Modular design method for filament winding process equipment based on GGA and NSGA-II

The traditional filament winding machine design method leads to high costs and a long delivery cycle if the winding method or process parameters are changed. To solve this problem, the modular design and configuration design methods are proposed to cluster components into standard modules that can be changed or replaced and to combine the types of modules to create a complete system according to the customer’s requirements. The system structure is first analyzed, and the relationship matrices between the components and the influence of the modular driving forces (MDFs) on each component are subsequently established with consideration for function and stability in the life cycle. The grouping genetic algorithm (GGA) method is later employed to conduct modular optimization to maximize the interaction and stability between the components within modules. Several different types are designed based on the result of the modular design method. The relationship matrices between the module types, the parameter performance, and the customer’s requirement are established, and a multi-objective optimization method based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is proposed to create a complete system that combines the different types with simultaneous consideration of performance and processing cost. Sensitivity analysis of GGA and NSGA-II demonstrates that the proposed method is robust. An example for the requirements of the filament winding is used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. The general procedure of the modular design method using GGA and NSGA-II is proposed, and the key parameters that influence the results are discussed.