Multi-objective parameter optimization of an electromagnetic induction weft insertion system for high-speed weaving equipment
Xiaoyan Zuo, Chen Lin, Chengyi Ren, Chengjun Zhang, Chuqiao XuAbstract
The weft insertion system is a critical functional unit in high-speed weaving equipment, and its driving capability, energy loss, and operational stability directly affect weft insertion quality and overall machine performance. To overcome the limitations of conventional mechanically contacted weft insertion methods under high-speed conditions, such as restricted speed improvement, severe wear, and high noise, this study investigates an electromagnetic induction weft insertion system for high-speed weaving and performs a multi-objective optimization of its key parameters. The proposed system integrates high-temperature superconducting magnetic levitation guidance with electromagnetic induction drive to enable non-contact, high-speed, and stable shuttle motion. Driving plate thickness and excitation frequency were selected as design variables, while traction force and eddy-current loss were taken as optimization objectives. A surrogate-assisted bi-objective optimization framework combining finite element modelling, response surface methodology, and NSGA-III was established. The results show that the high-traction region overlaps significantly with the high-loss region, indicating an inherent multi-objective trade-off in the parameter design of this type of weft insertion equipment. Further optimization yielded a well-distributed set of Pareto-optimal solutions. For representative solutions, the relative errors between the surrogate predictions and finite element re-evaluations were below 3 %, and experimental results further confirmed the predictive capability of the model for traction response. The proposed method provides a quantitative basis for parameter selection and performance matching of electromagnetic induction weft insertion systems in high-speed weaving equipment, and offers useful guidance for the engineering design and application of novel non-contact weft insertion devices.