Title: Weighted Euclidean distance-based approach as a multiple attribute decision making method for manufacturing situations

Authors: R.V. Rao; D. Singh; F. Bleicher; C. Dorn

Addresses: S.V. National Institute of Technology, Ichchanath, Surat, Gujarat – 395 007, India. ' S.V. National Institute of Technology, Ichchanath, Surat, Gujarat – 395 007, India ' Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Hochleistungslasertechnik, Technische Universität Wien, Karlsplatz 13/311, 1040 Wien, Austria. ' Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Hochleistungslasertechnik, Technische Universität Wien, Karlsplatz 13/311, 1040 Wien, Austria

Abstract: The selection of appropriate alternative in the manufacturing environment is a very important but at the same time a complex and difficult problem because of the availability of wide range of alternatives and similarity among them. So, there is a need for simple, systematic, and logical methods or mathematical tools to guide decision makers in considering a number of selection attributes and their interrelations. In this paper, a new multi-attribute decision making (MADM) method, 'weighted Euclidean distance-based approach (WEDBA)' is developed and applied to various decision making situations of the manufacturing environment. The method considers the objective weights of importance of the attributes as well as the subjective preferences of the decision maker to decide the integrated weights of importance of the attributes. Furthermore, the method uses fuzzy logic to convert the qualitative attributes into the quantitative attributes. Four examples are presented to illustrate the potential of the proposed WEDBA method and the results are compared with the results obtained by using other decision making methods.

Keywords: multiattribute decision making; MADM; weighted Euclidean distance-based approach; materials selection; green EDM; robot selection; product end-of-life; EOL products; manufacturing industry; fuzzy logic; electro-discharge machining; electrical discharge machining.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCDM.2012.047845

International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making, 2012 Vol.2 No.3, pp.225 - 240

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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