A process planning-orientated approach to part family formation problem in group technology applications

Abstract

The paper reports on constrained hierarchical clustering applied to similarity analysis, the grouping of process plans and, consequently, the parts manufactured in accordance with them. It proposes solutions to some important problems such as: determining a metric of process plan similarity evaluation; the study of a cluster-creating technique with two process plans and a rule for singling out the standard plan; the determination of a logical threshold value for partitioning into families. Validation of the method creates a family set. The ‘strong forms’ of this set constitute definitive partition into families of the process plan set.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

GJERGJI SHIKO

Currently guest professor at ENSAM, B.P. 508 51006 Chalons/M, France.