Application of Nature Inspired Algorithms to Optimize Multi-objective Two-Dimensional Rectangle Packing Problem

Abstract

This paper considers two-dimensional non-guillotine rectangular bin packing problem with multiple objectives in which small rectangular parts are to be arranged optimally on a large rectangular sheet. The optimization of rectangular parts is attained with respect to three objectives involving maximization of (1) utilization factor, minimization of (2) due dates of rectangles and (3) number of cuts. Three nature based metaheuristic algorithms — Cuckoo Search, Bat Algorithm and Flower Pollination Algorithm — have been used to solve the multi-objective packing problem. The purpose of this work is to consider multiple industrial objectives for improving the overall production process and to explore the potential of the recent metaheuristic techniques. Benchmark test data compare the performance of recent approaches with the popular approaches and also of the different objectives used. Different performance metrics analyze the behavior/performance of the proposed technique. Experimental results obtained in this work prove the effectiveness of the recent metaheuristic techniques used. Also, it was observed that considering multiple and independent factors as objectives for the production process does not degrade the overall performance and they do not necessarily conflict with each other.