• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.174-183
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• 2001

This study proposes an improved genetic algorithm (GA) to derive solutions for facility layout problems having inner walls and passages. The proposed algorithm models the layout of facilities on a flour-segmented chromosome. Improved solutions are produced by employing genetic operations known as selection, crossover, inversion, mutation, and refinement of these genes for successive generations. All relationships between the facilities and passages are represented as an adjacency graph. The shortest path and distance between two facilities are calculated using Dijkstra's algorithm of graph theory. Comparative testing shows that the proposed algorithm performs better than other existing algorithm for the optimal facility layout design. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to ship compartment layout problems with the computational results compared to an actual ship compartment layout.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.82-93
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• 2005

Facility layout problems (FLP) are usually treated as design problems. Lack of systematic and objective tools to compare design alternatives results in decision-making to be dominated by the experiences or preferences of designers or managers. To increase objectivity and effectiveness of decision-making in facility layout selections, a decision support model is necessary. We proposed a decision model, which regards the FLP as a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) problem. We identify sets of attributes crucial to layout selections, quantitative indices for attributes, and methods of ranking alternatives. For a requested facility layout design, many alternatives could be developed. The enormous alternatives, various attributes, and comparison of assigned qualitative values to each attribute, form a complicated decision problem. To treat facility layout selection problems as a MADM problem, we used the linear assignment method to rank before selecting those high ranks as candidates. We modelled the application of the Nemawashi process to simulate the group decision-making procedure and help efficiently achieve agreement. The electronics manufacturing service (EMS) industry has frequent and costly facility layout modifications. Our models are helpful to them. We use an electronics manufacturing service company to illustrate the decision-making process of our models.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.151-162
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• 1991

The purpose of this study is to propose a facility layout design algorithm based on artificial intelligence concept, and then to develop a computer program which is more practical than any other conventional facility layout design systems. The algorithm is composed of five step layout procedures; knowledge and data input, knowledge interpretation, priority determination, inference of layout design, and evaluation, In the step of priority determination, the algorithm is divided into single row and multi row layout problem. In the step of inference of layout design, alternatives are generated by constraints-directed reasoning and depth first search method based on artificial intelligence concept. Alternatives are evaluated by the moving cost and relationship value by interactive man-machine interface in the step of evaluation. As a case study, analytical considerations over conventional programs such as CRAFT and CORELAP was investigated and compared with algorithm propsed in this study. The proposed algorithm in this study will give useful practical tool for layout planner. The computer progran was written in C language for IBM PC-AT.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.131-142
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• 2000

Facility layout is the early stage of system design that requires a mid-term or long-term plan. Since improper facility layout might incur substantial logistics cost including material handling and re-installment costs, due consideration must be given to decisions on facility layout. Facility layout is concerned with low to arrange equipment necessary for production in a given space. Its objective is to minimize the sum of all the products of each equipment's amount of flow multiplied by distance. Facility layout also is related to the issue of NP-complete, i.e., calculated amounts exponentially increase with the increase of the number of equipment. This study discusses Hybrid GA developed, as an algorithm for facility layout, to solve the above-mentioned problems. The algorithm, which is designed to efficiently place equipment, automatically produces a horizontal passageway by the block, if a designer provides the width and length of the space to be handled. In addition, this study demonstrates the validity of the Algorithm by comparing with existing algorithms that have been developed. We present a Hybrid GA approach to the facility layout problem that improves on existing work in terms of solution quality and method. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is able to produce better solution quality and more practical layouts than the ones obtained by applying existing algorithms.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2002.07c
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• pp.1654-1657
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• 2002

This paper presents a system for facility layout problem using an expert system and a genetic algorithm. The practical facility layout design can be effected by characteristics of constructing model, slicing tree model, closeness weight metric and expert system. The genetic algorithm searches the result layout. An experimental system is implemented and produced desired layout.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2009

We consider facility layout problems, where mn facility units are assigned into mn cells. These cells are arranged into a rectangular pattern with m rows and n columns. In order to solve this cell type facility layout problem, many approximation algorithms with improved local search methods were studied because it was quite difficult to find exact optimum of such problem in case of large size problem. In this paper, new algorithms based on Simulated Annealing (SA) method with two neighborhood generation methods are proposed. The new neighborhood generation method adopts the exchanging operation of facility units in accordance with adjacent preference. For evaluating the performance of the neighborhood generation method, three algorithms, previous SA algorithm with random 2-opt neighborhood generation method, the SA-based algorithm with the new neighborhood generation method (SA1) and the SA-based algorithm with probabilistic selection of random 2-opt and the new neighborhood generation method (SA2), are developed and compared by experiment of solving same example problem. In case of numeric examples with problem type 1 (the optimum layout is given), SA1 algorithm could find excellent layout than other algorithms. However, in case of problem type 2 (random-prepared and optimum-unknown problem), SA2 was excellent more than other algorithms.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2010

The semiconductor industry is highly capital and technology intensive. Technology advancement on circuit design and process improvement requires chip makers continuously to invest a new fabrication facility that costs more than 3 billion US dollars. Especially major semiconductor companies recently started to discuss 450mm fabrication substituting existing 300mm fabrication of which facilities were initiated to build in 1998. If the plan is consolidated, the yield of 450mm facility would be more than doubled compared to existing 300mm facility. In steps of this important investment, facility layout has been acknowledged as one of the most important factors to be competitive in the market. This research proposes a new concept of semiconductor facility layout using hexagonal floor plan and its compatible material flow pattern. The main objective of this proposal is to improve the productivity of the unified layout that has been popularly used to build existing facilities. In this research, practical characteristics of the semiconductor fabrication are taken into account to develop a new layout alternative based on the analysis of Chung and Tanchoco (2009). The performance of the proposed layout alternative is analyzed using computer simulation and the results show that the new layout alternative outperforms the existing layout alternative, unified layout. However, a few questions on space efficiency to the new alternative were raised in communication with industry practitioners. These questions are left for a future study.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.22 no.49
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• pp.89-98
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• 1999

The objective of this study is to develop an improved algorithm for layout problems. Computerized facility layout program was also applied to solve the layout problem in locomotive maintenance workshop. The current facility layout is structured in the large space without considerations of many variable factors. For this reason, effectiveness of layout results in loss on effective space utility. This study is to develop an algorithm in the consideration of importance weight and desirable shape of specific department in the computerized layout planning and quantitative relationship rating between each department was used. Standard process duration of locomotive maintenance workshop was used to select the main activities of locomotive maintenance work. This study could generate more efficient facility layout design to reduce the number of movement frequency and travel distance in maintenance workshop.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.93-100
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• 2009

This paper addresses the facility layout problem in multi-bay environments, where the bays are connected at one or both ends by an inter-bay material handling system. In most previous studies, the main concern is to allocate facilities or departments to the bays whose widths are fixed. In this research, we suggest the efficient models that provide the optimal layout solution under flexible bay width environments. We also suggest a mathematical model that provides the optimal solution using two-way facility allocation approach instead of one-way allocation technique. This paper also shows the approach of TABU search to the assignment and layout design of the departments. The results generated from TABU search are compared to the result from the mathematical model. Models are developed using mixed integer programming for various test problems and solved by CPLEX.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.539-550
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• 1998

A computerized layout system based on a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) technique was developed to treat both facility layout and instrument panel layout problems. This layout system attempts to allocate various facilities under multiple layout criteria including qualitative design objectives. Since most of the design objectives can be understood as constraints which the layout solution must satisfy to improve the goodness of the solution, a CSP technique was employed to solve the multi-constraints layout problem. The effectiveness of the system was evaluated by the comparison with the well-known facility layout program, CORELAP. Furthermore, the proposed system can also be applied to the instrument panel layout problem successfully. Several user-centered guidelines were well reflected on the solution obtained. CONSLAY, the prototype layout system being developed in the research, greatly enhanced the interactions with the designer so as to deal with the problem-dependent nature of the layout problem and to properly reflect the domain-specific knowledge of the designer.