A MATHEMATICAL OPTIMIZATION APPROACH BASED ON LINEARIZED MIP MODELS FOR SOLVING FACILITY LAYOUT PROBLEMS

One of the strategies used to optimize production processes is define best layout. For this, relative positioning various equipment, areas, or functional activities inside company studied. Proper arrangement facilities will result in shorter process times and higher productivity. In general, objective function facility layout problem (FLP) reduce total material handling cost. Although over six decades have been passed since first work on FLP modeling was published, research many aspects this still an early stage needs be further explored, which motivated study. paper, unequal area rectangular blocks with fixed dimensions input/output points are considered for FLPs. Four new mixed-integer programming (MIP) models based previous formulations developed. Then, a mathematical optimization approach linearization applied. An algorithm that solves linearized MIP model by CPLEX setting time limit solution obtained excellent results different test problems when compared those reported literature.