Pre-optimizing tools positions for turrets-based CNC machines when facing arbitrary sequences of production

摘要

Turret-based CNC machines can change from one tool to another by simply rotating the turret. However, each tool must be positioned at the exact same place on the turret for each batch of the same product. In industrial context, the production sequence of the different products are not known in advance. Therefore, we introduce an integer programming model that determines the best positions for each tool and for each product. It minimizes the expected setup time. Experiments are carried out in partnership with APN, a company engaged in high precision machining in the aerospace industry. We were able to solve the problem to optimality for each dataset, reducing setup time by 191 hours.