A method is presented for the automatic determination of assembly partial orders from a liaison graph representation of an assembly through the extraction of preferred subassemblies. In particular, the authors show how to select a set of tentative subassemblies by decomposing a liaison graph into a set of subgraphs based on feasibility and difficulty of disassembly, how to evaluate each of the tentative subassemblies in terms of assembly cost using the subassembly selection indices, and how to construct a hierarchical partial order graph as an assembly plan. The method provides an approach to assembly planning by identifying spatial parallelism in assembly as a means of constructing temporal relationships among assembly operations and solves the problem of finding a cost-effective assembly plan in flexible environment. A case study of the assembly planning of a mechanical assembly is presented.
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