This paper presents a novel approach to the facility layout design problem based on multi-agent society where agents’ interactions form the facility layout design. Each agent corresponds to a facility with inherent characteristics, emotions, and a certain amount of money, forming its utility function. An agent’s money is adjusted during the learning period by a manager agent while each agent tr...

Reducing manufacturing lead times and minimizing work-in-process (WIP) inventories are the cornerstones of popular manufacturing strategies such as Lean, Quick Response, and Just-inTime Manufacturing. In this paper, we present a model that captures the relationship between facility layout and congestion-related measures of performance. We use the model to introduce a formulation of the facility...

This paper presents an extended formulation of the unequal area facilities block layout problem which explicitly considers uncertainty in material handling costs by use of expected value and standard deviations of product forecasts. This formulation is solved using a random keys genetic algorithm (RKGA) heuristic with a flexible bay construct of the departments and total facility area. It is sh...

— Facilities layout is a systematic and functional arrangement of different departments, machines, equipments and services in a manufacturing establishment. It is vitally important to have a well developed plant layout for all the available resources in an optimum manner and get the maximum out of the capacity of the facilities. The problem is of particular importance for Small and Medium Enter...

This paper presents an investigation of the applicability of a genetic approach for solving the construction site layout problem. This problem involves coordinating the use of limited site space to accommodate temporary facilities so that transportation cost of materials is minimized. The layout problem considered in this paper is characterized by affinity weights used to model transportation c...

This paper proposes a mathematical formulation for the facility layout problem (FLP) based on the generalized quadratic assignment problem (GQAP). The GQAP is a generalization of the NP-hard quadratic assignment problem (QAP) that allows multiple facilities to be assigned to a single location as long as the capacity of the location allows. As a case study, we adapt the GRASP with path-relinking...

Facility layout planning (FLP) involves a set of design problems related to the arrangement elements that shape industrial production systems in physical space. The fact they are considered one most important decisions as part business operation strategies, and their proven repercussion on systems’ costs, efficiency productivity, mean this theme has been widely addressed science. In context, pr...