Column Generation Approach for Planning the Operation of Reconfigurable Production Line Segments with Bi-Directional Conveyance System

Abstract : The advent of reconfigurable assembly lines brought about increased manufacturing flexibility that enables an extremely efficient production. The machines in reconfigurable systems are characterized by ultra-fast orientation changes as well as fast tool changes. The lines often enable non sequential flow and large degree of automation (including routing). In this paper we suggest a simple column generation technique to efficiently utilize the various machines. We discuss the suitability of the suggested method to various reconfigurable systems. We also discuss other possible formulations that may be pursued in the future.