A Simulation-Based Optimization Methodology for Facility Layout Design in Manufacturing

Abstract

Optimizing production systems is urgent and indispensable if companies are to cope with global competition and a move from mass production to mass customization. The urgency of this need is more obvious in old production plants with a history of modifications, expansions, and adaptations in their production facilities. It is common to find complex, intricate and inefficient systems of material and product flows as a result of poor production facility layout. Several approaches can be used to support the design of optimal facility layouts. However, there is a lack of a suitable generic methodology for designing such layouts. Additionally, there has been little focus on the data and resources required, or on how simulation and optimization can support the design of optimal facilities. To overcome these deficiencies, this paper studies the integration of simulation and optimization for the design and improvement of facility layouts taking into account production and logistics constraints. The paper includes a generic perspective and a detailed implementation. The proposed methodology is evaluated in two case studies and by drawing on the principles and tools of the functional resonance analysis method. This method analyzes the implementation order and variability of a group of processes that can lead to unwanted outcomes. The results can provide managers and other stakeholders with a methodology that adequately considers production and logistics constraints when seeking an optimized facility layout design.

Digital Twins-Based Production Line Design and Simulation Optimization of Large-Scale Mobile Phone Assembly Workshop

“…The layout design has a significant impact on the performance of the manufacturing system. The methods of facility layout design can be divided into three categories: exact methods, heuristic algorithms and metaheuristic algorithms [6]. Exact methods include mathematical optimization modeling, branch and bound and dynamic programming.…”

Digital twin-driven variant design of a 3C electronic product assembly line

“…Compared with the change effect of product variant design, the change effect of the production line is more diversified, including the change from users and products, the change of production line structure configuration, equipment action, WIP movement, control network, manufacturing execution system. The variant design of production lines is usually studied around a specific topic, such as production line balance [17][18][19] , equipment configuration optimization [20][21][22] , and layout design 23,24 . However, the design of the production line must be characterized, reasoned, and decided through the global design idea 25 .…”

Production Logistics in Industry 3.X: Bibliometric Analysis, Frontier Case Study, and Future Directions

“…In recent years, many scholars conducted research in the direction of production logistics process optimization, production logistics systems, and enabling technology applications. In production logistics process optimization, existing research focused on production logistics process optimization theories (e.g., lean logistics, green logistics), simulation modeling methods (e.g., Petri nets, heuristic algorithms) [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. In terms of production logistics system research, existing studies focused on production equipment layout design, logistics scheduling, and process modeling (e.g., data flow diagram modeling, action diagram modeling) [14,28,29].…”