Title: Optimum selection and ranking of electroplating system process parameters: Taguchi-MADM approach

Authors: Abhishek Kumar; Shibu Clement; V.P. Agrawal

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, K.K. Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa – 403 726, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, K.K. Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa – 403 726, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Thapar University, P.O. Box 32, Patiala – 147 004, India

Abstract: This paper deals with the analysis of the process parameters such as pH, bath temperature, current density, plating time and voltage as influencing factors, on the weight and hardness of coating, based on Taguchi|s experimental design methods. This paper also compares the previous analysis to one based on Taguchi|s robust design idea to TOPSIS method of ranking. Attribute databases of MADM-TOPSIS are able to store, organise and manipulate both, the customer requirements and the product information for the performance of electroplating process system. The Taguchi method was adopted to determine the contribution of different factors using L27 orthogonal array for five electroplating parameter such as pH, temperature of bath, current density, plating time and voltage, with three levels for each factor. This study confirms the interest of usual DOEs as well as MADM technique, namely TOPSIS for experiment.

Keywords: TOPSIS; order preference; similarity; ideal situations; attributes characterisation; coefficient of suitability; statistical methods; Genichi Taguchi; rankings; optimum selection; process parameters; multi-attribute decision making; MADM; pH measurements; acidity; basicity; aqueous solutions; bath temperatures; current density; plating times; voltage; influencing factors; coatings; weight; hardness; attribute databases; customer requirements; product information; process systems; electroplating parameters; orthogonal arrays; experiment design; applied decision sciences.

DOI: 10.1504/IJADS.2011.043304

International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences, 2011 Vol.4 No.4, pp.341 - 361

Published online: 29 Sep 2014 *

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