A facility layout method for flexible manufacturing systems∗

This facility layout of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) involves the positioning of cells within given boundaries, so as to minimize the total projected travel time between cells. Defining the layout includes specifying the spatial coordinates of each cell, its orientation in either a horizontal or vertical position, and the location of its load/unload point. We refer to this problem as the FMS facility layout problem (FLP). In this paper we present a four-step heuristic methodology for solving the FLP. This heuristic combines variable partitioning and integer programming methods to generate an open field type of layout.