Intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS for ergonomic compatibility evaluation of advanced manufacturing technology

Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) is considered one of the most critical elements in the industrial world to achieve efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. Evaluation and selection of AMT is a complex problem that involves multiple attributes that are difficult to be taken into account in their totality. In this matter, actual models for AMT evaluation and selection are found scarce of human factors and ergonomics aspects which are commonly neglected among evaluators or decision makers. This paper presents a fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) decision-making model under intuitionistic fuzzy environment that is used for the evaluation of AMT regarding ergonomic compatibility attributes. The methodology includes the description of the ergonomic compatibility attributes and an intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS (IFT) procedure applied for a novel evaluation approach of these attributes to support the evaluation and selection of AMT alternatives. As a result, a numerical example is presented for the evaluation and selection of three alternatives of computer numerical controlled milling machines. IFT presents advantages since multiple ergonomic attributes can be effectively integrated when incomplete or vague information is available for evaluators or decision makers.