A novel cutting force modelling method for cylindrical end mill

This paper proposes a new and simplified method for the calibration of cutting force coefficients and cutter runout parameters for cylindrical end milling using the instantaneous cutting forces measured instead of average ones. The calibration procedure is derived for a mechanistic cutting force model in which the cutting force coefficients are expressed as the power functions of instantaneous uncut chip thickness (IUCT). The derivations are firstly performed by establishing mathematical relationships between instantaneous cutting forces and IUCT. Then, nonlinear algorithms are proposed to solve the established nonlinear contradiction equations. The typical features of this new calibration method lie in twofold. On the one hand, all derivations are directly based on the tangential, radial and axial cutting force components transformed from the forces which are measured in the workpiece Cartesian coordinate system. This transformation makes the calibration procedure very simple and efficient. On the other hand, only a single cutting test is needed to be performed for calibrating the cutting force coefficients that are valid over a wide range of cutting conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed method in developing cutting force model is demonstrated experimentally with a series of verification cutting tests.     

Nonlinear dynamics of regenerative cutting processes—Comparison of two models

Understanding the nonlinear dynamics of cutting processes is essential for the improvement of machining technology. We study machine cutting processes by two different models, one has been recently introduced by Litak [Litak G. Chaotic vibrations in a regenerative cutting process. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals 2002;13:1531–5] and the other is the classic delay differential equation model. Although chaotic solutions have been found in both models, well known routes to chaos, such as period-doubling or quasi-periodic motion to chaos are not observed in either model. Careful analysis shows that the chaotic motion from the Litak’s model has sharper spectral peaks, a smaller correlation dimension and a smaller value for the largest positive Lyapunov exponent. Implications to the control of chaos in cutting processes are discussed.     

自动化车床最优刀具检测模型研究

针对自动化车床工序最优检测和刀具更换问题进行了探讨.将定期检测和将刀具更换作用于同一工序流程,在只考虑刀具故障条件下,通过概率论和更新过程理论建立了以单位时间内期望费用为目标函数的数学模型,以检测间隔和刀具更换间隔为策略,确定最优的策略使得目标函数达到最小,并求出了经长期运行单位时间内期望费用的明显表达式.最后还对结果进行了讨论.     

An optimization model for trim loss minimization in an automotive glass plant

This paper deals with glass cutting in an Italian plant producing parts for the automotive market. Glass cutting is basically organised in two phases: first, large rectangular sheets of the same type are obtained from a ribbon of flat glass and sent to warehouse; then, sheets of various types are taken from the warehouse and cut into small rectangular parts of various sizes according to demand. In both phases, trim loss is generated. A problem then arises of fulfilling the demand of small parts using a limited assortment of large sheets and minimizing the total trim loss. In this paper we describe a heuristic algorithm based on a p-median model with additional constraints that take into account all the relevant shop floor requirements. A computational study conducted on real instances provided by the plant is presented and discussed.     

Modeling multistage cutting stock problems

In multistage cutting stock problems (CSP) the cutting process is distributed over several successive stages. Every stage except the last one produces intermediate products. The list of intermediate products may be given or arbitrary. The goal is to minimize the total amount of material taken out of stock to cut finished products sufficient to meet customer demands. If the intermediate sizes are given, the column generation technique can be applied to multistage cutting problems. If the intermediate sizes are not given then another dimension is added to the problem complexity. We propose a special procedure for this case that dynamically generates both rows (intermediate sizes) and columns (patterns). We refer to this method as row-and-column generation. The method uses an auxiliary problem embedded into the frame of the revised simplex algorithm. It is a non-linear knapsack problem that can be solved efficiently. In contrast to the column generation method the developed technique cannot guarantee the optimal solution. However, the results of computational experiments are very promising and prove that the method is a valuable addition to the set of tools for modeling and solving multistage CSPs.     

A branch and cut algorithm for the hierarchical network design problem

The Hierarchical Network Design Problem consists of locating a minimum cost bi-level network on a graph. The higher level sub-network is a path visiting two or more nodes. The lower level sub-network is a forest connecting the remaining nodes to the path. We optimally solve the problem using an ad hoc branch and cut procedure. Relaxed versions of a base model are solved using an optimization package and, if binary variables have fractional values or if some of the relaxed constraints are violated in the solution, cutting planes are added. Once no more cuts can be added, branch and bound is used. The method for finding valid cutting planes is presented. Finally, we use different available test instances to compare the procedure with the best known published optimal procedure, with good results. In none of the instances we needed to apply branch and bound, but only the cutting planes.     

Generalized γ-Valid Cut Procedure for Concave Minimization

The concept of a -valid cutting plane has been used in many types of algorithms for solving concave minimization problems. Unfortunately, the procedures proposed to date for constructing these cuts are valid only under certain assumptions that often may not hold in practice. Chief among these is the requirement that the feasible region of the concave minimization problem in question have full dimension, and that the objective function of this problem be concave rather than quasiconcave. In this article, we propose, validate, and show how to implement a more general -valid cutting plane procedure which eliminates these restrictions.     

Heuristic and exact methods for the cutting sequencing problem

Cutting stock problems deal with the generation of a set of cutting patterns that minimizes waste. Sometimes it is also important to find the processing sequence of this set of patterns to minimize the maximum queue of partially cut orders. In such instances a cutting sequencing problem has to be solved. This paper presents a new mathematical model and a three-phase approach for the cutting sequencing problem. In the first phase, a greedy algorithm produces a good starting solution that is improved in the second phase by a tabu search, or a generalized local search procedure, while, in the last phase, the problem is optimally solved by an implicit enumeration procedure that uses the best solution previously found as an upper bound. Computing experience, based on 300 randomly generated problems, shows the good performance of the heuristic methods presented.     

An integrated approach to the one-dimensional cutting stock problem in coronary stent manufacturing

This paper presents a two-stage approach for pattern generation and cutting plan determination of the one-dimensional cutting stock problem. Calculation of the total number of patterns that will be cut and generation of the cutting patterns are performed in the first stage. On the other hand, the second stage determines the cutting plan. The proposed approach makes use of two separate integer linear programming models. One of these models is employed by the first stage to generate the cutting patterns through a heuristic procedure with the objective of minimizing trim loss. The cutting patterns obtained from Stage 1 are then fed into the second stage. In this stage, another integer linear programming model is solved to form a cutting plan. The objective of this model is to minimize a generalized total cost function consisting of material inputs, number of setups, labor hours and overdue time; subject to demand requirements, material availability, regular and overtime availability, and due date constraints. The study also demonstrates an implementation of the proposed approach in a coronary stent manufacturer. The case study focuses on the cutting phase of the manufacturing process followed by manual cleaning and quality control activities. The experiments show that the proposed approach is suitable to the conditions and requirements of the company.     

An algorithm for the two-dimensional assortment problem

In this paper we consider the two-dimensional assortment problem. This is the problem of choosing from a set of stock rectangles a subset which can be used for cutting into a number of smaller rectangular pieces. Constraints are imposed upon the number of such pieces which result from the cutting.A heuristic algorithm for the guillotine cutting version of the problem is developed based on a greedy procedure for generating two-dimensional cutting patterns, a linear program for choosing the cutting patterns to use and an interchange procedure to decide the best subset of stock rectangles to cut.Computational results are presented for a number of test problems which indicate that the algorithm developed produces good quality results both for assortment problems and for two-dimensional cutting problems.     

An Application of Travelling-Salesman Routines to Solve Pattern-Allocation Problems in the Glass Industry

This paper focusses on an often encountered constraint in real-life cutting-stock problems. The constraints require that pieces corresponding to the same order are not spread too much over the production run. This elimination of order spread is called pattern allocation or cutting sequencing. In this paper, a two-stage procedure to solve the two-dimensional pattern-allocation problem is suggested. The first stage consists of solving the cutting-stock problem without the sequencing constraint. In the second stage a sequencing problem is used for the ordering of the cutting patterns in an optimal or near-optimal way. The sequencing problem is formulated as a travelling-salesman model, and the model is solved by Lin's 3-optimal method. Computational experience is reported from a case study in the glass industry.     

On the dimension of partially ordered sets

A generalization of the concept of dimension of a poset, the stable dimension, is introduced, and it is shown that there is a simple procedure for determining its value. No such procedure is known for the dimension itself. The main theorem shows that the stable dimension is equal to the maximum number of elements in a pair of antichains of the set, one lying above the other. The stable dimension can be used to find bounds for the dimension, including one which is an improvement on a bound given by W. T. Trotter, Jr., [Irreducible posets with large height exist,     

On gas dynamic effects in the modelling of laser cutting processes

In this paper the author addresses the modelling of the laser cutting process. Despite the attention paid to this process by the scientific community, the underlying physical phenomena are still only marginally understood. The models used in the literature are often highly simplified and focus on single effects such as exothermic reactions of the melt with the assist gas whilst neglecting other important physical mechanisms. In this work a three-dimensional fully coupled model for the laser cutting process is used. It will be shown by the author that simplifications like reduction in model dimension are not admissible for the investigation of the complete process. However, it has also been found by the author that currently available computer hardware is not capable of producing results at the necessary rate and cost required for parametric studies. Results from two simulation runs, which were performed in course of a larger study amounting to 17 300 cpu hours on a SGI origin 3400 system, are presented. Nevertheless, these results form a cautionary example with regard to the numerical models applied and assumptions frequently introduced by other authors.     

Relations between facets of low- and high-dimensional group problems

One-dimensional infinite group problems have been extensively studied and have yielded strong cutting planes for mixed integer programs. Although numerical and theoretical studies suggest that group cuts can be significantly improved by considering higher-dimensional groups, there are no known facets for infinite group problems whose dimension is larger than two. In this paper, we introduce an operation that we call sequential-merge. We prove that the sequential-merge operator creates a very large family of facet-defining inequalities for high-dimensional infinite group problems using facet-defining inequalities of lower-dimensional group problems. Further, they exhibit two properties that reflect the benefits of using facets of high-dimensional group problems: they have continuous variables’ coefficients that are not dominated by those of the constituent low-dimensional cuts and they can produce cutting planes that do not belong to the first split closure of MIPs. Further, we introduce a general scheme for generating valid inequalities for lower-dimensional group problems using valid inequalities of higher-dimensional group problems. We present conditions under which this construction generates facet-defining inequalities when applied to sequential-merge inequalities. We show that this procedure yields some two-step MIR inequalities of Dash and Günlük.     

Integrating process optimization and inventory planning in cutting-stock with skiving option: An optimization model and its application

We consider a two-stage flow line where the first stage produces components for the downstream assembly stage. An integer programming model which integrates decisions at both the planning and the operation level is proposed, with the aim of minimizing production, holding and transportation costs. The model is tested on instances built on the basis of a real cutting process with skiving option, i.e., with the possibility of recombining components to obtain required parts.The implementation of the proposed methodology allows the integration of two hierarchical decision levels (short-term operations vs. mid-term planning) and functional areas (production vs. purchase of materials) within a single planning model, and provides an example of how an element of an Advanced Planning System (APS) could be designed. Moreover, the use of suitable cost figures in the model allows to correctly manage the insertion of hot orders of finite parts.     

Overlapped groupwise dimension reduction

Existing groupwise dimension reduction requires given group structure to be non-overlapped. This confines its application scope. We aim at groupwise dimension reduction with overlapped group structure or even unknown group structure. To this end, existing groupwise dimension reduction concept is extended to be compatible with overlapped group structure. Then, the envelope method is ameliorated to deal with overlapped groupwise dimension reduction. As an application, Gaussian graphic model is employed to estimate the structure between predictors when the group structure is not given, and the amended envelope method is used for groupwise dimension reduction with graphic structure. Furthermore, the rationale of the proposed estimation procedure is explained at the population level and the estimation consistency is proved at the sample level. Finally, the finite sample performance of the proposed methods is examined via numerical simulations and a body fat data analysis.     

An iterative sequential heuristic procedure to a real-life 1.5-dimensional cutting stock problem

This paper addresses a real-life 1.5D cutting stock problem, which arises in a make-to-order plastic company. The problem is to choose a subset from the set of stock rectangles to be used for cutting into a number of smaller rectangular pieces so as to minimize total production cost and meet orders. The total production cost includes not only material wastage, as in traditional cutting stock problems, but also production time. A variety of factors are taken into account, like cutter knife changes, machine restrictions, due dates and other work in progress limitations. These restrictions make the combinatorial structure of the problem more complex. As a result, existing algorithms and mathematical models are no longer appropriate. Thus we developed a new 1.5D cutting stock model with multiple objectives and multi-constraints and solve this problem in an incomplete enumerative way. The computational results show that the solution procedure is easy to implement and works very well.     

A posteriori tests to validate dimension estimates from time series

A posteriori tests are proposed to evaluate the degree of reliability of the estimate of dimension from a time series, using the method of correlation integrals. Although we consider in particular the correlation dimension (D₂), our procedure can be applied to any generalized dimension as well as to the point-wise dimension.We propose the computation of two indices that can quantify to what degree the derivative of the log–log plot is constant with the correlation length and with the embedding dimension in the scaling region.An organized set of trials has been performed on time series from known model attractors, with different fractions of added measurement noise. On the basis of these trials, we found threshold values for the indices that discriminate between reliable and unreliable D₂ estimates.In the last part of the work we apply our procedure to real signals (electrocardiograms), finding good accordance between index values and the amount of noise in the time series.     

Stationary model of the Universe with torsion

On a four-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian manifold with the metric of a stationary model of the Universe, we construct a Riemann-Cartan structure with the automorphism group of maximum dimension. The torsion tensor of this structure is the sum of two parts: semisymmetric, aspiring to geometrization of the spin density of matter, and skew-symmetric, determining the torsion of a spatial section. We give a geometric interpretation of the spatial section torsion. We prove that the maximum dimension of the Lie group of automorphisms of a Riemann-Cartan space-time manifold with a semisymmetric or skewsymmetric connection is seven.     

Bun splitting: a practical cutting stock problem

We describe a new hierarchical 2D-guillotine Cutting Stock Problem. In contrast to the classic cutting stock problem, waste is not an issue. The problem relates to the removal of a defective part and assembly of the remaining parts into homogeneous size blocks. The context is the packing stages of cake manufacturing. The company’s primary objective is to minimise total processing time at the subsequent, packing stage. This objective reduces to one of minimising the number of parts produced when cutting the tray load of buns. We offer a closed form optimization approach to this class of problems for certain cases, without recourse to mathematical programming or heuristics. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study in which the number of parts is reduced by almost a fifth, and the manufacturer’s subsidiary requirement to reduce isolated single bun parts and hence customer complaints is also satisfied.