A simulated annealing algorithm for facility layout problems under variable demand in Cellular Manufacturing Systems

In this paper, we formulate a model to solve the facility layout problem in Cellular Manufacturing Systems (CMS). This model assumes that the demand rate varies over the product life cycle. The objective is to minimize the total material handling cost and solves both inter- and intra-cell facility layout problems simultaneously. Owing to the problem's complexity and intractability, we use the simulated annealing algorithm to solve the presented model. The computational results show that the simulated annealing can obtain satisfactory solutions within reasonable time. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.