Parameters optimisation of transmission laser welding of dissimilar plastics using RSM and flower pollination algorithm integrated approach

摘要

In the present research work, experimental investigation and process optimisation of transmission laser welding of dissimilar plastics are carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) and flower pollination algorithm (FPA) integrated approach. RSM is used to plan the experiments and to develop the parametric models of the process responses, namely weld strength and weld width. Flower pollination algorithm, a novel nature-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm, is applied to search for the combinations of optimal process parameters that satisfy single objective as well as multiple objectives using the developed RSM models. Parametric analyses are also done using the trend predicted by FPA. This algorithm is found to be capable of predicting accurate trends of the parametric effects. The superiority of FPA in process optimisation and prediction of parametric trends is due to the fact that FPA can locate the global optima and no parameters are held constant during the optimisation process and also during the trend prediction.