A genetic algorithm based approach to optimal fixture configuration

In this paper the application of genetic algorithms (GAs) to the fixture configuration optimisation problem is presented. A general purpose fixturing verification system has been developed to check the validity of individual fixture configurations by analysing various contact types in the workpiece-fixture system. Based on the information provided by the verification system, a genetic algorithm based approach carries out the evaluation process to determine the most statically stable fixture configuration among a large number of candidates. The preliminary implementation is introduced to demonstrate the ability of GAs and two different coding schemes are tested to explain their influence on the performance of GAs.