Product disassembly sequence planning based on ant colony algorithm

To solve product disassembly sequence planning problem efficiently, Disassembly Feasibility Information Graph (DFIG) was defined firstly. Based on this graph, the problem of disassembly sequence planning was transformed into the problem of searching optimum path in this directed, weighted graph. Combined with product path planning tool, an ant colony optimization algorithm was proposed to construct DFIG and search optimum solutions. A tour of ant represented a possible product disassembly solution. The pheromone of ant was determined by the number of feasible operation nodes of its tour. It was by two steps to get heuristic information: defining heuristic vector-representing the feasibility of solution-and solving heuristic information-representing the quality of solution. Finally, by a study case, the feasibility and calculation efficiency of the proposed method were verified.