ALGORITHM  BASED   DECISION  SUPPORT  SYSTEM  FOR  THE  CONCERTED   SELECTION  OF  EQUIPMENT  IN  MACHINING / ASSEMBLY CELLS

ABSTRACT

Equipment selection plays a major role in the performance of machining / assembly cells. Based on analytical algorithms, a decision support system (DSS) is developed to concurrently select machining centers and robots from the milieu available in the marketplace. The DSS evaluates the design and geometry of the mating parts that are to be processed and assembled by the cell. Accordingly, it recommends the machining center and robot that maximize the cell’s performance subject to various operational and budget constraints.