EA for solving combined machine layout and job assignment problems

Pages: 631 - 646, Volume 4, Issue 3, August 2008

doi:10.3934/jimo.2008.4.631       Abstract        Full Text (179.5K)       Related Articles

Tapabrata Ray - School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Civil Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia (email)
Ruhul Sarker - School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia (email)

Abstract: Machine layout and material flow between machines are crucial considerations for improving productivity in any manufacturing environment. The machine layout and the operations assignment problems are both known to be NP hard problems. In this paper, we consider a combined machine layout and job assignment problem and introduce an evolutionary algorithm to solve this combined problem. The usefulness of our approach is demonstrated through numerical examples.

Keywords:  Machine layout, task-machine assignment, optimization, multi-objective, genetic algorithm.
Mathematics Subject Classification:  Primary: 58F15, 58F17; Secondary: 53C35.

Received: June 2007;      Revised: May 2008;      Published: July 2008.