Achieving the dimensional integrity for a complex structural assembly
is a demanding task due to the manufacturing variations of parts and the
tolerance relationship between them. Although assigning tight tolerances
to all parts would solve the problem, an economical solution is taking
advantage of small motions that joints allow, such that critical
dimensions are adjusted during assembly processes. This paper
presents a systematic method that decomposes product geometry at an early
stage of design, selects joint types, and generates subassembly
partitioning to achieve the adjustment of the critical dimensions during
assembly processes. A genetic algorithm generates candidate assemblies
based on a joint library specific for an application domain. Each
candidate assembly is evaluated by an internal optimization routine that
computes the subassembly partitioning for optimal in-process
adjustability, by finding a series of minimum cuts on weighted graphs. A
case study on a three-dimensional automotive space frame with the
accompanying joint library is presented.