A hybrid heuristic for the facilities layout problem

doi:10.1016/0305-0548(91)90026-N

Computers & Operations Research

Volume 18, Issue 3, 1991, Pages 241-253

https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-0548(91)90026-N Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper presents a heuristic procedure for solving the facilities layout problem. The basic approach is the combination of a constructive method with exchange procedures, used repetitively. The constructive heuristic uses information obtained in the process of computing the Gilmore-Lawler bounds as the criterion for choosing the next assignment. Different partial solutions, to be used as starting points for multiple application of the constructive procedure, are obtained by development of a limited breadth-first search tree. The nodes of this tree are evaluated for selection by the Graves-Whinston expected value method. Computational results show that the method compares favorably with two competing procedures from the literature in finding solutions within 0.39% of the best-known solutions for well-known problems. Computing times are reasonable for problems with as many as 36 facilities. We also present a new best-known solution for one version of the Steinberg problem, found in the process of experimentation.

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^∗: Bharat K. Kaku is an Assistant Professor at the College of Business and Management, University of Maryland, College Park. He holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Bhopal University, an M.B.A. from the University of Delhi and a Ph.D. in Production/Operations Management from Carnegie Mellon University. His reearch interests are in the areas of facilities layout and cellular manufacturing.

^†: Gerald L. Thompson is the IBM Professor of Systems and Operations Research at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University, where he has been on the faculty since 1959. He is also the E. D. Walker Centennial Fellow at the IC² Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. He received a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University, an S.M, in Mathematics from MIT and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan. His research is in large-scale linear and quadratic programming, combinatorial optimization using parallel computers, optimal control theory with management science applications and constructive economics, which is economic modelling and planning by mathematical programming.

^§: Thomas E. Morton is Professor of Industrial Administration at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University. He holds a Ph.D. in Business (Operations Research) from the University of Chicago. He has published extensively on the topics of optimality of myopic/near-myopic policies in inventory systems, existence and computation of planning horizons, high-quality heuristic inventory systems, existence and computation of planning horizons, high-quality heuristic inventory systems and heuristic pricing approaches for designing scheduling systems. He is currently part of a team involved in the design and implementation of MULTEX, a mixed AI/OR scheduling system for the Westinghouse nuclear fuel tube plant.

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A hybrid heuristic for the facilities layout problem

Abstract

Eur. J. Ops Res.

Eur. J. Ops Res.

Eur. J. Ops Res.

Eur. J. Ops Res.

Eur. J. Ops Res.

Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness

Optimal and suboptimal algorithms for the quadratic assignment problem

Jl SIAM

The quadratic assignment problem

Mgmt Sci.

A problem of assignment with inter-related costs

Opl Res. Q.

The optimal assignment of facilities to locations by branch and bound

Ops Res.

Benders' partitioning scheme applied to a new formulation of the quadratic assignment problem

Nav. Res. Logist. Q.

Quadratic 0–1 programming by a new linearization