Uncertainty Evaluation in Multistage Assembly Process Based on Enhanced OOPN

• Main Authors: Yubing Huang, Wei Dai, Weiping Mou, Yu Zhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-03-01
• Series: Entropy
• Subjects: assembly process; uncertainty evaluation; object-oriented petri net; defect stream; Shannon entropy
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/20/3/164

This study investigated the uncertainty of the multistage assembly process from the viewpoint of a stream of defects in the product assembly process. The vulnerable spots were analyzed and the fluctuations were controlled during this process. An uncertainty evaluation model was developed for the assembly process on the basis of an object-oriented Petri net (OOPN) by replacing its transition function with a fitted defect changing function. The definition of entropy in physics was applied to characterize the uncertainty of the model in evaluating the assembly process. The uncertainty was then measured as the entropy of the semi-Markov chain, which could be used to calculate the uncertainty of a specific subset of places, as well as the entire process. The OOPN model could correspond to the Markov process because its reachable token can be directly mapped to the Markov process. Using the steady-state probability combined with the uncertainty evaluation, the vulnerable spots in the assembly process were identified and a scanning test program was proposed to improve the quality of the assembly process. Finally, this work analyzed the assembly process on the basis of the uncertainty of the assembly structure and the variables of the assembly process. Finally, the case of a certain product assembly process was analyzed to test the advantages of this method.