Article: An optimisation approach for multi-floor facility layout design using flexible bays Journal: International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IJISE) 2023 Vol.45 No.2 pp.244 - 270 Abstract: We present the problem of optimising a multi-floor facility layout using the flexible bay structure that assigns block-shaped departments in parallel bays. A mixed-integer linear programming formulation is proposed to solve this problem. The decisions are determining: 1) rectangular land dimensions; 2) the number of floors; 3) each floor's layout with the bay structure. The proposed formulation minimises the total cost associated with the layout that includes land cost, floor construction cost, elevator installation cost, and material handling cost within and among floors. To address the challenge inherited from the problem's combinatorial dynamics, we develop a genetic algorithm utilising novel crossovers and mutations. The model and the solution approach are tested on a suite of problems from the literature. Our computational results verify the model and demonstrate that the solution approach is able to find high-quality solutions for large-scale problems in less computational time compared to the standard software. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: An optimisation approach for multi-floor facility layout design using flexible bays

Authors: Forough Enayaty-Ahangar; Behrooz Karimi; Negin Enayaty Ahangar; Alireza Sheikh Zadeh

Addresses: Department of Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran 15916-34311, Iran ' Department of Operations Management, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA ' Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA

Abstract: We present the problem of optimising a multi-floor facility layout using the flexible bay structure that assigns block-shaped departments in parallel bays. A mixed-integer linear programming formulation is proposed to solve this problem. The decisions are determining: 1) rectangular land dimensions; 2) the number of floors; 3) each floor's layout with the bay structure. The proposed formulation minimises the total cost associated with the layout that includes land cost, floor construction cost, elevator installation cost, and material handling cost within and among floors. To address the challenge inherited from the problem's combinatorial dynamics, we develop a genetic algorithm utilising novel crossovers and mutations. The model and the solution approach are tested on a suite of problems from the literature. Our computational results verify the model and demonstrate that the solution approach is able to find high-quality solutions for large-scale problems in less computational time compared to the standard software.

Keywords: facility layout; optimisation; mixed-integer linear programming; metaheuristics; genetic algorithm.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2023.134356

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2023 Vol.45 No.2, pp.244 - 270

Received: 05 Aug 2021
Accepted: 24 Dec 2021
Published online: 19 Oct 2023 *

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Title: An optimisation approach for multi-floor facility layout design using flexible bays

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