Computerized Layout Procedures

This chapter focuses on a special class of computerized layout procedures. This topic is covered at a level that serves to complement the students’ knowledge on the fundamental principles and procedures for an effective layout design. This chapter demonstrates both optimal and heuristic solution procedures. Several traditional layout procedures are described emphasizing input requirements, procedural steps, output results, and pros and cons for each algorithm. The topic of software integration is illustrated to support its use in the development of factory layouts using programs FLAP, GMAFLAD, and CRAFT. A non-traditional heuristic procedure called STEP is also formulated to achieve a suboptimal solution, but can solve larger problems. All these computerized procedures are available at the website of the textbook.