, and their maximum utilization is due to their economic viability. An issue that affects the utilization of these machines is the drilling sequence, because usually there is a number of points that has to be visited. Determination of drilling sequence is similar to the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and exhibits characteristics of an NP-hard problem. In this paper, a program to find the optimum shortest path was built, using Genetic Algorithm and Traveling Salesman Problem to shorten machining time for the drilling of a given group of holes and hence to reduce machining cost and improve CNC machining efficiency without degrading motion accuracy. The results showed the effectiveness of the genetic algorithm, and the machining time is reduced to around 50% in some cases and hence machining power and cost are reduced Keywords: GA, Tool Path Optimization, CNC, Drilling