Web-based process planning system concept selection using Weighted Decision Matrix and Analytical Hierarchy Process: A case study of sheet metal bending operations

The demand for sheet metal bending products has pushed the sheet metal industry to adopt new process planning approaches that can transform the existing systems in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs during product design and manufacture. Sheet metal industries are still using traditional system planning methods, which have limited capacity to respond to rapid changes in market requirements. In light of this, this paper proposes a suitable web-based process planning system that can be used to effectively bend varieties of sheet metal products using various bending press machines. Three web-based process planning system concepts were formulated in this study and evaluated using various criteria. The result of the Weighted Decision Matrix (WDM) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) analyses revealed that web-based process planning system concept Y with a cumulative assessment score of 1.90 and a priority assessment score of 0.637 is the suitable web-based process planning system that could be used to effectively bend varieties of sheet metals. This evaluation approach serves as a useful information for system designers in other manufacturing sectors, to select suitable systems capable of effectively carrying out their operations.