Design of tool magazine and operational areas for a multi-tool machine

This paper presents algorithms for designing both the machine operational area and the tool magazine of a multi-tool machine with the objective of minimizing the tool interchange device (robot) travel time. The problem is treated as a machine interference problem with a machine layout problem appended to it. It is shown that the design problem is computationally easy (the computational requirements are a polynomial function of the number of operations considered) when the machine working areas are equal-sized and the tool slots on the magazine are also equal-sized squares. On the other hand, it is also shown that the design problem is computationally difficult (the computational requirements are an exponential function of the number of operations considered) when either the machine working areas or the tool slots on the magazine are rectangles. In either case the total number of required computations has an upper bound.