Adaptive Quality Control in Tolerancing and Production Strategies for the Economic Production of High Precision Products

• Applicant: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza
• Subject Area: Production Systems, Operations Management, Quality Management and Factory Planning
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431571877

• Final Report Year: 2023

Final Report Abstract

This research project focuses on optimizing the production of micro gears, aiming to enhance their quality and efficiency. By utilizing advanced technologies like Cyber-Physical Systems and sophisticated sensors, the goal is to develop a methodology that combines simulation-based optimization of product tolerances and production strategies. Goals include probabilistic modeling of manufacturing deviations and their impacts on functionality and costs, exploration of real-time quality control strategies for costeffectiveness and investigation of a cost-effective combination of adaptive tolerance and quality control. Validation is conducted using micro gears for dental instruments. In the initial phase, the functional model of micro gears was examined and crucial factors such as radial depth of cut and milling tool tumble that impact gear differences were identified. Through extensive experiments and simulations, an algorithm was developed to represent these effects accurately. Moving to WP3, the project explored adaptive manufacturing and selective assembly strategies. The control algorithm, powered by machine learning, optimizes correlations found in gear deviation analysis. A traffic light system acts as an early-warning system for potential issues, while decision logic enables adaptive control of manufacturing variables like radial depth of cut. In WP4, the focus shifted to integrating tolerance and production strategies into a Cyber-Physical Production Controller. Key indicators were identified for monitoring product and production aspects. A decision logic was implemented for determining correction values, integrated into machine control via the “GearPanel” a graphical interface. Despite challenges in harmonizing adaptive manufacturing and tolerancing in WP4.3, the research made strides in quality control. The developed strategies promise higher standards, potential cost savings and streamlined production processes for micro gears. The project's impact extends beyond the immediate industry, contributing to the establishment of a "micro gear center" at wbk. The findings, with applications in industrial processes and academia, set the stage for continued innovations, promising lasting effects on the manufacturing landscape.

Publications

• A Framework for Integration of Resource Allocation and Reworking Concept into Design Optimisation Problem. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(10), 1037-1042.
  Khezri, Amirhossein; Homri, Lazhar; Etienne, Alain; Dantan, Jean-Yves & Lanza, Gisela
  
• An integrated resource allocation and tolerance allocation optimization: A statistical-based dimensional tolerancing. Procedia CIRP, 114, 88-93.
  Khezri, Amirhossein; Homri, Lazhar; Etienne, Alain & Dantan, Jean-Yves
  
• Comparative analysis between single flank rolling test for micro gears and analytical simulation of optical measurements. tm -Technisches Messen, 89(9), 580-593.
  Gauder, Daniel; Gölz, Johannes; Bott, Alexander & Lanza, Gisela
  
• Generation of Artificial Learning Data to Train Functional Meta-Models of Micro Gears. Procedia CIRP, 114, 67-72.
  Schiller, Vivian; Gauder, Daniel; Gölz, Johannes; Bott, Alexander; Wannenwetsch, Marc & Lanza, Gisela
  
• Inline qualification of focus variation metrology for a series production of micro gears. tm -Technisches Messen, 89(9), 594-611.
  Gauder, Daniel; Gölz, Johannes; Bott, Alexander; Jung, Niels & Lanza, Gisela
  
• Modular cost model for Tolerance allocation, Process selection and Inspection planning. Procedia CIRP, 114, 1-6.
  DANTAN, Jean-Yves; ETIENNE, Alain; MOHAMMADI, Mehrdad; KHEZRI, Amirhossein; HOMRI, Lazhar; TAVAKKOLI-MOGHADDAM, Reza & SIADAT, Ali
  
• Development and analysis of a holistic function-driven adaptive assembly strategy applied to micro gears. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 69, 48-63.
  Khezri, Amirhossein; Schiller, Vivian; Homri, Lazhar; Etienne, Alain; Dantan, Jean-Yves & Lanza, Gisela
  
• Evolutionary cost-tolerance optimization for complex assembly mechanisms via simulation and surrogate modeling approaches: application on micro gears. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 126(9-10), 4101-4117.
  Khezri, Amirhossein; Schiller, Vivian; Goka, Edoh; Homri, Lazhar; Etienne, Alain; Stamer, Florian; Dantan, Jean-Yves & Lanza, Gisela
  
• Hybrid Cost-Tolerance Allocation and Production Strategy Selection for Complex Mechanisms: Simulation and Surrogate Built-In Optimization Models. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, 23(5).
  Khezri, Amirhossein; Homri, Lazhar; Etienne, Alain & Dantan, Jean-Yves
  
• Surrogate Models & Optimization for Adaptive Tolerance Allocation and Assembly strategies – Synthesis, European GRT, Bordeaux, June 2023.
  Amirhossein Khezri; Lazhar Homri; Alain Etienne & Jean-Yves Dantan