FORMALIZING THE PROCESS OF SELECTING AGGREGATE MACHINE LAYOUTS BASED ON PARAMETERS OF THE MACHINED BLANK AT THE SKETCH DESIGN STAGE

The article addresses formalizing the process of selecting aggregate machine configurations at the conceptual design stage; analyses existing approaches to automating the creation of aggregate machine layouts. The authors use mental maps to describe the parameters of the workpiece and its manufacturing process, which influence the aggregate machine layout. The paper describes the procedure for establishing relationships between workpiece parameters and dimensions of standard aggregate machine units; provides a mathematical description of the process of selecting aggregate machine layouts based on workpiece parameters using elements of set theory and combinatorics. The aim is to develop an automated system for selecting visualized aggregate machine layouts at the conceptual design and technical proposal stages. Research methods include morphological analysis, synthesis, and observation. The article contains designs and schematics to facilitate the software implementation for the further preparation of the automated system. As a result, the authors have depicted mental maps depicting the relationships between workpiece parameters and standardized unit dimensions of aggregate machines, present a mathematical description of the automatic selection process for aggregate machine layouts. The findings state that this article represents one step in developing an automated system for selecting aggregate machine layouts.