info:eu-repo/semantics/article
A Genetic Algorithm for Reassigning Work on the Assembly Line: A Real Scenario
Autor
Pedro Pérez Villanueva
Resumen
The problem at hand corresponds to a real situation with characteristics that make it a flow shop NP-hard type of combinatorial optimization problem. This is a unidirectional line flow with serial workstations in a sequential order for all products. Additionally, restrictions of precedence, different workstations, number of operators and jobs greater than one per workstation, and zoning restrictions for certain equipment are considered. This scenario makes it highly complex, under an increasing number of work elements, to reassign within the workstations. A simple genetic algorithm to readjust the assembly line subject to perturbations that force the reduction of cycle time was designed. To meet this demand, work elements are reassigned in order to find the minimum number of workstations without exceeding cycle time. Finally, experimental results in a real-life automobile assembly plant indicate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach in practice.