A similarity coefficient measure and machine-parts grouping in cellular manufacturing systems

For more than three decades, similarity coefficient measures – one of the important tools for solving group technology problems – have gained the attention of the research community in cellular manufacturing systems. A new similarity coefficient measure that uses a set of important characteristic properties for grouping is developed here for use as an intermediate tool to form cohesive cells. A mathematical model that uses this similarity coefficient for optimally solving the cell-formation problems in cellular manufacturing is developed. A heuristic procedure that improves the optimal methodology in terms of solution capability of the large instances is devised for an efficient solution. Both the optimal methodology and the heuristic are applied to some well-known problems from literature to compare the grouping efficiencies. The similarity coefficient and the solution methodologies developed are able to solve the cell formation problems efficiently.