On process planning: an ant algorithm based approach

The problem of process planning is mapped into a path searching problem in a state space. Then an ant system based approach is adopted to optimize the process concerning workshop resource. Instead of using local pheromone, the adopted method uses global distance to guide the ants. A state is encoded by the currently selected machine and tool, the set-up direction, the finish level of machining, etc. The path evaluation function may be defined flexibly to reflect the conditions of real workshop. A prototype system is developed to prove the efficiency of the approach.