A unique discrete formulation for unequal area dynamic facility layout problem

Abstract

The term “Unequal-areas Dynamic Facility Layout Problem” relates to the problem of arranging departments with different areas so that they do not overlap while minimizing the overall cost of material handling and rearrangement. The material flow between departments differs over the planning horizon in the Dynamic Facility Layout Problem (DFLP). When the flow varies over time, the facility layout needs to be changed since alterations to the material flow from the existing architecture might result in higher material handling costs. DFLP's objective is to minimize the total material handling and rearrangement costs. The work in this paper gives a unique discrete formulation for the Unequal Area Dynamic Facility Layout Problem (UA-DFLP) for departments with different sizes. Currently, there are only continuous versions of UA-DFLP in the literature. In the past, no expert has tried to develop a discrete formulation for UA-DFLP. The current novel formulation for UA-DFLP includes weighted fitness cost in the objective function and the usual material handling and rearrangement costs, making it a multi-objective formulation. The main advantage of the proposed discrete formulation is that department dimension measurement is not required, saving the decision-makers time and effort.