Combinatorial techniques to optimally customize an automated production line with rotary transfer and turrets

Abstract

A problem of design of complex automated production lines with rotary transfer and turrets is considered. Operations are partitioned into groups that are performed by spindle heads or by turrets. Constraints related to the design of spindle heads, turrets, and working positions, as well as precedence constraints related to operations, are given. The problem consists of minimizing the estimated cost of this automated production line, while reaching a given cycle time and satisfying all constraints. Two methods are proposed to solve the problem. The first uses a mixed-integer programming formulation of the problem. The second method is based on its reduction to a constrained shortest path problem. An industrial example is presented.

Keywords:

• Machining system
• line design
• line balancing
• optimization
• graph theory

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olga Battaïa

Olga Battaïa received a Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne, France, in 2007. She was granted Best Ph.D. Thesis Award from the Research Cluster on Modelling, Analysis and Management of Dynamic Systems of the National Council of Scientific Research in France in 2009. She is an Associate Professor at Henri Fayol Institute of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne (ENSM-SE). Her current research interests include manufacturing systems design and line balancing. She has published about 40 journal papers and book chapters and over 70 papers in conference proceedings and research reports. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Manufacturing Systems. She is a CIRP Research Affiliate and a member of IFORS and the French Operational Research Society. She is an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Research Cluster on Modelling, Analysis and Management of Dynamic Systems of the National Council of Scientific Research, France.

Alexandre Dolgui

Alexandre Dolgui is a Full Professor of Exceptional Class and the Deputy Director of LIMOS UMR CNRS 6158 and Henri Fayol Institute at the Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne (France). His research focuses on manufacturing line design, production planning, and supply chain optimization. His main results are based on exact mathematical programming methods and their intelligent coupling with heuristics and metaheuristics algorithms. He is the co-author of five books, the co-editor of 14 books or conference proceedings, the author of 193 refereed journal papers, book chapters, and editorials, as well as over 360 papers in conference proceedings. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Production Research, an Area Editor of Computers & Industrial Engineering, and an Associate Editor of Omega-The International Journal of Management Science, and Journal Européen des Systèmes Automatisés, and past Associate Editor of the International Journal of System Sciences (2005–2008) and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics (2006–2010). He is a Member of the Editorial Boards of 16 other international journals including the International Journal of Production Economics. Member of the Board of the International Foundation for Production Research, Chair of IFAC TC 5.2 Manufacturing Modelling for Management and Control, Member of IFIP WG 5.7 Advances in Production Management Systems, and Guest Editor of special issues of Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, International Journal of Production Research, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Mathematical Modeling and Algorithms, European Journal of Operational Research, and Annual Reviews in Control. He was General Scientific Chair of the 12th IFAC symposium INCOM’06, Chairman of International Program Committee of SCM’02, MOSIM’04, INCOM’09, INCOM’12, IESM’13, and MIM’13, Chairman of Organizing Committee of the International Conference MOSIM’01 and ROADEF’2011; in the last 10 years, he was Member of Program Committees of over 150 International Conferences, etc. He has been responsible for the French national CNRS working group on Design of Production Systems (with about 336 individual members) and the regional project on Design and Management of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems. For more details see: www.emse.fr/∼dolgui

Nikolai Guschinsky

Nikolai N. Guschinsky received B.S. and M.Sc. degrees in Applied Mathematics from the Byelorussian State University, Minsk, Belarus, and a Ph.D. degree in Mathematical Cybernetics from the Institute of Mathematics of Byelorussian Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus, in 1978, 1984, and 1991, respectively. He served as a Junior Researcher and Researcher of the Mathematical Cybernetics Laboratory and then as a Senior Researcher of Operation Research Laboratory, Minsk, Belarus. Now he is the Head of Operations Research Laboratory at the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. His research interests include graph optimization and computer-aided design of complex engineering systems. He is the author of two books, about 30 journal papers and book chapters, and over 110 papers in conference proceedings and research reports. He is the Byelorussian Operations Research Society Secretary.

Genrikh Levin

Genrikh M. Levin received an M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Byelorussian Polytechnic Institute, Minsk, Belarus, a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Cybernetics from the Institute of Engineering Cybernetics of Byelorussian Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus, and a Doctor of Sciences degree in Computer Science and CAD/CAM from the Institute of Engineering Cybernetics of Byelorussian National Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus, in 1961, 1970, and 1996, respectively. He is a Principal Researcher of the Operations Research Laboratory at the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. His research interests include theory of parametric decomposition, optimization decomposition methods, and discrete optimization. Current applications include CAD/CAM/CAE, transfer lines, multi-position machines, and transmission systems design. He is the author of three books, about 60 journal papers and book chapters, and over 250 papers in conference proceedings and research reports. He is the President of the Byelorussian Operations Research Society.