Citation

Nordin, Nurul Nadia (2023) Optimisation of unequal area facility layout problem by hybrid heuristics and meta-heuristics methods. PhD thesis, Multimedia University.

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Abstract

The Facility Layout Problem (FLP) is a combinatorial optimisation problem that is widely studied in operations research, operations management, and industrial engineering. The goal of an FLP is to optimise the arrangement of facilities within a plant while satisfying certain requirements. Nonetheless, effective techniques and algorithms to minimise the sum of the Material Handling Costs (MHCs) are still lacking. As the FLP becomes increasingly complicated and challenging to solve, there is a need for a streamlined approach to optimise the FLP in order to create a layout that meets industrial requirements effectively. Most FLP modelling methodologies necessitate a high level of understanding of their formulation and solution, which can be accomplished through exact, heuristic, stochastic, metaheuristic, intelligent, or hybrid approaches. However, such technologies are rarely used by operations managers, particularly in business background. This study aims to address this issue by providing a simple but robust method for solving unequal area FLP using heuristic and hybrid approaches. This study begins with the formulation of the FLP, which includes industrial constraints based on the literature as well as newly added constraints. Five new constraints are introduced to fill in the gaps in the existing literature and to ensure that the plant layout is adaptable for future plant expansion. After the development of the FLP, a novel heuristic algorithm known as The Origin (TO), and a hybrid heuristic algorithm based on population-based metaheuristic algorithms on genetic algorithms (GA) called ToGA were improved and used to solve the problem of unequal area facility layout with the goal of minimising the sum of MHCs while adhering to a set of constraints. Four types of GA multiple points crossovers have been applied during the development of ToGA algorithm. The proposed algorithms with the Graphical User Interface were developed using Java programming language. To assess the performance of the newly developed algorithms, computational tests is conducted on 31 instances inclusive of simulated and secondary instances, with sizes ranging from 4 facilities to 125 facilities. Compared to existing methods, the proposed algorithms revealed significant outcomes in terms of its simplicity, robust and optimising MHC. This study also undertook qualitative research to acquire deeper understanding of how the formulated and improved FLP can benefit the operations managers, decision makers, or industrial practitioners in the manufacturing industry. Overall, the qualitative findings supported the conclusions drawn from the quantitative analysis. Additionally, the outcomes of this study will enable operations managers and decision makers optimise the facility layout in an innovative and interactive way. Furthermore, with the designed user-friendly programme, access to optimise facility layout would be limitless. The approaches employed herein not only introduce a fresh paradigm for scholarly investigation but also constitute a significant advancement in solution techniques for addressing unequal area FLPs. The research contributes to the academic literature by providing a comprehensive overview of the TO and ToGA algorithms and their applications to the FLP.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	Call No.: QA76.9.A43 N87 2023
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Heuristic algorithms
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA71-90 Instruments and machines
Divisions:	Faculty of Management (FOM)
Depositing User:	Ms Nurul Iqtiani Ahmad
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2025 07:47
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2025 07:47
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/14650

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