A systematic method of adaptive joint design considering different assembly sequence in sheet metal product

Abstract

In sheet metal assembly, not only the component variations and tool errors, but also the component structure (joint type) and assembly process (assembly sequence) affect the final dimensional quality. In this paper, a systematic method for adaptive joint design considering different assembly sequence is proposed to meet the in-process dimensional adjustability of KCs (key characteristics). First, the adaptive characteristic of the sheet metal joint is depicted. Then, the mathematical model in order for concurrently optimizing both joint type and different assembly sequence is presented. How to evaluate the combination of joint type and assembly sequence is carried out according to two conditions: (1) for single KC, and (2) for multiple KCs. The KC confliction is considered to ensure the important KCs. Genetic algorithm is used to resolve the optimization of joint design. An example is chosen to demonstrate our method finally, and various joint designs are acquired according to different assembly sequences by this means. The proposed methods make it possible for us to improve the dimensional quality of product in the design stage.