Construction and comparison of multi-model and mixed-model assembly lines balancing problems with bi-objective

Mass customization makes more important for assembly line balancing problems. In a large number of real-world problems, production managers face multiple, often conflicting, decision criteria. Accordingly, mixed-model and multi-model of assembly lines balancing problems (MiALBP and MuALBP) with bi-objective are considered in this paper. Firstly, two efficient mathematical programming models, MiALBP and MuALBP with bi-objective, are constructed. The first priority objective is to minimize total cycle time under a given number of workstations, and the second priority objective is related to horizontal balancing. Three kinds of objective functions are used to represent the degree of horizontal balancing. Two examples are chosen as the basis for the comparisons of these two models. The computational results of total cycle time minimization indicate that MiALBP model is superior to MuALBP one. However, MuALBP is better than MiALBP in horizontal balancing under given total cycle time.