An elastic model of tool lifespan for small-lot production

It is difficult to establish a model for predicting precise lifespan of mechanical parts or tools when the manufacturing lot size is small. In this paper, by studying relationship between lifespan and characteristic factors of a small batch of work pieces, a nonlinear “elastic” prediction model for lifespan for mechanical products is established. Here, an explicit description of the elasticity of the tool lifespan is given to support the elastic behavior of the tool lifespan before the model is established. A general elastic model for predicting the tool lifespan is constructed based on the analysis of the key parameters (or characteristics) of the products. As a typical case for illustration with an elastic lifespan model (ELM), machining process data are sampled out to validate the model. For a single mechanical part, key parameters usually have parallel (independent) effects on its lifespan. So, the impact of the parallel influences of these parameters is analyzed to illustrate the elasticities of lifespan. While the parametric information is the significant influencer of the predicated value, the predictive accuracy of the model also depends on the specific situation. However, for a basic understanding or prediction of a product lifespan of small quantity, this model can meet some of the conditions.