Process selection methodology for near net shape manufacturing

Daniele Marini,Jonathan R Corney

doi:10.1007/s00170-019-04561-w

Daniele Marini, Jonathan R Corney

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-04561-w

Copy DOI

Abstract

This paper presents a new selection methodology that for the first time supports the identification of Near Net Shape (NNS) processes. The methodology, known as “Product, Geometry, Manufacturing and Materials Matching” (ProGeMa3), is composed of four steps, which aim to minimize raw material usage and machining by adopting a NNS approach. A key component of the methodology is the Process Selection Matrix (ProSMa) that associates a component’s shape and production volume with its material requirements to reduce the number of candidate NNS processes. A final selection is then made from this shortlist by using fuzzy logic and considering other constraints and functional requirements. The ProGeMa3 selection process is illustrated by its application to an industrial component that resulted in changes to the processes used for its commercial manufacture. The ProGeMa3 and ProSMa presented in this paper aspires to be current and comprehensive for solid metallic components produced by casting, forging and additive technologies. However, ProSMa is also accessible as an open source resource available for other researcher to extend and adapt.

Highlights

In the last 30 years, the concept of manufacturability has been applied to many different processes in numerous industries
Manufacturing process selection have been reported, they have not been widely applied because of the resources and computational challenges required to implement them. In response to these issues, this paper introduces a novel process selection methodology that is designed to review a company’s portfolio of components and identify opportunities for adopting near net shape processes
The ProGeMa3 methodology has been successfully applied to an industrial case study

Summary

Introduction

In the last 30 years, the concept of manufacturability has been applied to many different processes in numerous industries. The approach described quickly focuses the review and on a small number of candidate parts and processes which are determined to be most economically and technically feasible This initial filtering reduces the size of the search space to a point where computationally intensive methods can be effectively used to identify optimum solutions. Other environmental factors, such as resource saving considerations (energy and water requirements), re-manufacturing (material recycling, reuse and repair) and waste management (e.g. hazardous wastage), related to manufacturing processes, are not considered in the developed process selection methodology. These factors can be quantified only subsequent to the feasibility stage, using supply chain management tools and product Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). The Product, Geometry, Manufacturing, and Material Matching (ProGeMa3) Methodology is described and applied to an industrial case study

Process and material selection in literature

Review synthesis

Case study: application of ProGeMa3 methodology

Results and discussion

Conclusion