Cardiff’s bees calculation sets industry buzzing

. Researchers at Cardiff University’s Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) developed the algorithm after observing the ‘waggle dance’ of bees foraging for nectar. The algorithm helps companies to improve results by changing basic elements of their processes. When a bee finds a source of nectar, it returns to the hive and performs a dance to show other bees the direction and distance of the flower patch and how plentiful it is. The workers then decide how many will fly to the new source, depending on its distance and quality. The MEC team’s Bees Algorithm mimics this behaviour. A computer can calculate the results of different settings on a manufacturing process. More computing power is then devoted to searching around the most successful settings, in the same way as more bees are sent to the most promising flower patches. The algorithm can cope with up to 3,000 variables and is faster than existing calculations. By entering basic data about all or part of a company – or even just one machine – the team can calculate the best outcome for a wide range of business processes, such as finding the most efficient settings on welding systems and for the design of springs. The algorithm was unveiled by PhD student Afshin Ghanbarzadeh and his team at the recent internet-based Innovative Production and Machines conference. MEC director Professor DT Pham said: “We had some imaginative ideas at the conference and this is one of the most innovative. It can help business work out the most effective way to set up machines, and save money.” Cardiff University