The development of a mathematical model of the operations of a national glass manufacturer

In this paper, a mathematical model of the entire operations of a national glass manufacturer is developed. This includes the float glass manufacture, distribution, storage operations and the technical considerations dictated by the plant as well as the operating procedures. The model is initially for a planning year, and is generated from a ‘monthly model’. This monthly model interconnects with other monthly models primarily via stock flows. The mathematical model is formulated in a unique way that allows certain production aspects to be modelled using a ‘pseudo-continuous’ time frame, rather than a discrete one. The generation of the overall model (as a mixed integer linear programming problem) and its solution is also discussed.