Multi-objective optimization based on machine reliability and process-dependent product quality for FDM system

Abstract

With increasing application of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), it is important to develop a reliability model and maintenance plan strategies for FDM machines. This paper studies the impact of machine component degradations and process parameter deviations on the FDM system reliability. The contribution of this paper is to integrate both FDM machine reliability and process-dependent product quality in a system reliability model. The machine reliability is determined by component degradations. All component failures are subject to exponential distributions with time-dependent failure rates. The process-dependent product quality is used to quantify the impact of process parameters on product quality. The Flashforge Guider fabrication machine is used as a case study. The reliability model of this machine is analyzed during its operation time. Based on the reliability model, the optimal maintenance plans using multi-objective optimization method are obtained. The minimum life cycle cost and cumulative failure probability functions are taken as optimization objectives. Comparisons among the optimal maintenance plans and the solution without preventative maintenance (PM) are investigated. The implementation of PM improves the system reliability and reduces the life cycle cost. Through the Pareto frontiers, the trade-off is obtained between life cycle cost and cumulative failure probability functions. Numerical results for the optimization of FDM system operations are provided.