Title: Concurrent design for nominal and tolerance analysis and allocation of mechanical assemblies using DE and NSGA-II

Authors: K. Sivakumar, C. Balamurugan

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathiyamangalam, Erode – 638 401, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Production Engineering, J.J. College of Engineering and Technology, Tiruchirappalli – 620009, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Tolerance analysis of mechanical assemblies promotes concurrent engineering by bringing engineering requirement, manufacturing cost and quality together in a common model. To improve the tolerance design, the designer could first try to decrease the sensitive components by moving the nominal values to a less sensitivity portion. Second, the cost-based optimal machining tolerances are allocated. Differential Evolution (DE) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) are used for minimising the critical dimensions deviation and manufacturing cost with optimal machining tolerances. A numerical example (Stacked blocks assembly) shows the superior nature of DE and NSGA-II algorithms.

Keywords: critical dimensions deviations; tolerance allocation; tolerance analysis; sensitivity analysis; sensitivity optimisation; concurrent engineering; mechanical assemblies; machining tolerances; simultaneous engineering; tolerance design; differential evolution; genetic algorithms; manufacturing cost.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2009.024618

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2009 Vol.18 No.1, pp.15 - 33

Published online: 12 Apr 2009 *

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