Heterogeneous-Objective Robust Optimization of Complex Mechatronic Components Considering Interval Uncertainties

Structural optimization of complex mechatronic components may involve heterogeneous competing performance indices, including the cost, fixation, benefit, and deviation ones. However, such optimization problems with heterogeneous objectives have not been investigated so far. In this paper, a novel interval heterogeneous-objective robust optimization approach is proposed for complex mechatronic components. First, a unified interval heterogeneous-objective robust optimization model is constructed for mechatronic components with the uncertainties described as interval variables. Subsequently, a new interval robust equilibrium optimization algorithm is proposed to solve the interval heterogeneous-objective robust optimization model. Specifically, the unified formulas for assessing the robustness of interval heterogeneous-objective performance indices and the robust equilibrium among them are derived at first. Then, the preferential guidelines considering the robust equilibrium among all the objective and constraint performance indices are proposed for the direct ranking of various design vectors, and finally, the heterogeneous-objective robust equilibrium optimization of complex mechatronic components is realized by integrating the Kriging technique and the nested genetic algorithm. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed heterogeneous-objective robust optimization approach are verified by a numerical example and a case study.