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Algorithm 2D Irregular PDF

The document discusses an algorithm for solving the 2D irregular-shaped nesting problem. It proposes a new scheme based on the No Fit Polygon algorithm and a principle of placing pieces in positions with the lowest gravity center. The scheme can handle arbitrarily rotated pieces and regions with holes. It is evaluated on benchmark datasets.

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Bayu Aji S
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73 views

Algorithm 2D Irregular PDF

The document discusses an algorithm for solving the 2D irregular-shaped nesting problem. It proposes a new scheme based on the No Fit Polygon algorithm and a principle of placing pieces in positions with the lowest gravity center. The scheme can handle arbitrarily rotated pieces and regions with holes. It is evaluated on benchmark datasets.

Uploaded by

Bayu Aji S
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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570 Liu et al.

/ J Zhejiang Univ SCIENCE A 2006 7(4):570-576

Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE A


ISSN 1009-3095 (Print); ISSN 1862-1775 (Online)
www.zju.edu.cn/jzus; www.springerlink.com
E-mail: [email protected]

Algorithm for 2D irregular-shaped nesting problem based on


the NFP algorithm and lowest-gravity-center principle*

LIU Hu-yao†, HE Yuan-jun


(Department of Computer Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China)
†
E-mail: [email protected]
Received Oct. 20, 2005; revision accepted Nov. 21, 2005

Abstract: The nesting problem involves arranging pieces on a plate to maximize use of material. A new scheme for 2D ir-
regular-shaped nesting problem is proposed. The new scheme is based on the NFP (No Fit Polygon) algorithm and a new
placement principle for pieces. The novel placement principle is to place a piece to the position with lowest gravity center based on
NFP. In addition, genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted to find an efficient nesting sequence. The proposed scheme can deal with
pieces with arbitrary rotation and containing region with holes, and achieves competitive results in experiment on benchmark
datasets.

Key words: Nesting, Cutting stock, No Fit Polygon (NFP), Genetic algorithm (GA), Lowest gravity center
doi:10.1631/jzus.2006.A0570 Document code: A CLC number: TP391.72

INTRODUCTION nesting algorithm for the irregular-shaped nesting


problem. Hence to get an approximate solution, some
2D irregular-shaped nesting problem is the heuristic and meta-heuristic nesting algorithms were
problem of finding an efficient arrangement for proposed. Hopper and Turton (2001) and Dowsland
pieces in a containing region without overlapping and Dowsland (1995) provided a comprehensive
(Fig.1), and is aimed at maximizing use of material. review of recent work in the field of 2D irregular
Nesting problem is of great interest to garment, paper, nesting. Jakobs (1996) used an order-based genetic
ship building, and sheet metal industries since small algorithm for nesting and extended the work on nest-
improvement of layout can lead to large savings in ing of rectangles to polygons, and realized 2D ir-
material. Many effective solutions have been pro- regular nesting by introducing a shrinking algorithm to
posed for the case when pieces and containing region the rectangles nesting layout. Fischer and Dagli (2004)
are both rectangular. There are also many cases where and Tay et al.(2002) proposed some approaches based
the pieces or the containing region have irregular on genetic algorithm, although the performance of
shape. Due to the geometrical complexity introduced these algorithms needs enhancement. It is still difficult
by irregular shapes, irregular nesting problems are not to outperform an experienced worker with a purely
studied as extensively as rectangular nesting problem. automatic algorithm, so that irregular nesting problem
Nesting problem is NP-complete even for rec- has become an attractive research topic.
tangular shapes; for irregular shapes, additional
geometric complexity increases the computational
burden, so it is difficult to apply a deterministic IRREGULAR-SHAPED NESTING PROCEDURE

*
The procedure for irregular-shaped nesting
Project (No. 60573146) supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China mainly includes two steps: First, place the pieces into
Liu et al. / J Zhejiang Univ SCIENCE A 2006 7(4):570-576 571

NFP

Container Piece

Reference point

Fig.1 2D irregular-shaped nesting problem

the containing region without overlapping; Then re-


Fig.3 Inner-fit NFP is the locus of the reference point
generate the containing region by subtracting the on the piece while the piece slides around the inside
region occupied by nested pieces from it. Fig.2 shows boundary of the container
the nesting procedure.
The relevant property of NFP with respect to the
interaction between the container and the piece is as
follows: if the piece is positioned with its reference
point on the boundary of NFP then the container and
the piece will touch; if the piece is positioned with its
reference point inside the boundary of NFP then the
piece will be inside the container without overlapping.
Thus, the interior of NFP represents all feasible
placement positions for the piece, and the boundary of
NFP represents all touching positions. In the nesting
procedure, pieces are arranged touching each other
(a) (b) for saving material, therefore, based on the NFP, the
problem of nesting one piece can be simplified to
Fig.2 2D irregular-shaped nesting procedure. (a) Nest selecting the optimal position on NFP.
one piece and form a new boundary; (b) Nest next piece
in the new boundary Approaches for generating the NFP have fo-
cused on three core methodologies: Minkowski sums,
largely based on Ghosh’s boundary addition theorem
(Bennell et al., 2001); the collision approach or or-
NFP AND ITS FUNCTION IN NESTING
biting approach, designed to simulate the sliding mo-
tion of the polygons; and decomposition, where
With computational geometry tools such as No
polygons are decomposed into component polygons
Fit Polygon (NFP) and piece placement principles,
that can be more easily handled.
pieces can be precisely placed inside the container’s
boundary. The No Fit Polygon (NFP) (Art, 1966;
Adamowicz and Albano, 1976), has practically be-
come a prerequisite for solving irregular packing PLACEMENT PRINCIPLE FOR IRREGULAR
problems; it gives the set of non-overlapping place- PIECES
ments for polygons. NFP includes outer-fit NFP and
inner-fit NFP defined as follows: The searching space of the irregular nesting
Definition 1 Given a container and one piece with problem is infinite because any movement or rotation
fixed orientation, where container is defined as the of the pieces may lead to a new nesting pattern. In
fixed polygon and piece is the sliding polygon. The order to reduce the searching space, bottom-left (BL)
NFP is a closed path formed by tracing the locus of a principle has been widely adopted as the placement
reference point on the piece while the piece slides principle. BL-principle is to place the piece as close as
around the inside boundary of the container, as shown possible to the bottom and left; it works for rectangles,
in Fig.3 below. but not for irregular polygons because it does not

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