Application of weighted decision matrix for the selection of best cad design of reconfigurable leather cutting machines

Abstract

Concept selection is a herculean task in engineering design, the decision to know what will be the best design to achieve mimimal cost alongside shorter time savings informs this work. This article throws light on decision analysis method to select best concepts of reconfigurable leather cutting machine (RLCM) for optimal performance out of the varying alternative design concepts. This paper conceptualized four different reconfigurable leather cutting machine using solid works because of its user’s friendliness. The developed concepts were ranked with application of Weighted Decision Matrix (WDM). The metrics for ranking and selection of the best designs include; Reconfigurability (R), Degree of Freedom (F), Ease of Assembly and Disassembly (A), Cost (C), Maintainability (M), and Durability (D). A face group discussion (FGD) approach was employed to gather experts’ perception about the developed concepts using the above listed metrics. The outcome of the FGD were analyzed and displayed graphically in order to choose the best concepts for the ideal design, The results obtained showed that concept 1 has rating of 4.08 and score weight of 0.598, concept 2 has rating of 10.86 and score weight of 1.799, concept 3 has rating of 14.68 and score weight of 2.309, while concept 4 has the rating and score weight of 23.34 and 3.853 respectively. The fourth concept gives the best design having gave optimal value for the metrics used for performance evaluation.