An Integer Programming Model and Heuristic Algorithm to Minimize Setups in Product Mix

원료의 선택 및 혼합비율의 변경 횟수를 최소화하기 위한 정수계획법 모형 및 근사해 발견 기법(응용 부문)

Minimizing the total number of setup changes of a machine increases the throughput and improves the stability of a production process, and as a result enhances the product quality. In this context, we consider a new product-mix problem that minimizes the total number of setup changes while producing the required quantities of a product over a given planning horizon. For this problem, we develop a mixed integer programming model. Also, we develop an efficient heuristic algorithm to find a feasible solution of good quality within reasonable time bounds. Computational results show that the developed heuristic algorithm finds a feasible solution as good as the optimal solution in most test problems. Also, we developed a web based scheduling and monitoring system for a zinc alloy production process using the developed heuristic algorithm. By using this system, we could find a monthly zinc alloy production schedule that significantly reduces the total number of setup changes.