FMS process planning using a symmetric multi-layered coevolutionary algorithm

대칭형 다계층 공진화 알고리듬을 이용한 FMS 공정계획

This paper proposes a new method of solving integrated problems that consist of several sub-problems in a symmetric multi-layered structure, and also demonstrate the applicability of the method. The proposed method is named Symmetric Multi-layered Coevolutionary Algorithm (SMCA). The SMCA imitates partly the natural process of endosymbiotic evolution, which is a special type of coevolution. The SMCA is applied to the process planning problem in flexible manufacturing system (FMS), taking account of the flexibility of machine, tool, process, and sequence. To do this, SMCA's components are studied and its strategies are developed to improve the performance. The proposed algorithm is compared with the existing ones in terms of solution quality. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of our approach.