An adaptive memetic algorithm for the bidirectional loop layout problem

Abstract

Given a set of facilities, a set of positions arranged in a loop configuration and a flow cost matrix, the bidirectional loop layout problem (BLLP) is to find a facility-to-position assignment with the minimum sum of the products of flow costs and facility distances. The flow cost between two facilities is the unit cost of transporting items between two facilities, and the distance between two positions is shorter in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction in the loop. The BLLP is a relevant model for manufacturing systems; however, as the problem is known to be NP-hard, solving the problem is computationally challenging. This paper presents a memetic algorithm for BLLP that features an adaptive crossover selection and a dedicated 3-phase local search. Experiments of the proposed algorithm are conducted on 65 benchmarks, demonstrating a competitive performance compared with the current best algorithms. Additional experiments are conducted to study the impacts of the essential components of the algorithm.