Capacity selection by mathematical programming in cellular manufacturing systems

Abstract

Determining the types of machines needed for a production process and choosing the number of each type to meet demand are important manufacturing and production planning decisions with both strategic and tactical implications. Determining the types of machines is essentially a process selection problem. Given that choice, choosing the number of each type of machine is a capacity planning problem. However, it has not so far received sufficient attention in the area of cellular manufacturing systems. By relaxing the requirement that ail operations for any given part be performed in a single cell, one can trade off material handling costs against capital costs to arrive at simultaneous decisions about machine capacity and machine grouping. This paper formulates a quadratic integer programming model of the capacity selection and machine grouping problems.

Notes

RAJA G. KASILINGAM is Assistant Professor of Industrial Systems Engineering at the University of Regina, Canada. He received his Ph.D in Industrial Engineering from the University of Windsor, Canada in 1989. His research interests include mathematical modelling of manufacturing systems, facilities location and material handling. He has published and presented research papers in the areas of production planning, cell formation and machine and tool requirements planning in international journals and conferences.

SWAMINATHAN SANKARAN is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Administration, University of Regina. He holds a BSc in Statistics from Loyola College, University of Madras, India, an AICWA diploma from the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, and MBA and DBA degrees from Indiana University, USA. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, finance and management science. His published articles have appeared in national and international journals and conference proceedings.