An optimization approach for setup planning and operation sequencing with tolerance constraints

Setup planning and operation sequencing are two interrelated problems in computer-aided process planning. However, they are addressed by most traditional methods separately, in which setup planning focuses on precision assurance, while operation sequencing is devoted to cost reduction. One drawback of these methods is that they cannot balance the requirements between precision and cost. In this paper, a constrained optimization approach is proposed to address the setup planning and operation sequencing problems in a combined way. With an objective to minimize the manufacturing cost, the optimization model includes various constraints, especially the precision constraints on setup error, tool error, and stacking error. A modified particle swarm optimization algorithm is developed to search for the optimal solution. The case study shows that the proposed method has relatively more flexibility in guaranteeing the precision and decreasing the cost.