Article ID: | iaor1997514 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 34 |
Issue: | 9 |
Start Page Number: | 2639 |
End Page Number: | 2655 |
Publication Date: | Sep 1996 |
Journal: | International Journal of Production Research |
Authors: | Egbelu P.J., Seo Y. |
Most shops currently maintain a single process plan for each part type manufactured by the shop even when multiple process plans are feasible to produce the part. The use of a static process plan for a part regardless of the product mix and volume robs the shop of production flexibility and efficiency. In this paper, given that multiple process plans for a part exist, a method to determine the best process plan to implement for a part type in a given production scenario defined by a known product mix and volume is addressed. The method selects a set of process plans to implement based on minimizing total material handling and machining time for the part mix and volume. The problem is modelled mathematically and solved using a heuristic algorithm. Experimental results to describe the performance of the algorithm are presented for different production scenarios, problem sizes, and solution strategies.