Balancing Machining Lines: a Two-phase Heuristic

Mohamed ESSAFI
Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Centre for Industrial Engineering and Computer Science
158 Cours Fauriel, 42023, Saint-Etienne, France
Xavier DELORME
Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Centre for Industrial Engineering and Computer Science
158 Cours Fauriel, 42023, Saint-Etienne, France
Alexandre DOLGUI
Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Centre for Industrial Engineering and Computer Science
158 Cours Fauriel, 42023, Saint-Etienne, France

Abstract: This paper considers balancing machining lines with parallel machines and sequence-dependent setup times. The goal is to minimize the number of machines for a given cycle time. Such lines are paced, i.e. parts are moved from one station to the next with a given cadence (defined by the line cycle time). At least one machine is installed at each station. Parallel machines are to be used when the corresponding station is overloaded, i.e. the total time of all operations assigned to the station exceeds the line cycle time. Moreover, station workload depends on the sequence in which the operations are executed because the setup times related to the changes and displacements of tools, rotations of the part, etc. In this paper, a heuristic method is proposed for the resolution of this problem. An industrial example is presented and numerical results are reported.

Keywords: Machining lines, parallel machines, sequence-dependent setup times, heuristic method, optimization.

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CITE THIS PAPER AS:
Mohamed ESSAFI, Xavier DELORME, Alexandre DOLGUI, Balancing Machining Lines: a Two-phase Heuristic, Studies in Informatics and Control, ISSN 1220-1766, vol. 19 (3), pp. 243-252, 2010.