A study on an effective assembly sequences generation method using constraints - An approach focusing on generating intermediate products

In recent years, there is a need to reduce the preparation period for production, and setting up an optimal assembly sequence has become more important at assembly plants. Actually, however, some feasible sequences are decided by experienced engineers, who utilize their skills and experiences in the decision-making process in many cases. This paper focuses on intermediate products assembled in assembling processes, and firstly devises a method to generate these intermediate products, using the Position Relations Matrix proposed in previous research. This paper then proposes an intermediate products generation method including three types of constraints (intermediate product constraint, consecution constraint, and precedence constraint) for a product consisting of many parts. The proposed method is finally applied to two products with 22 parts and 55 parts, respectively, and the effectiveness is verified.