Skip to main content

Group Technology: Hybrid Genetic Algorithm with Greedy Formation and a Local Search Cluster Technique in the Solution of Manufacturing Cell Formation Problems

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Proceedings on 25th International Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management – IJCIEOM (IJCIEOM 2019)

Abstract

Group Technology (GT) is a manufacturing philosophy that explores similarities in product and process design. Starting from a binary machine-part matrix, the objective is to form clusters, made up of families of parts and machine cells aiming to minimize the number of voids and exceptional elements in the cells. Since this is a combinatorial problem, the proposed hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) finds good solutions with a partial greedy population that uses similarities with machines and with parts. A local search k-means based method can recreate cells with small movements among machine assignments. The proposed framework performance presents good results, most of them overcoming literature classic problems solutions, when considering the group effectiveness indicator. The results are presented and discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Carrie, A.S.: Numerical taxonomy applied to group technology and plant layout. Int. J. Prod. Res. 11(4), 399–416 (1973)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. King, J.R.: Machine-component grouping in production flow analysis: an approach using a rank order clustering algorithm. Int. J. Prod. Res. 18(2), 213–232 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chandrasekharan, M.P., Rajagopalan, R.: MODROC: an extension of rank order clustering for group technology. Int. J. Prod. Res. 24(5), 1221–1233 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Onwubolu, G.C., Mutingi, M.: A genetic algorithm approach to cellular manufacturing systems. Comput. Ind. Eng. 39(1–2), 125–144 (2001)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Rao, P.K.: A multi stage heuristic for manufacturing cell formation. Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol. 1163(45), 2308–2321 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Goldbarg, M.C., Luna, H.P.L.: Otimização Combinatória e Programação Linear: Modelos e Algoritmos. Elsevier, Rio de Janeiro (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. King, J.R., Nakornchai, V.: Machine-component group formation in group technology: review and extension. Int. J. Prod. Res. 20(2), 117–133 (1982)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Waghodekar, P.H., Sahu, S.: Machine-component cell formation in group technology: MACE. Int. J. Prod. Res. 22(6), 937–948 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Seifoddini, H.: Single linkage versus average linkage clustering in machine cells formation applications. Comput. Ind. Eng. 16(3), 419–426 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kusiak, A., Cho, M.: Similarity coefficient algorithms for solving the group technology problem. Int. J. Prod. Res. 30(11), 2633–2646 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kusiak, A., Chow, W.S.: Efficient solving of the group technology problem. J. Manuf. Syst. 6(2), 117–124 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Chandrasekharan, M.P., Rajagopalan, R.: GROUPABILITY: an analysis of the properties of binary data matrices for group technology. Int. J. Prod. Res. 27(6), 1035–1052 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Mccormick, W.T., Schweitzer, P.J., White, T.W.: Problem decomposition and data reorganization by a clustering technique. Oper. Res. 20(5), 993–1009 (1972)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Srinlvasan, G., Narendran, T.T., Mahadevan, B.: An assignment model for the part-families problem in group technology. Int. J. Prod. Res. 281(1), 145–152 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Mosier, C., Taube, L.: Weighted similarity measure heuristics for the group technology machine clustering problem. Omega 13(6), 577–579 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ravi Kumar, K., Kusiak, A., Vannelli, A.: Grouping of parts and components in flexible manufacturing systems. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 24(3), 387–397 (1986)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Paydar, M.M., Saidi-Mehrabad, M.: A hybrid genetic-variable neighborhood search algorithm for the cell formation problem based on grouping efficacy. Comput. Oper. Res. 40(4), 980–990 (2013)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Kumar, K.R., Vannelli, A.: Strategic subcontracting for efficient disaggregated manufacturing. Int. J. Prod. Res. 25(12), 1715–1728 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Chandrasekharan, M.P., Rajagopalan, R.: Zodiac – an algorithm for concurrent formation of part-families and machine-cells. Int. J. Prod. Res. 25(6), 835–850 (1987)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Srinivasan, G., Narendran, T.T.: GRAFICS – a nonhierarchical clustering algorithm for group technology. Int. J. Prod. Res. 29(3), 463–478 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Srinivasan, G.: A clustering algorithm for machine cell formation in group technology using minimum spanning trees. Int. J. Prod. Res. 32(9), 2149–2158 (1994)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Cheng, C.H., Gupta, Y.P., Lee, W.H., Wong, K.F.: A TSP-based heuristic for forming machine groups and part families. Int. J. Prod. Res. 36(5), 1325–1337 (1991)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Laha, D., Hazarika, M.: A heuristic approach based on Euclidean distance matrix for the machine-part cell formation problem. Mater. Today. Proc. 4(2), 1442–1451 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rogério Malta Branco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Branco, R.M., Rocha, C.R. (2020). Group Technology: Hybrid Genetic Algorithm with Greedy Formation and a Local Search Cluster Technique in the Solution of Manufacturing Cell Formation Problems. In: Anisic, Z., Lalic, B., Gracanin, D. (eds) Proceedings on 25th International Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management – IJCIEOM. IJCIEOM 2019. Lecture Notes on Multidisciplinary Industrial Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43616-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43616-2_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43615-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43616-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics