Layout optimization of vacuum sucker grasping sheet metal part based on two-layer Kriging model and hiking optimization algorithm

This paper studies the layout optimization of vacuum sucker grasping the automobile outer cover panel. Current studies focus on the layout optimization of support fixtures on at least two datum planes, but rarely consider the grasping problem on the unique datum plane. The purpose of this paper is to ensure the number and position of vacuum suckers required for automobile stamping lines. Combined with Latin hypercube sampling, two-layer Kriging model and hiking optimization algorithm is proposed. First, the number of vacuum suckers and their grasping range are determined by the stable grasping behavior under engineering constraints. Motivated by cuttlefish predatory, vacuum suckers are divided into two layers for optimization. Then, based on Latin hypercube sampling, the combination of Kriging model and hiking optimization algorithm is used to optimize positions of vacuum suckers layer by layer. Finally, training data set generated by COMSOL is used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. Numerical experiments demonstrate its efficiency in optimizing vacuum sucker layouts compared to existing methods.