Automated Cost Modeling for Tolerance Synthesis Using Manufacturing Process Data, Knowledge Reasoning and Optimization

Abstract

In this paper, a method for automatically generating cost-tolerance models based upon given design geometry and tolerance using manufacturing process data is presented. The method predicts the manufacturing costs of a design through the identification of the minimum-cost manufacturing process. This task is accomplished through a mapping from design feature and accuracy to the minimum-cost manufacturing process and its cost model, which is assembled using the elementary cost models of its composing production operations. The mapping is carried through knowledge reasoning of an intelligent system, mathematical modeling of empirical cost- tolerance relations, and numerical optimization. Application of this new approach in computer automated tolerance analysis is discussed and illustrated using an example. The method breaks the traditional barrier between design and manufacturing, and allows functional performance and manufacturing costs of a design to be considered concurrently, leading to the global design optimum.