A heuristic algorithm for identifying machine cells

This paper analyzes the machine grouping problem. The literature on techniques for solving group technology (GT) and machine grouping problems is briefly reviewed. Some facility desion considerations that need to be addressed while solving the machine grouping problem are also discussed. A heuristic algorithm for solving the machine grouping problem that incorporates the facility design constraints addressed in this paper is presented. The heuristic algorithm is illustrated with a numerical example. On the basis of the computational results, it appears that the technique is capable of solving large-scale problems without requiring much computational effort.