Material Flow Optimization Research Articles

Potential Development of Sustainable 3D-Printed Meat Analogues: A Review

To mitigate the threat of climate change driven by livestock meat production, a multifaceted approach that incorporates dietary changes, innovative product development, advances in technologies, and reductions in food wastes/losses is proposed. The emerging technology of 3D printing (3DP) has been recognized for its unprecedented capacity to fabricate food products with intricate structures and reduced material cost and energy. For sustainable 3DP of meat substitutes, the possible materials discussed are derived from in vitro cell culture, meat byproducts/waste, insects, and plants. These material-based approaches are analyzed from their potential environmental effects, technological viability, and consumer acceptance standpoints. Although skeletal muscles and skin are bioprinted for medical applications, they could be utilized as meat without the additional printing of vascular networks. The impediments to bioprinting of meat are lack of food-safe substrates/materials, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. The sustainability of bioprinting could be enhanced by the utilization of generic/universal components or scaffolds and optimization of cell sourcing and fabrication logistics. Despite the availability of several plants and their byproducts and some start-up ventures attempting to fabricate food products, 3D printing of meat analogues remains a challenge. From various insects, powders, proteins (soluble/insoluble), lipids, and fibers are produced, which—in different combinations and at optimal concentrations—can potentially result in superior meat substitutes. Valuable materials derived from meat byproducts/wastes using low energy methods could reduce waste production and offset some greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Apart from printer innovations (speed, precision, and productivity), rational structure of supply chain and optimization of material flow and logistic costs can improve the sustainability of 3D printing. Irrespective of the materials used, perception-related challenges exist for 3D-printed food products. Consumer acceptance could be a significant challenge that could hinder the success of 3D-printed meat analogs.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ МОДЕЛІ НАСКРІЗНОЇ ОПТИМІЗАЦІЇ ФІНАНСОВИХ І МАТЕРІАЛЬНИХ ПОТОКІВ У МЕХАНІЗМІ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ФІНАНСОВОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ НА ПІДПРИЄМСТВАХ ОБОРОННОЇ ПРОМИСЛОВОСТІ

Розглянуто проблему координації матеріальних i фінансових потоків на оборонних підприємствах у виробництві та доставці потрібного обсягу оборонної продукції у встановлені терміни. Мета статті — теоретичне обґрунтування необхідності узгодження певних суперечностей у потокових процесах на підприємствах і розроблення моделі поступової оптимізації матеріальних та пов’язаних з ними фінансових потоків як необхідної умови забезпечення фінансової безпеки підприємств оборонної промисловості.
 Конфлікт інтересів (суперечності) аналізується щодо проходження матеріальних і пов’язаних із ними фінансових потоків, що відбуваються за чинної системи управління на вітчизняних оборонних підприємствах.
 Методичною основою дослідження суперечностей потокових процесів підприємства були обрані аналіз і синтез. Економічний потік підприємства умовно розглянуто за характеристиками: обсяг потоку, час потоку і витрати потоку з подальшим урахуванням їхніх характерних якостей, властивостей, взаємозв’язків і суперечностей між ними.
 Розроблена методика проектування логістичних рішень на підприємстві, яка передбачає здійснення повної оптимізації за допомогою методу компромісу матеріальних і пов’язаних із цим фінансових потоків. Запропонована імітаційна модель була доведена до впровадження програмного забезпечення та була протестована на оборонних машинобудівних підприємствах Києва.
 Для врегулювання суперечностей, що виникають поетапно, встановлено два параметри (час потоку та обсяг потоку) за критеріями: 1) мінімізація витрат на всіх стадіях потоку;2) мінімізація періоду оборотності оборотних коштів — доцільно використовувати метод багатокритеріальної оптимізації.
 Вирішення багатокритеріального завдання оптимізації матеріальних і пов’язаних із цим фінансових потоків на підприємстві базується на використанні методу компромісу, який реалізується на основі моделювальних моделей. Запропонована модель складається з п’яти взаємодіючих програмних елементів: модель управління програмою, програма закупівель, транспортна програма, програма складських складів, оцінка варіантів і програма вибору логістичних рішень.
 Для розв’язання вищезазначеної проблеми пропонуємо використовувати метод «лівий нижній кут», який раніше використовувався для вирішення інженерних завдань. Запропонований метод дозволяє розв’язати задачу оптимізації вектора, коли критеріїв два, а кількість розглянутих варіантів — невелика.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AS A DRIVER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE

The article considers the model of circular economy and the possibility of its implementation in Ukraine. The authors explore the main aspects of the circular economy and the relationship with the goals of sustainable development. It is noted that the use of innovations and innovation systems is the basis of the circular economy, which will ensure the interdependence between the reduction of non-returnable waste and increase the use of reusable resources, will not improve the ecological and economic condition of the country. The article analyzes the economic content of methods and models of implementation of the circular economy by identifying their impact on the sustainability of economic and government systems. The generalization of world experience in the implemented concepts of the circular economy allowed us to identify 5 main circular business models: circular deliveries, resource recovery, platforms for exchange and sharing, product as a service. The article gives examples of implementation of the principles of circular economy in the production of world brands. Prerequisites and recommendations for the introduction of a circular economy in Ukraine are summarized. It is determined that the introduction of a circular economy is beneficial for the enterprise or company, for consumers, communities and the state as a whole. The advantages in the long run on optimization of material flows, opportunities to enter new markets, expand the scope of services, obtaining additional profits in the field of services are highlighted. The interrelation of business models of circular economy recommended for use in Ukraine is established. The article identifies further steps of the study, which will be aimed at building a model of circular economy, based on the experience of leading European countries, taking into account Ukrainian characteristics, as well as detailed performance criteria for companies implementing circular economy depending on the scope and size.

Modeling and Simulation of a Flexible Manufacturing System—A Basic Component of Industry 4.0

The field of Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) has seen in recent years a dynamic development trend and can now be considered an integral part of intelligent manufacturing systems and a basis for digital manufacturing. Developing the factory of the future in an increasingly competitive industrial environment involves the study and analysis of some FMS key elements and managerial, technical, and innovative efforts. Using a new approach, thus paper presents a material flow design methodology for flexible manufacturing systems in order to establish the optimal architecture of the analyzed system. The research offers a solution for modeling and optimizing material flows in advanced manufacturing systems. By using a dedicated analysis and simulation software, the structure of the system can be established and specific technical and economic parameters can be determined for each processing and transport capacity. Different processing scenarios will be evaluated through virtual modeling and simulations in order to increase the performance and efficiency of the system. Thus, an interactive tool useful in the design and management of flexible manufacturing lines will be developed for companies operating in the industrial sector. The application of this paper is mainly in the field of development of intelligent manufacturing systems, where the control system will make and use simulations in order to analyze current parameters and to predict the future.

Multi-task processing oriented production layout based on evolutionary programming mechanism

Traditional job scheduling is an independent optimization phase without considering material flow among machines. However, in actual production, the machine layout will affect material flow time, therefore affecting job completion time. In this paper, a novel multi-task-oriented production layout problem is proposed, with the goal to optimize material flow by adjusting machine placement. To solve this problem, a production layout evolution (PLEV) framework is established, which models it as a two-stage optimization problem. In the first stage, a concept of ‘relevance between machines (RBM)’ is proposed. The RBM measures the relationship between two machines according to the processing data. A machine placement scheme is designed based on RBM. In the second stage, a job scheduling rule based on the earliest finish time (EFT) is adopted to evaluate production layouts. Then, through an evolutionary programming mechanism, the production layout can evolve to optimize makespan. Experiments are carried out to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed PLEV framework. The results demonstrate that promising product layouts for multi-task processing can be obtained by using this framework.

Developing a fuzzy-set-based shortcut layout approach for a semiconductor inter-bay handling system

Designing optimal material flow into a semiconductor inter-bay handling’s layout boosts production efficiency, increases yield and throughput, and cuts work-in-process (WIP) as well as cycle time. Intelligent layout of production plants is vital for modern manufacturing, and particularly so for 450-mm wafer-size semiconductor plants. In light of the particular bay nature of a semiconductor plant’s inter-bay, its shortcut design that results on more efficient flow movement become challenging differed from those of a manufacturing system. Additionally, a semiconductor bay’s shortcut layout considerations must address not just how to group stockers, but also how to determine the type of shortcut points and sequence of shortcut locations. Prior to mass production, the assessment expressed by designers’ artificial language, linguistic variable, for the shortcut design phase remains ambiguous and subjective. The need for efficient ways to take designers’ linguistic variables into account in the layout decision increases. The present study suggests a method based on fuzzy set theory to design the shortcut location for a semiconductor inter-bay equipped with a multiple-zone overhead shuttle (OHS) handling system. Unlike traditional layout approaches which can only handle quantitative data with Boolean logic problems, fuzzy-set-based methods offer a way to incorporate the attitude of designers using linguistic variables to represent a problem in decision making when designing semiconductor bay’s shortcut layout. The paper also develops an intelligent hybrid heuristic algorithm incorporating with the goal of maximizing in-sequence movements and minimizing total flow distance to search a better shortcut layout design. An illustrative example from a wafer foundry company is used to demonstrate that the fuzzy-set-based layout design found by the proposed layout method outperforms by other approaches in the OHS travel time, throughput, and flow time performance. The method suggested here can assist semiconductor facility designers in qualitatively and quantitatively improving the material flow and increasing production efficiency by solving their semiconductor bay’s shortcut layout problems.

The efficiency of food supply chain engineering (case study in Ukraine)

The basic conceptual idea of logistics is the need to adapt the company to an ever-changing market situation, while spending a minimum of funds in these conditions. The concept of logistics is a system of views on the rationalization of economic activity by optimizing material flows. The paper investigates the change of the main indicators of the functioning of the supply chain, depending on the organization of distribution of the material flow. The supply systems of food products that form the consumer basket at the stage of distribution is considered. The conceptual schemes of freight flow distribution with and without distribution center is presented. The field research was conducted to determine and initial data were collected. The paper investigate the functioning of the supply chain in two cases: in a situation "proposed scenario" and in a situation "without a project". The situation "existing scenario" implies that no action to change the parameters of the supply chain during the period specified for the research does not take place. In this case, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of the logistics chain under existing conditions. An integrated approach to evaluate the efficiency of the functioning of the logistics system and the consumer had been used. The efficiency of existing of the supply chain functioning were analysed. Also, certain measures will be implemented to improve the chain through investments and by bringing logistics infrastructure with the needs. A modelling of the supply chain was made. The effect of parameters of participants on the supply chain efficiency was analysed. The planned effect from the reorganization of distribution channels is calculated. The technological and economic feasibility of introducing a distribution center into the existing distribution channel based on modeling is calculated. The object of the research is the process of food products distribution in the supply chain. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the food supply chain scheme.

Сутність та роль логістичного менеджменту в діяльності аграрних підприємств України

Introduction. Globalization processes have a significant impact on the global market environment, encouraging enterprises to find ways of improving their performance for the long period of time. Logistics management is one of the prerequisites for this. Using of logistics management elements at agricultural enterprises activities, which operate due to specific objective constraints (cash gaps associated with the duration of agricultural production; high material consumption; low profitability of many areas of crop and livestock) becomes important. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to investigate the essence of logistics management and its role and significance for agricultural enterprises activities in Ukraine. Results. The article substantiates the need to use logistics management in the activities of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine. The approaches of domestic and foreign scientists to the definition of «logistics management» term are studied. The main aspects of the category are singled out. The definitions are systematized according to three approaches (adaptive, optimization, systematic). The role of logistics management in domestic agricultural enterprises activities in accordance with the selected approaches is investigated. In the context of adaptive capacity of logistics management, there was considered the level of transport support of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine, which indicates the unsatisfactory state of logistics. The ability to regulate the level of material support of economic activity in accordance with the needs of the production process is presented as an optimizing function of logistics management. According to the system approach, the maximum interconnection of all components of the logistics system can be achieved through the use of modern technologies in the activities of farmers. According to the system approach, the greatest interconnection of all components of logistics system can be achieved by using the modern technologies in agricultural enterprises activities. Conclusions. Logistics management is able to significantly increase the economic efficiency of enterprise compared to classical management methods due to high adaptability, optimality and consistency. The efficiency of logistics activities at enterprise can be manifested: in optimal organization of supply; in production and sales activities of the enterprise; in reducing logistics costs; in optimization of material, financial and information flows; in production of competitive products; in entering new markets; in scientific and technical achievements.

Potential of using burning equipment in the engineering company and metallurgy

Currently, companies have been trying to make the use of their technology, manufacturing capabilities and experienced workforce to respond flexibly to market demands. Collecting and processing of all relevant data in the company is one of the key points to which increased attention should be paid so as to maximize the efficient use of own resources and consequently ensure a continuous reduction of pro-duction costs. The article deals with the use of burning machines in engineering company. The product range involves the production of burnouts from standard and special materials as well as welded steel parts of structures. The company has long struggled to optimize the material and information flow between particular production operations. This paper was focused on information flow logistics, which proved to be the biggest weakness of the central material preparation department during the bottleneck analysis. The scientific contribution of the resolved issue can be seen mainly in the possibility of inter-connecting process analysis and optimization of material and information flows.

Material Flow Optimization through E-Kanban System Simulation

Material Flow Optimization through E-Kanban System Simulation

An Economic Order Quantity Stochastic Dynamic Optimization Model in a Logistic 4.0 Environment

This paper proposes a stock dynamic sizing optimization under the Logistic 4.0 environment. The safety stock is conceived to fill up the demand variability, providing continuous stock availability. Logistic 4.0 and the smart factory topics are considered. It focuses on vertical integration to implement flexible and reconfigurable smart production systems using the information system integration in order to optimize material flow in a 4.0 full-service approach. The proposed methodology aims to reduce the occurring stock-out events through a link among the wear-out items rate and the downstream logistic demand. The failure rate items trend is obtained through life-cycle state detection by a curve fitting technique. Therefore, the optimal safety stock size is calculated and then validated by an auto-tuning iterative modified algorithm. In this study, the reorder time has been optimized. The case study refers to the material management of a very high-speed train.

The method of the optimization of material flows for functioning of the recovery system

To solve the problem of timely provision of military formations (units) with the logistical means (LM), the method of optimization of material flows is proposed in the work. To implement this method, the system of the material flows management, storage and transportation of the logistical means is divided into strategic, operational and tactical levels of the hierarchy, whereby the highest management body has access to the entire management system and database and the lower one only within its responsibility. At each level of the hierarchy, an automated control system is created, which includes subsystems with normative data (set standards of storage of the logistical means, norms of variability of the corresponding nomenclature of spare parts, norms of the working time of samples of weapons and military equipment (WME) to the appropriate type of maintenance and repair, etc.). In the next stage, the accounting of records of the WME samples and the actual availability of the logistical means, which have arrived to the logistics centers of the strategic level, the distribution centers of the operational level and the warehouses of the military formations (units) is entered to the automated control system.
 During the exploitation of WME samples, the information of the actual consumption of their resource is provided to the automated real-time management system. After that, the automated system compares the actual consumption of the resource of the WME samples with the established standards, which are laid down in the technical documentation and orders, regulations, directives, etc. by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. When the time is coming to dispatch the WME sample to the appropriate type of maintenance or repair, the automated system having the logistical means account at all levels of the hierarchy determines at which storage the logistical means data is located and paves the optimal route for their transportation to units or to the warehouses of the lower level of hierarchy.
 Thus, the use of this method allows to determine the unit in which the appropriate sample of the WME will require maintenance or repair, to determine the necessary nomenclature of logistical means, to provide this unit in advance with the necessary logistical means, which will reduce the time and cost of resources to provide the logistical means to the military formations (units).

СТРУКТУРНО-ФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНА БУДОВА РЕГІОНАЛЬНОЇ ЛОГІСТИЧНОЇ СИСТЕМИ В КОНТЕКСТІ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ РЕГІОНУ

Сучасні трансформації змісту економічних відносин та форм їх організації на логістичних засадах визначають необхідність трансформації й діяльності органів влади з метою забезпечення адекватності здійснюваних регулювальних заходів. Це особливо актуально з точки зору збалансування цілей функціонування регіону в умовах сталого розвитку та логістичних структур, що функціонують у регіональному просторі. Імплементація методології логістики в управлінні регіональним розвитком реалізується через формування, абстрактне моделювання, аналіз функціонування регіональної логістичної системи. Дана стаття ставить за мету визначити сутність, елементний склад та структуру, цілі та функції різних учасників регіонального простору при формуванні та управлінні регіональною логістичною системою (РЛС) в умовах сталого розвитку. У процесі дослідження уточнено зміст взаємозв’язку елементів РЛС, що має двоїстий характер: вони взаємопов’язані у процесі використання регіональних ресурсів та їх перетворення та трансформації у потоці вартості, що здійснюється з метою підвищення рівня добробуту населення. Характер розвитку такої системи та її підпорядкування цілям системи вищого порядку – регіональної соціо-еколого-економічної системи – відбувається у відповідності до умов розвитку останньої. Функціональна роль органів влади щодо управління РЛС полягає саме у визначенні та регулюванні умов для бажаного розвитку РЛС через інформаційні зв’язки з економічними агентами. Через розкриття природи потоків регіонального простору виділені рівні регіональної логістичної системи як управлінського механізму, цілі та завдання, що перед нею ставляться: просторово-часова та вартісна оптимізація ресурсопотоку (операцій щодо нього); матеріалопотоку (операцій щодо нього); потоку вартості. Останнє формує предмет логістичного аналізу органів влади та повинно здійснюватися з точки зору соціального благополуччя (належний рівень життя за збереження якісних параметрів навколишнього природного середовища), формуючи тим самим базис для прийняття управлінських рішень та формування політики відповідно до принципів сталого розвитку.

Safety and Automatization of Machining Line

Abstract the paper deals with problematic of machining lines of machine components for the automotive industry. There is a current issue of increasing labor productivity and economic efficiency of production with full safety of production and environmental protection. Therefore, for a specific practical assignment, the replacement of existing machinery using manual workpiece handling is performed by a fully automated safety-accessible one. For this purpose, an analysis of the technical and operating parameters of the proposed NC machines has been prepared. Attention is paid to optimization of material flow and arrangement of individual workplaces of production machines including handling and transfer of material between individual workplaces. Particular attention is paid to the safety of workers and improves the environmental conditions of the production plant. Finally, the overall efficiency of the proposed solution is evaluated in detail compared to the current solution.

Optimal design of the second and third generation biofuel supply network by a multi-objective model

The depletion of fossil fuels and their serious environmental concerns have made renewable energy sources much more attractive. One of the more promising renewable energy alternatives is the use of second/third-generation biomass that does not endanger food security, to produce bioenergy. The biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain design is a challenging issue that has attracted the attention of academic and industrial research. In this direction, a multi-objective multi-period MILP model is developed to design the second/third-generation biofuel supply chain using anaerobic digestion and transesterification processes. Three types of biomass (i.e. agricultural residues and livestock manure, microalgae and Jatropha) simultaneously are studied as feedstock to produce clean energy in all climatic and geographic conditions, and even in remote areas. Selection of raw material resources, location of production facilities, location of warehouses, and optimal material flows are the main decisions made by the proposed model to minimize the total cost and maximize the produced energy. The performance of this model is evaluated and validated through conducting a real case study. The results show that considering the amount of produced bioenergy regardless to its type, energy production from microalgae and Jatropha is more viable than bio-wastes. The results also show that production cost (especially biodiesel production cost from Jatropha) and investment cost (especially construction costs of microalgae and Jatropha to biodiesel production sites) have the most effect on the total cost of the supply chain network, respectively.

Необхідність удосконалення транспортної структури Причорноморського регіону

The transport structure of a region is a necessary condition for its development, so, its significance increases along with the reinforcement of globalization and integration processes. The study is relevant because the growth of the numerous cargo companies highlights the necessity of transport and logistics systems creation, which are able to function as a transport complex. This complex should not only perceive and use new market technologies in its activity, but also generate them, taking into consideration their internal needs in real time. The purpose of the research paper is to rationalize the necessity of the complex development of a region, considering the optimal choice of strategic priorities for regional transport and logistics systems aimed at optimization of material flows. The paper also contributes to the development of a logistics strategy of a region along with the creation of a balance set of policies and a developed logistics infrastructure of a region that would allow to ensure the higher level of regional logistics system development. The author has developed the algorithm of the logistic system product distribution (LSPD) that functions in two directions. The first one functions along with the creation of the system, when goals and necessary resources are being studied, so, the development and selection of the LSPD functioning options take place. The second direction occurs when the LSPD has been already developed, so, its main purpose becomes the permanent monitoring of its state and providing necessary adjustments. The complex of qualitative and quantitative parameters, that reflect the efficiency of supply chains are also developed by the author. They allow to diagnose the development of the logistic system product distribution.The author concludes that analyzing the dynamics and the structure of material flows, such factors as the character of regional specifics, the features of logistic and consumer goods, the degree of the region involvement in the interregional exchange and foreign economic activity, and the level of transport and communication system development should be taken into consideration. The main reasons for cargo limitations of the Black Sea region have been revealed. The beneficial geographical location of the Black Sea node, that caused its significant role in overall Ukrainian transport system, is highlighted. As a result of the research, the author concludes that along with the creation of the regional model of transport and logistics complexes such principles as synergy, integrity, complexity, innovation development and diversification should be taken into account. They would provide clear coherence of the regional economy stakeholders in order to achieve the common goal that is to implement the strategic plan of regional development and to increase standard of living of the region.

Evaluation and Enhancement of Transfer line in Production Process by Simulation

Plant Simulation software enables the simulation and optimization of production systems and processes. Using Plant Simulation, you can optimize material flow, resource utilization and logistics for all levels of plant planning from global production facilities, through local plants, to specific lines. In times of increasing cost and time pressures in production, along with ongoing globalization, logistics has become a key factor in the success of a company. The need to deliver JIT (just-in-time)/JIS (just-in-sequence), introduce Kanban, plan and build new production lines and manage global production networks (to name a few) requires objective decision criteria to help management evaluate and compare alternative approaches. Plant Simulation helps create digital models of logistic systems (e.g., production) to explore the systems’ characteristics and to optimize their performance. The digital model enables users to run experiments and what-if scenarios without disturbing an existing production system or – when used in the planning process – long before the real system is installed. Extensive analysis tools, statistics and charts let users evaluate different manufacturing scenarios and make fast, reliable decisions in the early stages of production planning. Plant Simulation helps users to Detect and eliminate problems that otherwise would require cost-and time consuming correction measures during production ramp up Minimize the investment cost of production lines without jeopardizing required output, Optimize the performance of existing production systems by taking measures that have been verified in a simulation environment prior to implementation.

Controllable pulsed electromagnetic blank holder method for electromagnetic sheet metal forming

A new electromagnetic blank holder method has been developed by using the Lorentz force to supply a flexible and controllable blank holder force (BHF) for electromagnetic sheet metal forming. The Lorentz force is essentially a pulsed repulsive force generated in the blank holder by the interaction between the pulsed magnetic field and the induced eddy current. In this work, the pulsed electromagnetic blank holder (PEBH) system for electromagnetic sheet metal forming is fabricated and tested. The feasibility and effectiveness of the system have been proven by a series of experiments for forming a workpiece of AA1050-O with a diameter of 440 mm. With the PEBH system, the flange wrinkling of the workpiece is demonstrated to be eliminated, and the material flow of the flange and the deformation behavior of the workpiece can be easily controlled by varying the discharge voltage of the blank holder coil. In addition, experimental results corroborate that the critical flange wrinkling BHF equal to 4.8 ton is the optimal BHF to achieve the optimal material flow and improved formability of the workpiece in the process, and the critical circumferential strain for flange wrinkling is − 4.4%.

Supply Chain Simulation in Educational Process

Abstract Logistics is defined as an interdisciplinary science, which deals with coordination, harmonization, connection and optimization of material, product and service flows including flows of information and finance. The main aim of logistics is to satisfy needs of the customer with importance of quality aspect and optimal costs. The paper is focused on practical logistic problems within the company, its suppliers and customers so overall supply chain is analyzed there. The aim of the paper is to provide practical simulation and calculation of selected logistic examples such as procurement, storage and distribution on case studies. These logistic aspects are analyzed in way, how are they explained to students in university educational process on school subjects that deal with logistics in some case. The simulation of storage process is done with specialized software called Byron, which is also used for educational purposes.

Parameter Setting for a Genetic Algorithm Layout Planner as a Toll of Sustainable Manufacturing

The long-term sustainability of the enterprise requires constant attention to the continuous improvement of business processes and systems so that the enterprise is still competitive in a dynamic and turbulent market environment. Improvement of processes must lead to the ability of the enterprise to increase production performance, the quality of provided services on a constantly increasing level of productivity and decreasing level of cost. One of the most important potentials for sustainability competitiveness of an enterprise is the continuous restructuring of production and logistics systems to continuously optimize material flows in the enterprise in terms of the changing requirements of customers and the behavior of enterprise system surroundings. Increasing pressure has been applied to projecting manufacturing and logistics systems due to labor intensity, time consumption, and costs for the whole technological projecting process. Moreover, it is also due to quality growth, complexity, and information ability of outputs generated from this process. One option is the use of evolution algorithms for space solution optimization for manufacturing and logistics systems. This method has higher quality results compared to classical heuristic methods. The advantage is the ability to leave specific local extremes. Classical heuristics are unable to do so. Genetic algorithms belong to this group. This article presents a unique genetic algorithm layout planner (GALP) that uses a genetic algorithm to optimize the spatial arrangement. In the first part of this article, there is a description of a framework of the current state of layout planning and genetic algorithms used in manufacturing and logistics system design, methods for layout design, and basic characteristics of genetic algorithms. The second part of the article introduces its own GALP algorithm. It is a structure which is integrated into the design process of manufacturing systems. The core of the article are parameters setting and experimental verification of the proposed algorithm. The final part of the article is a discussion about the results of the GALP application.