This study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by addressing a real-world assembly line balancing problem (ALBP) where task times are stochastic and there are zoning constraints in addition to the commonly known ALBP constraints. A mixed integer programming (MIP) model is proposed for each of the straight and U-shaped assembly line configurations. The primary objective in both cases is to minimize the number of stations; minimizing the maximum of stations’ mean time and the stations’ time variance are considered secondary objectives. Four different scenarios are discussed for each model, with differences in the objective function. The models are validated by solving a real case taken from an automobile manufacturing company and some standard test problems available in the literature. The results indicate that both models are able to provide optimum solutions for problems of different sizes. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is used to create reliable comparisons of the different scenarios and valid analysis of the results. Finally, some insights regarding the selection of straight and U-shaped layouts are provided.

The highly competitive automobile market requires automotive companies to become efficient by continuously improving their production systems. This paper presents a case study where simulationbased optimization (SBO) was employed as a step within a Value Stream Mapping event. The aim of the study was to promote the use of SBO to strengthen the continuous improvement work of the company. The paper presents all the key steps performed in the study, including the challenges faced and a reflection on how to introduce SBO as a powerful tool within the lean continuous improvement standards.

Practical multi-objective optimization problems often involve several decision variables that influence the objective space in different ways. All variables may not be equally important in determining the trade-offs of the problem. Decision makers, who are usually only concerned with the objective space, have a hard time identifying such important variables and understanding how the variables impact their decisions and vice versa. Several graphical methods exist in the MCDM literature that can aid decision makers in visualizing and navigating high-dimensional objective spaces. However, visualization methods that can specifically reveal the relationship between decision and objective space have not been developed so far. We address this issue through a novel visualization technique called trend mining that enables a decision maker to quickly comprehend the effect of variables on the structure of the objective space and easily discover interesting variable trends. The method uses moving averages with different windows to calculate an interestingness score for each variable along predefined reference directions. These scores are presented to the user in the form of an interactive heatmap. We demonstrate the working of the method and its usefulness through a benchmark and two engineering problems.

This paper discusses the expected benefits of using linked data for the tasks of gathering, managing and understanding the data of smart factories. It has the further specific focus of using this data to maintaining a Digital Twin for the purposes of analysis and optimisation of such factories. The proposals are motivated by the use of an industrial example looking at the types of information required, the variation in data which is available and the requirements of an analysis platform to provide parameters for seamless, automated simulation and optimisation. 

Metamodeling plays an important role in simulation-based optimization by providing computationally inexpensive approximations for the objective and constraint functions. Additionally metamodeling can also serve to filter noise, which is inherent in many simulation problems causing optimization algorithms to be mislead. In this paper, we conduct a thorough statistical comparison of four popular metamodeling methods with respect to their approximation accuracy at various levels of noise. We use six scalable benchmark problems from the optimization literature as our test suite. The problems have been chosen to represent different types of fitness landscapes, namely, bowl-shaped, valley-shaped, steep ridges and multi-modal, all of which can significantly influence the impact of noise. Each metamodeling technique is used in combination with four different noise handling techniques that are commonly employed by practitioners in the field of simulation-based optimization. The goal is to identify the metamodeling strategy, i.e. a combination of metamodeling and noise handling, that performs significantly better than others on the fitness landscapes under consideration. We also demonstrate how these results carry over to a simulation-based optimization problem concerning a scalable discrete event model of a simple but realistic production line.

This study is motivated by a real-world assembly line in an automotive manufacturing company and it addresses the simple assembly line balancing problem type-E (SALBPE). The SALBPE aims to maximize the balance efficiency (BE) through determining the best combinations of cycle time and station number. To cope with the problem, a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model is proposed. The MINLP model differs from the existing ALBPE models as it includes the technological requirements of assembly tasks and optimizes the variation of workload beside the BE. The validity of the proposed model is tested by solving the real-world case study and a set of benchmark problems.

Old machine reconditioning projects extend the life length of machines with reduced investments, however they frequently involve complex challenges. Due to the lack of technical documentation and the fact that the machines are running in production, they can require a reverse engineering phase and extremely short commissioning times. Recently, emulation software has become a key tool to create Digital Twins and carry out virtual commissioning of new manufacturing systems, reducing the commissioning time and increasing its final quality. This paper presents an industrial application study in which an emulation model is used to support a reconditioning project and where the benefits gained in the working process are highlighted.

Analyzing networks of supply-chains, where each chain is comprised of several actors with different purposes and performance measures, is a difficult task. There exists a large potential in optimizing supply-chains for many companies and therefore the supply-chain optimization problem is of great interest to study. To be able to optimize the supply-chain on a global scale, fast models are needed to reduce computational time. Previous research has been made into the aggregation of factories, but the technique has not been tested against supply-chain problems. When evaluating the configuration of factories and their inter-transportation on a global scale, new insights can be gained about which parameters are important and how the aggregation fits to a supply-chain problem. The paper presents an interactive proof-of-concept model enabling testing of supply chain concepts by users and decision makers.