PSO for selecting cutting tools geometry

Today an extensive variety of cutting tool is available to suit different cutting situations and needs. Cutting tool selection is a very important subtask involved in process planning activities. This paper proposes the application of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) process for the definition of the optimal cutting tool geometry. This optimization model was developed considering an approach to the macro-level optimization of tool geometry in machining model satisfying technological constraints. To determine the most appropriate configuration of the algorithm and its parameters a set of tests were carried out. The different parameters settings were tested against data obtained from the literature. A variety of simulations were carried out to validate the performance of the system and to show the usefulness of the applied approach. The definition of proposed system also has presented the following main conclusion: through the utilization of the PSO approach, the selection of the appropriate cutting tool geometry is possible in real world environments.