Chapter 7: Conclusions and Recommendations for future work

CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSIONS
A computer-aided process planning for the manufacture of lead frame wire bonding
clamping assembly has been developed in this research. The developed system enabled
users to select automatically the process planning activities and interface the process
planning activities with designing and manufacturing activities. It provides users with
rapid results via a user-friendly interface. User can modify the CAD model dimensions
any time he wants to fit the design requirement from the CAD software or the data table
file. Consequently, the process plan and CNC tool path will be changed for the changed
environment. This gives the system more direct interaction between the designer and
process planner. Another important phenomenon of this system is that the system starts to
work after collecting information about the available resource in the shop floor from the
different database. Most of the previously developed process planning systems start to
generate process plan by assuming unlimited resource present in the current factory.
Generally, manufacturing industries have limited resource and process plan generated for
unlimited resource become unrealistic to implement in any industry. In this system, there
are resource database for available workpiece material, machine, cutter, fixture etc and
process plan will be generated for these limited resource. On the other hand, a SA-based
optimization algorithm is used to search and select optimum or near optimum solution of
process parameters, for minimum processing cost. Implementation of the proposed
process planning system will lead to reduction in production cost, reduction in production
time, flexibility in machining parameter selection, and improvement of product quality.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORK

The rapid development in modern manufacturing makes it very hard to predict the future
role of CAPP system in integrated manufacturing environment. Many factors have to be
considered concurrently in future while doing process planning. However, the present
research could be extended to include the following areas to serve some of the future
developments,

The input of the CAPP system is a 3D solid model from a CAD system
SolidWorks. To get the acceptance for the system in the industries, it should
provide more interfaces to support most of the available CAD software, which are
also widely used by the precision engineering industries.

Process planning parameters are optimized by applying a simulated annealingbased optimization algorithm for minimum processing cost in this system.
Processing time can be included with processing cost as the objective of the
process plan for the optimum production rate. However, to further extend on the
feasibility of this methodology, more optimization technique such as genetic
algorithm or branch and bound algorithm can be used to solve the problem.

Fixtures were not considered in this research. A fixture module should be

incorporate into the system.

Product quality is becoming the main decisive criterion for the modern
manufacturing, irrespective to the complexity of the manufacturing system.

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Therefore, integration of computer-aided quality control should be incorporate
with the CAPP system.

Integration of CAPP with scheduling was not included in this research. Full
integration of CAPP with scheduling should be investigated to solve the
production control problem.

Generation of CNC tool path is investigated and the generated CNC tool path is
stored in the Cutter Location Source File (CLSF) in this research. However,
further study is needed to configure the CAM system for the specific machine
controller and to generate the M code and G code for the CNC part programming.

CAPP should include Reverse Engineering. CNC code generation systems can
also be incorporate with the image processing technology. From a scanner or
photograph image of the workpiece, the CNC tool path can automatically be
generated.

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