DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSIS OF FUZZY-STOCHASTIC TRUSS STRUCTURES BASED ON FUZZY FACTOR METHOD AND RANDOM FACTOR METHOD

A new fuzzy stochastic finite element method based on the fuzzy factor method and random factor method is given and the analysis of structural dynamic characteristic for fuzzy stochastic truss structures is presented. Considering the fuzzy randomness of the structural physical parameters and geometric dimensions simultaneously, the structural stiffness and mass matrices axe constructed based on the fuzzy factor method and random factor method; from the Rayleigh＇s quotient of structural vibration, the structural fuzzy random dynamic characteristic is obtained by means of the interval arithmetic; the fuzzy numeric characteristics of dynamic characteristic axe then derived by using the random variable＇s moment function method and algebra synthesis method. Two examples axe used to illustrate the validity and rationality of the method given. The advantage of this method is that the effect of the fuzzy randomness of one of the structural parameters on the fuzzy randomness of the dynamic characteristic can be reflected expediently and objectively.

Optimization of fused deposition modeling process parameters using a fuzzy inference system coupled with Taguchi philosophy

Fused deposition modeling （FDM） is an additive manufacturing technique used to fabricate intricate parts in 3D, within the shortest possible time without using tools, dies, fixtures, or human intervention. This article empiri- cally reports the effects of the process parameters, i.e., the layer thickness, raster angle, raster width, air gap, part orientation, and their interactions on the accuracy of the length, width, and thicknes, of acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene （ABSP 400） parts fabricated using the FDM tech- nique. It was found that contraction prevailed along the directions of the length and width, whereas the thickness increased from the desired value of the fabricated part. Optimum parameter settings to minimize the responses, such as the change in length, width, and thickness of the test specimen, have been determined using Taguchi＇s parameter design. Because Taguchi＇s philosophy fails to obtain uniform optimal factor settings for each response, in this study, a fuzzy inference system combined with the Taguchi philosophy has been adopted to generate a single response from three responses, to reach the specific target values with the overall optimum factor level settings. Further, Taguchi and artificial neural network predictive models are also presented in this study for an accuracy evaluation within the dimensions of the FDM fabricated parts, subjected to various operating conditions. The pre- dicted values obtained from both models are in good agreement with the values from the experiment data, with mean absolute percentage errors of 3.16 and 0.15, respectively. Finally, the confirmatory test results showed an improvement in the multi-response performance index of 0.454 when using the optimal FDM parameters over the initial values.