Machine-part group formation problem with the number of cells and cell size

When group technology is designed, planned, and scheduled for, the limitation on the machine cells and cell size may occur. The purpose of this study is to find machine cells and part families to minimize the exceptional elements, constraining both the number of machine cells and the cell size. To solve this problem, the algorithm extending Kusiak’s p-median method is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, the method finding initial solution and reducing the number of constraints is presented for computational efficiency. The proposed algorithm is evaluated and compared with well-known algorithms for machine-part group formation in terms of the exceptional elements. An example is shown to illustrate the proposed algorithm. [In Korean.]