Manufacturing Optimization

Effective utilization of equipment is critical to any manufacturing operation, especially with the sophisticated, high-cost equipment involved and increasing global competition. Optimization aims to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the manufacturing process. This text presents tools to assist in modeling optimization problems, selecting suitable techniques, developing the optimization algorithm and software, and implementing the program. The author discusses design of machine elements, machining tolerance allocation, scheduling, part family formation, and both conventional and intelligent techniques, providing the tools to design and implement a suitable optimization technique.