EURO 2024 Copenhagen
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2039. Mixed-model assembly sequencing and operator assignment

Invited abstract in session WC-49: Machine scheduling problems, stream Lot Sizing, Lot Scheduling and Production Planning.

Wednesday, 12:30-14:00
Room: M1 (building: 101)

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Carlos Miguel
Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, Ghent University

Abstract

Mixed-model assembly lines (MMALs) manufacture several variants of the same product base to meet the varied model-based customer demands. However, this model diversity usually causes fluctuations in the total processing time at some workstations. When these fluctuations exceed the cycle time, work overload is generated. This occurs, for example, when several high processing time models are processed consecutively. Therefore, a careful sequencing of these models is essential to reduce overload. The main objective of the Mixed-Model Sequencing Problem (MMSP-W) is to establish a sequence of the models to be manufactured so that the total overload is minimized.

Manual labor is common in MMALs, where their competence levels determine operator performance. Thus, competence deficiencies may lead to higher processing times and increased work overload. Therefore, competence-driven operator assignment should be considered alongside model sequencing. We achieved this by extending MMSP-W to include operator assignment in its formulation, and performing the assignments to minimize the gap between task competence requirements and the competence levels of operators. Initial findings show that this extension enables appreciation of the influence of operator competency in the overloads generated in a sequence. Furthermore, the extension results in a problem with additional complexity and incremental solving times, which we address by proposing a Benders composition-like heuristic.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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