Strategy to Reduce Floor Area and Flow Distance of Products in Multi-Row Parallel Machine Layout Design Using Cuckoo Search Algorithm

Abstract

A multi-row parallel machine layout (MRPML) design is the best alternative solution to overcome the downside associated with a single-row machine layout design. Especially, the reduction in the investment cost on machines by eliminating its duplicates is the greatest advantage of a MRPML over the single-row machine layout. This paper addresses the MRPML design strategy to reduce the floor area of the layout along with a reduction in demand-based flow distance of products. The cuckoo search algorithm is used for this purpose. The efficacy of the proposed method is assessed and proved by comparing the solutions to the problems associated with single-row layout design dealt by [Lenin et al. Eur. J. Ind. Eng.12(2) (2018) 252–275] and multi-row layout design dealt by [Vitayasak and Pongcharoen Exp. Syst. Appl.98 (2018) 129–152] along with few randomly generated problems. This work provides a better tool to identify the optimal MRPML design to satisfy the objectives of mass production industries.