A cut-map algorithm for design problems with parameter tolerances and tuning

Suppose that, owing to manufacturing error, the actual values of a set of parameters differ from the chosen nominal values; specifically the actual parameter vector may be anywhere in a tolerance region whose center is the nominal parameter vector. The problem considered in this paper is the determination of a set of nominal parameters so that, for every possible set of actual parameters in the tolerance region, all the design specifications can be met by tuning. A fully implementable algorithm, based on the cut-map algorithms of Eaves and Zangwill, for solving this problem is presented. The algorithm extends an earlier algorithm for the pure tolerance problem (no tuning).