An economic machining process model with interval parameters

Abstract

The primary objective of a machining economics model is to determine the optimal cutting parameters that minimize production costs while satisfying some design constraints. When the parameters in a machining economics model have interval values, the associated problem becomes an interval machining economics problem, and the objective value will also have interval value; that is, lying in a range. This paper develops a solution method that is able to derive the interval unit production cost of a machining economic model with interval parameters. A pair of two-level machining economics problems is formulated to calculate the upper bound and lower bound of the unit production cost. Based on the duality theorem, the two-level machining economics problem is transformed into the one-level conventional geometric program. Solving the corresponding pair of geometric programs produces the interval of the unit production cost. The results indicate that the cost interval contains more information for making decisions.