An Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Approach for Process Plan Selection

ABSTRACT: Process planning is a function in a manufacturing organization that systematically determines the detailed methods such as the manufacturing processes and process parameters to be used to convert a part from its initial design to the finished product. In a real manufacturing workplace the number of feasible sequences for a part increases exponentially as the complexity of the product increases. The manufacturing of several parts in a single facility sharing constrained resources and the existence of several alternative feasible process plan for each part leads to careful selection of best process plan. This paper proposes the method of process plan selection with the objective of minimizing the total processing time, total cost and the total number of setup changes by using an interval type-2 fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to Ideal solutions. For this each process plan is evaluated and its likelihood closeness coefficient to shop floor performance is calculated using interval type 2 fuzzy set theory.