The machining torch movement for the rectangular plasma sheet metal cut

Abstract

The sheet metals can be cut into rectangular or irregular pieces, where the main objective is to minimize the sheet metal’s physical waste. However, the operating time, the number of movements to cut all rectangles edges, and the cutting process quality, must be considered. The objective of this research was to compare the machining torch movement behavior using optimal and alternative solutions for rectangular plasma sheet metal cuts. A bottom-left-fill heuristic and a tabu search heuristic were used to find the alternative solution, while the optimal solution was obtained with a mixed-integer linear programming. The comparison was developed considering three parameters: the total processing time, the effective distance traveled by the machining torch to cut the metal, and the movement distance traveled by the machining torch without cutting the metal. The packing layout given by alternative solutions can reduce the operational cutting processing time and the distance covered by the machining torch movement. From an economic perspective, optimal solutions are recommended when compared to alternative solutions given the lower expenses with raw material waste.