A clustering algorithm for machine cell formation in group technology using minimum spanning trees

The paper addresses the machine cell part family formation problem in group technology. The minimum spanning tree (MST) for machines is constructed from which seeds to cluster components are generated. Seeds to cluster machines are obtained from component clusters. The process of alternate seed generation and clustering is continued until feasible solutions are obtained. Edges are removed from the MST to identify alternate starting seeds for clustering. The algorithm is tested with matrices available in the literature. The results compare favourably with existing methods.