Surrogate modeling of dimensional variation propagation in multistage assembly processes

In assembly process control and design optimization, it is critical to establish a mathematical model that describes the relationship between the dimensional quality of the final product and the various process parameters (e.g., the fixture layout and locator position deviation). This article presents a surrogate modeling methodology for multistage assembly processes to characterize the relationship between fixture layout and product dimensional quality. The mathematical structure of the model is derived from a physical analysis based on first principles and then the parameters of the model are identified using data from computer experiments. The resulting surrogate model can enable fixture layout optimization in process planning. A comprehensive case study of a multistage assembly process is also presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and high fidelity of the developed method.