ABSTRACT
Manufacture of a product in a desired shape and size with specific characteristics
and properties depends not only on the design of the product but also on the
selection of the appropriate manufacturing process(es) that requires knowledge
about various available alternatives. This paper presents a software for selecting the
optimal non-traditional machining process(es) from twenty one processes. It has
been developed using MATLAB, version (V7.8) release (R2009a), as programming
language with the help of graphical user interface (GUI), visual aids, and fuzzy logic
toolboxes. The selection procedures are based on elimination and ranking
technique, considering important attributes such as workpiece material and shape
generation requirements, NTMPs operational capabilities, and NTMPs economical
and environmental aspects. Cases of partial suitability of a particular process with
respect to the operational requirements and providing unequal importance to them
are considered, which increase the accuracy of the proposed software than previous
works. An industrial case study, taken from Luxcelis Company, is implemented on
the software for verification. Luxcelis Company uses laser machining system for the
formation of cooling holes in high pressure turbine blades for aerospace turbine
engines.