Evolutionary computing in manufacturing industry: an overview of recent applications

Traditional methods often employed to solve complex real world problems tend to inhibit elaborate exploration of the search space. They can be expensive and often results in sub-optimal solutions. Evolutionary computation (EC) is generating considerable interest for solving real world engineering problems. They are proving robust in delivering global optimal solutions and helping to resolve limitations encountered in traditional methods. EC harnesses the power of natural selection to turn computers into optimisation tools. The core methodologies of EC are genetic algorithms (GA), evolutionary programming (EP), evolution strategies (ES) and genetic programming (GP). This paper attempts to bridge the gap between theory and practice by exploring characteristics of real world problems and by surveying recent EC applications for solving real world problems in the manufacturing industry. The survey outlines the current status and trends of EC applications in manufacturing industry. For each application domain, the paper describes the general domain problem, common issues, current trends, and the improvements generated by adopting the GA strategy. The paper concludes with an outline of inhibitors to industrial applications of optimisation algorithms. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.