EURO 2025 Leeds
Abstract Submission

1954. Optimizing Reconfigurations in Matrix Assembly Systems Under Demand Uncertainty

Invited abstract in session MC-12: Advanced analytics in manufacturing, stream Scheduling and Project Management.

Monday, 12:30-14:00
Room: Clarendon SR 1.02

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Baturhan Bayraktar
AVIATAR, Lufthansa Technik AG
2. Merve Bodur
The University of Edinburgh
3. Martin Grunow
TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich
4. Rainer Kolisch
TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich

Abstract

The automotive industry is undergoing a major changeover driven by technological progress, government regulations, and economic instability. This transition results in shifting and uncertain demand patterns, necessitating flexible assembly layouts for original equipment manufacturers. Matrix assembly layouts—where workstations are arranged on a grid—are gaining popularity due to their reconfigurability while maintaining mass production efficiency. In this study, we address the design of reconfigurable matrix assembly layouts under demand uncertainty. Our key decisions include station activation, task-to-station assignment, reconfiguration timing, and product flow allocation. We employ sample average approximation and multi-stage stochastic optimization to solve this problem. Our objectives are to minimize the number of active stations and the expected number of reconfigurations. We compare matrix assembly layouts against traditional assembly lines with reconfigurations. Finally, we provide our managerial insights by assessing the value of the stochastic solution, the benefits of a multi-period approach, and the stability of the solutions.

Keywords

Status: accepted


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