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Since the beginning of its development in the 1950s, mixed integer programming (MIP) has been used for a variety of practical application problems, such as sequence optimization. Exact solution techniques for MIPs, most prominently branch-and-cut techniques, have the advantage (compared to heuristics such as genetic algorithms) that they can generate solutions with optimality certificates. The novel process of additive manufacturing opens up a further perspective for their use. With the two common techniques, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBD), the sequence in which a given component geometry must be manufactured can be planned. In particular, the heat transfer within the component must be taken into account here, since excessive temperature gradients can lead to internal stresses and warpage after cooling. In order to integrate the temperature, heat transfer models (heat conduction, heat radiation) are integrated into a sequencing model. This leads to the problem class of MIPDECO: MIPs with partial differential equations (PDEs) as further constraints. We present these model approaches for both manufacturing techniques and carry out test calculations for sample geometries in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach.
We consider the problem of planning an inspection flight to a given set of waypo- ints using an inhomogeneous fleet of multirotor, battery-driven micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). Therein, two subproblems must be solved. On the one side, the detailed trajectories of all MAVs must be planned, taking technical and environmental restrictions into account and on the other side, the MAVs must be assigned to the waypoints considering their installed equipment. The goal is to visit all waypoints in minimal time. The strong interaction of the two subproblems makes it necessary to tackle them simultaneously. Several aspects are taken into account to allow realistic solutions. A two-level time grid approach is applied to achieve smooth trajectories, while the flight dynamics of the MAVs are modeled in great detail. Safety distances must be maintained between them and they can recharge at charging stations located within the mission area. There can be polyhedral restricted air spaces that must be avoided. Furthermore, weather conditions are incorporated by polyhedral wind zones affecting the drones and each waypoint has a time window within it must be visited. We formulate this problem as a mixed-integer linear program and show whether the state-of-the-art numerical solver Gurobi is applicable to solve model instances.
In wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), the desired workpiece is built layerwise by a moving heat source depositing droplets of molten wire on a substrate plate. To reduce material accumulations, the trajectory of the weld source should be continuous, but transit moves without welding, called deadheading, are possible. The enormous heat of the weld source causes large temperature gradients, leading to a strain distribution in the welded material which can lead even to cracks. In summary, it can be concluded that the temperature gradient reduce the quality of the workpiece. We consider the problem of finding a trajectory of the weld source with minimal temperature deviation from a given target temperature for one layer of a workpiece with welding segments broader than the width of the weld pool. The temperature distribution is modeled using the finite element method. We formulate this problem as a mixed-integer linear programming model and demonstrate its solvability by a standard mixed-integer solver.
We consider the mission and flight planning problem for an inhomogeneous fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Therein, the mission planning problem of assigning targets to a fleet of UAVs and the flight planning problem of finding optimal flight trajectories between a given set of waypoints are combined into one model and solved simultaneously. Thus, trajectories of an inhomogeneous fleet of UAVs have to be specified such that the sum of waypoint-related scores is maximized, considering technical and environmental constraints. Several aspects of an existing basic model are expanded to achieve a more detailed solution. A two-level time grid approach is presented to smooth the computed trajectories. The three-dimensional mission area can contain convex-shaped restricted airspaces and convex subareas where wind affects the flight trajectories. Furthermore, the flight dynamics are related to the mass change, due to fuel consumption, and the operating range of every UAV is altitude-dependent. A class of benchmark instances for collision avoidance is adapted and expanded to fit our model and we prove an upper bound on its objective value. Finally, the presented features and results are tested and discussed on several test instances using GUROBI as a state-of-the-art numerical solver.