Ensemble Neural Network Model for Predicting the Energy Consumption of a Milling Machine

Accurate prediction of the energy consumption is critical for energy-efficient production systems. However, the majority of existing prediction models aim at providing only point predictions and can be affected by uncertainties in the model parameters and input data. In this paper, a prediction model that generates prediction intervals (PIs) for estimating energy consumption of a milling machine is proposed. PIs are used to provide information on the confidence in the prediction by accounting for the uncertainty in both the model parameters and the noise in the input variables. An ensemble model of neural networks (NNs) is used to estimate PIs. A k-nearest-neighbors (k-nn) approach is applied to identify similar patterns between training and testing sets to increase the accuracy of the results by using local information from the closest patterns of the training sets. Finally, a case study that uses a dataset obtained by machining 18 parts through face-milling, contouring, slotting and pocketing, spiraling, and drilling operations is presented. Of these six operations, the case study focuses on face milling to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed energy prediction model.  Corresponding author. Tel: +1-301-975-8655. Address: Systems Integration Division, NIST, 20899, MD, USA.