A polychromatic sets approach to the conceptual design of machine tools

Abstract

Currently very few computer-aided conceptual design systems are available to support the initial development of a machine tool and its structure (concept, calculation, design) and the verification of the prototype. In recent years, polychromatic sets have emerged as a promising approach for mathematical modelling. The theory, techniques, and approaches of polychromatic sets are capable of playing an important role in the conceptual design of a variety of products including machine tools. In this paper, the concept of polychromatic sets is introduced, and a polychromatic sets approach for the conceptual design of machine tools is proposed. The usefulness of the proposed method is illustrated by a conceptual design example of a machining centre of drilling, milling, and boring. Applying the proposed approach to machine tools helps to make right decisions in the conceptual design stage. Due to its powerful mathematical modelling capability, the polychromatic sets technique proposed in this paper may possibly be extended and applied to design evaluation problems encountered in other design tasks in manufacturing systems including process planning.