Manufacturing and Fractional Cell Formation Using a New Binary Digit Grouping Algorithm with a Pwavroid Solution Explorer Toolkit

Abstract

A new algorithm is presented in order to search for the optimal solution of the manufacturing and fractional cell formation problem. In addition, this paper introduces a new toolkit, which is used to search for the various candidate solutions in a periodic and a waving (diversified) manner. The toolkit consists of 15 tools that play a major role in speeding up the obtainment of the final solution as well as in increasing its efficiency. The application of the binary digit grouping algorithm leads to the creation of manufacturing cells according to the concept of group technology. The nonzero entries, which remain outside the manufacturing cells, are called exceptional elements. When a lot of such elements is obtained, an additional cell called fractional (or remainder) cell may be formed; the aim of which is to reduce their number. This algorithm was tested by using illustrative examples taken from the literature and succeeded to give better or at least similar results when compared to those of other well-known algorithms.