A procedure for the facility layout problem with fixed geometry resources

This paper presents an approach to the facility layout problem (FLP) in which each resource (a machine or a manufacturing cell) has a preset shape and materials pick-up and drop-off points. The resources are placed within an unconstrained floor space and the position and orientation of each resource are to be determined. A known analytical technique for the FLP, based on the univariate search method with controlled convergence, is extended to account for this type of FLP. A novel material handling cost function is introduced, which incorporates more realistic assumption than the ones previously found in the literature. Finally, an example to illustrate the heuristic procedure is presented, as well as computational results. Significance: Facility layout design is a strategic decision-making process, due to its long-term impact on the costs and operational efficiency of the associated production system. The FLP model proposed in this paper extends previous works by taking into account more realistic assumptions regarding the resources in the layout.