Balancing mixed-model assembly systems in the footwear industry with a variable neighbourhood descent method

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2018

Autores

José Soeiro Ferreira (Autor) FEUP; Parisa Sadeghi (Autor) FEUP; Rui Diogo Rebelo (Autor) Outra

Revista

Título: Computers and Industrial Engineering

Vol. 121

Páginas: 161-176

ISSN: 0360-8352

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citações

Scopus - 14 Citações

INSPEC

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-00N-ZXZ

DOI: 10.1016/j.cie.2018.05.020

Abstract (EN): This paper addresses new Mixed-model Assembly Line Balancing Problems (MALBP) in a real industrial context, the stitching systems of a footwear company. The work is part of large ongoing projects with this industry, and the main purposes are minimising the number of required workstations and smoothing the operators' workload. The company has invested in new flexible automated assembly systems, which accommodate dozens of workstations and many moving boxes. Footwear components are inside boxes (with various quantities) which can move from the warehouses to a convenient workstation or between any workstations (in any order). This is a significant and distinct feature of the MALBP, together with the fact that the assignment of different skilled operators and machines is achieved simultaneously. An optimisation model is developed, in part to facilitate the understanding of the situation and to solve small-size instances. Due to the complexity of the problems, we had to devise an approximate method, based on the Variable Neighbourhood Descent (VND) metaheuristic and integrating an adaptation of the Ranked Positional Weighted (RPW) method. The adapted RPW method is used to create initial feasible solutions, while preassigning special operators and machines. After choosing good initial solutions, VND is applied to improve their quality. The new contributed method, named as RPW-VNDbal, is tested with medium and large instances, in two distinct stitching systems. A Lower Bound of the objective function and Simulation contribute to evaluate the solutions and their practicability. The results implemented by the project team, show that the RPW-VNDbal method is fast enough and offers better solutions than those implemented by the experienced operation managers of the company.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 16