Multiobjective facility layout using simulated annealing

This paper addresses the problem of multiobjective layout planning. The simulated annealing algorithm which has now become a very useful tool in solving a variety of combinatorial optimization problems is made use of here. The advantage of using this approach lies in the fact that the algorithm tries to prevent the solution from getting trapped in a local minimum by accepting uphill moves with a limited probability. Another very important feature of simulated annealing is the nondependence of the final solution on the initial solution. Solutions obtained using the proposed algorithm compare favourably with the best known results.