A hybrid genetic algorithm approach to mixed-model assembly line balancing

Abstract

Assembly line balancing has been a focus of interest to academics in operation management for the last four decades. Mass production has saved huge costs for manufacturers in various industries for some time. With the growing trend of greater product variability and shorter life cycles, traditional mass production is being replaced in assembly lines. The current market is intensely competitive and consumer-centric. Mixed-model assembly lines are increasing in many industrial environments. This study deals with mixed-model assembly line balancing for n models, and uses a classical genetic algorithm approach to minimize the number of workstations. We also incorporated a hybrid genetic algorithm approach that used the solution from the modified ranked positional method for the initial solution to reduce the search space within the global space, thereby reducing search time. Several examples illustrate the approach. The software used for programming is C++ language .