Mechanical Engineering
Parametric optimization of ultrasonic machining process using gravitational search and fireworks algorithms

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2014.10.009Get rights and content
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Abstract

Ultrasonic machining (USM) is a mechanical material removal process used to erode holes and cavities in hard or brittle workpieces by using shaped tools, high-frequency mechanical motion and an abrasive slurry. Unlike other non-traditional machining processes, such as laser beam and electrical discharge machining, USM process does not thermally damage the workpiece or introduce significant levels of residual stress, which is important for survival of materials in service. For having enhanced machining performance and better machined job characteristics, it is often required to determine the optimal control parameter settings of an USM process. The earlier mathematical approaches for parametric optimization of USM processes have mostly yielded near optimal or sub-optimal solutions. In this paper, two almost unexplored non-conventional optimization techniques, i.e. gravitational search algorithm (GSA) and fireworks algorithm (FWA) are applied for parametric optimization of USM processes. The optimization performance of these two algorithms is compared with that of other popular population-based algorithms, and the effects of their algorithm parameters on the derived optimal solutions and computational speed are also investigated. It is observed that FWA provides the best optimal results for the considered USM processes.

Keywords

Ultrasonic machining process
Optimization
Gravitational search algorithm
Fireworks algorithm
Response

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Shankar Chakraborty is an Associate Professor in Production Engineering Department of Jadavpur University. He had been graduated in 1986 from University of Calcutta and had obtained his post-graduate degree from Jadavpur University in 1989. He had been awarded with Ph.D. (Engg.) degree from Jadavpur University in 1994. His research interests are in the areas of applications of different multi-criteria decision-making methods in manufacturing environment, control chart pattern recognition, and development of MIS and ERP systems for diverse engineering applications. He has guided several M.E. and Ph.D. (Engg.) theses, and published numerous papers in international journals. He is also a regular reviewer of several journals of international repute.

Debkalpa Goswami is currently a senior undergraduate student at the Department of Production Engineering, Jadavpur University, India. He is the recipient of the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Fellowship of the European Commission, and had been a guest researcher at the University of Bremen, Germany from Sept 2013 to June 2014. Prior to this, he interned at the Materials Characterization Division, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, India in Summer 2013. After the completion of his bachelor's degree (c. Spring 2015), he is motivated in pursuing graduate studies, and subsequently a career in research. His diverse research interests include: complex optimization and decision making; heat and mass transfer; materials charactertization; and materials processing. He has already authored a few peer-reviewed articles in international journals.

Peer review under responsibility of Ain Shams University.

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