A quasi-Monte Carlo statistical three-dimensional tolerance analysis method of products based on edge sampling
ISSN: 0144-5154
Article publication date: 18 June 2021
Issue publication date: 9 August 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The conventional statistical method of three-dimensional tolerance analysis requires numerous pseudo-random numbers and consumes enormous computations to increase the calculation accuracy, such as the Monte Carlo simulation. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel method to overcome the problems.
Design/methodology/approach
With the combination of the quasi-Monte Carlo method and the unified Jacobian-torsor model, this paper proposes a three-dimensional tolerance analysis method based on edge sampling. By setting reasonable evaluation criteria, the sequence numbers representing relatively smaller deviations are excluded and the remaining numbers are selected and kept which represent deviations approximate to and still comply with the tolerance requirements.
Findings
The case study illustrates the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method in that it can reduce the sample size, diminish the computations, predict wider tolerance ranges and improve the accuracy of three-dimensional tolerance of precision assembly simultaneously.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed method may be applied only when the dimensional and geometric tolerances are interpreted in the three-dimensional tolerance representation model.
Practical implications
The proposed tolerance analysis method can evaluate the impact of manufacturing errors on the product structure quantitatively and provide a theoretical basis for structural design, process planning and manufacture inspection.
Originality/value
The paper is original in proposing edge sampling as a sampling strategy to generating deviation numbers in tolerance analysis.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52075480, 51935009 and 51821093) and High-level Talent Special Support Plan of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. 2020R52004) is gratefully acknowledged.
Citation
Zhou, C., Liu, Z., Qiu, C. and Tan, J. (2021), "A quasi-Monte Carlo statistical three-dimensional tolerance analysis method of products based on edge sampling", Assembly Automation, Vol. 41 No. 4, pp. 501-513. https://doi.org/10.1108/AA-09-2020-0144
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited