Abstract
We discuss a new facility layout problem, the so-called Directed Circular Facility Layout Problem (DCFLP). The DCFLP aims to find an optimal arrangement of machines on a circular material handling system such that the total weighted sum of the center-to-center distances between all pairs of machines measured in clockwise direction is minimized. Several real-world applications, like for example the optimal arrangement of a set of cutting tools on a tool turret, can be modeled as a DCFLP. Further, the DCFLP generalizes a couple of layout problems that are well-discussed in literature. We show that the DCFLP can be modeled as a Linear Ordering Problem (LOP). Hence, it can be solved efficiently by using exact and heuristic approaches for the LOP. First, we apply a Semidefinite Programming as well as an Integer Linear Programming approach. Moreover, we use a Tabu Search and a Variable Neighborhood Search heuristic, for solving the DCFLP. Finally, we compare the practical performance of our approaches in a computational study.
Highlights
Facility layout problems (FLPs) aim to find the optimal location of machines inside a production plant with respect to a given objective function that considers for example material-handling, transportation or construction costs, or pair-wise preferences among machines
We show that the Directed Circular Facility Layout Problem (DCFLP) can be modeled as an Linear Ordering Problem (LOP). 2
We report the results for the DCFLP obtained by our exact algorithms based on Semidefinite Program (SDP) and Integer Linear Program (ILP), described in Sect. 4, for obtaining tight lower bounds, and the Tabu Search (TS) and the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) heuristic, described in the previous section, for computing strong feasible layouts
Summary
Facility layout problems (FLPs) aim to find the optimal location of machines inside a production plant with respect to a given objective function that considers for example material-handling, transportation or construction costs, or pair-wise preferences among machines. – The first category handles different versions of the basic layout problem that asks for an optimal arrangement of a given number of machines within a facility such that the total expected cost of flows inside the facility is minimized. This includes the well-known Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) where all machine sizes are equal. Arranging machines within FMSs is an essential problem [56], as the layout of the machines has enormous
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