Title: A multicriteria clustering approach to facility layout generation

Authors: Vikas Kapoor; Shyam Singh Tak

Addresses: Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342011, India ' Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Engineering, Near Banwarla Phanta, Jodhpur-Jaipur Highway, Dangiawaas, Jodhpur, India; Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342011, India

Abstract: This paper proposes a facility layout generation model based on hierarchical clustering for problems with multiple objectives. Deploying the proximity score, the proposed model addresses all three stages of a typical block layout generation procedure viz., selection of departments to be placed; 'construction' or placement of each department and evaluation of the alternatives generated. The model is explained using a numerical example each for single and multiple objective type layout problems. Finally, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the heuristic, a set of problems solved by various researchers is put together and solved and the results compared with their best solutions.

Keywords: multicriteria decision making; MCDM; facility layout; layout generation; multicriteria clustering; block layout; layout design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCDM.2015.067945

International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making, 2015 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.59 - 86

Received: 01 Feb 2013
Accepted: 18 Mar 2014
Published online: 10 Mar 2015 *

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