Aircraft Sheet Metal Parts Optimize The Layout System For Research And Development

Sheet metal parts are used largely in airplane, and the consumption of sheet metal stock is great. Cutting of sheet metal to produce parts is a common process, and it is evident that nesting before the process maximizes material utilization. This paper analyzes and classifies nesting problem in sheet metal manufacturing process. Single part nesting, rectangle parts combinatorial nesting and curve-shaped parts combinatorial nesting associated with punching, guillotine cutting and NC milling are studied in detail.Nesting problem is a kind of optimal problem with geometric constraints and technological constraints in sheet metal manufacturing as well. Direct search method combined with parallel-intersecting and one-step algorithm is developed into an exact algorithm for single part nesting. The optimal algorithms for combinatorial nesting problem with its own practical constraints are explored and the problem is divided into two interdependent problems: nest pattern number optimization and nesting optimization. Two-stage algorithm is used for curve-shaped parts combinatorial nesting; part enclosure algorithm is first used and then this problem is transformed into rectangle parts combinatorial nesting problem. In rectangle parts nesting, rectangle parts grouping algorithm is developed for nesting pattern number optimization, and genetic algorithm incorporated with heuristic search algorithm is used for rectangle parts nesting optimization.Relational database and files are adopted in managing the information of sheet metal parts and sheet metal stock. Pre-handling and post-handling in nesting algorithm are also described.Finally, the frame of an integrated system called AM-nesting is designed and all techniques in developing the system are introduced, and some instances of the system are presented.