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A two-phase variable neighbourhood search algorithm for assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem type-II: an industrial case study

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  • Olcay Polat
  • Can B. Kalayci
  • Özcan Mutlu
  • Surendra M. Gupta

Abstract

The assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem type-II (ALWABP-2) occurs when workers and tasks (where task times depend on workers’ skills) are to be simultaneously assigned to a fixed number of workstations with the goal of minimising the cycle time. In this study, a two-phase variable neighbourhood search (VNS) algorithm is proposed to solve the ALWABP-2 due to the NP-hard nature of this problem. In the first phase of the algorithm, a VNS approach is applied to assign tasks to workstations with the aim of minimising the cycle time while in the second phase, a variable neighbourhood descent method is applied to assign workers to workstations. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on well-known benchmark instances. In addition, the proposed algorithm has been used to solve a real case study from a consumer electronics company that manufactures LCD TVs. The results show that the algorithm is superior to the methods reported in the literature in terms of its higher efficiency and robustness. Furthermore, the algorithm is easy to implement and significantly improves the performance of the final assembly line for the investigated LCD TV real case study.

Suggested Citation

  • Olcay Polat & Can B. Kalayci & Özcan Mutlu & Surendra M. Gupta, 2016. "A two-phase variable neighbourhood search algorithm for assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem type-II: an industrial case study," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 722-741, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tprsxx:v:54:y:2016:i:3:p:722-741
    DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2015.1055344
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kalayci, Can B. & Kulak, Osman & Günther, Hans-Otto, 2015. "A perturbation based variable neighborhood search heuristic for solving the Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery with Time LimitAuthor-Name: Polat, Olcay," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(2), pages 369-382.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Oesterle & Lionel Amodeo & Farouk Yalaoui, 2019. "A comparative study of Multi-Objective Algorithms for the Assembly Line Balancing and Equipment Selection Problem under consideration of Product Design Alternatives," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 1021-1046, March.
    2. Delorme, Xavier & Dolgui, Alexandre & Kovalev, Sergey & Kovalyov, Mikhail Y., 2019. "Minimizing the number of workers in a paced mixed-model assembly line," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(1), pages 188-194.
    3. Borba, Leonardo & Ritt, Marcus & Miralles, Cristóbal, 2018. "Exact and heuristic methods for solving the Robotic Assembly Line Balancing Problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 270(1), pages 146-156.
    4. Battaïa, Olga & Dolgui, Alexandre, 2022. "Hybridizations in line balancing problems: A comprehensive review on new trends and formulations," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    5. Alexander Biele & Lars Mönch, 2018. "Hybrid approaches to optimize mixed-model assembly lines in low-volume manufacturing," Journal of Heuristics, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 49-81, February.

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