Tool magazine arrangement and operations sequencing on CNC machines

Scope and Purlmse---An effective tool management is a major requirement for the implementation of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), hence the computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools. A new solution methodology to the tool management problem is proposed in connection with the tool magazine arrangement and operations sequencing decisions, where there can be alternative tools for each operation. The proposed approach not only improves the overall solution in terms of the total manufacturing cost, but also prevents any infeasibility that might occur at the system level due to tool management constraints through a feedback mechanism.