Abstract: To solve the pipe layout problem of low efficiency and relying on experience in complex mechanical and electrical products,an automatic pipe layout design and optimization method based on A* algorithm was proposed.The engineering constrains were analyzed and the layout space was decomposed into grids.The heuristic function of A* algorithm was constructed based on length,bend number and direction.Aiming at the improvement of specific constraints such as safety,installation and fixing,the automatic searching of pipe routing was realized.After obtained the initial routing,a dichotomy was used to select key points.To ensure the pipe could be manufactured,a path optimization method based on manufacturing constraints was adopted.A pipe automatic routing and optimizing prototype system was developed and some experiments were applied to verify the efficiency of the proposed method.

Key words: complex pipe, automatic piping, A* algorithm, path optimization, rule-guided

摘要： 针对复杂机电产品中的管路布局效率低且依赖于经验的问题,提出一种基于改进A*算法的管路自动布局设计与优化方法。分析了布局过程中的工程约束,并对布局空间进行了栅格化处理;提出以A*算法作为路径搜索算法,通过构建基于长度、折弯数和方向的启发式函数,并通过改进安全性和安装固定等特定约束实现了管路路径的自动搜索。在得到初始路径后,采用二分思想对路径节点进行筛选,提出面向可制造性约束的路径优化方法,从而使布局设计结果满足可加工性要求。开发了管路自动布局设计与优化系统,并进行了算例测试与实例分析,验证了所提方法的可行性。

关键词: 复杂管路, 自动布局, A*算法, 路径优化, 规则引导