Abstract

Samia BENHALLA, Ali GHARBI and Claude OLIVIER

Abstract : In this paper, we consider the problem of integrating a multi-plant cellular manufacturing design simultaneously with a supply chain design. The supply chain consists of a number of plant facilities for manufacturing a variety of parts with deterministic demands. Raw materials can be procured from alternative suppliers. Traditionally, cellular manufacturing systems have been designed at a single manufacturing facility. Also, the design of supply chains is analysed without considering the manufacturing plant design. A one-period nonlinear model is proposed to design a supply chain in which the multi-plant manufacturing system is configured as a cellular manufacturing system subject to supply process selection. Aimed to demonstrate the potential benefits of such a design, illustrative examples are shown using a proposed linearized form of the problem. Cplex branch and bound integer solver is used to solve two sets of small-sized problems demonstrating the potential benefits gained through increasing routing flexibility over plants on investment costs and the effect of integrating the supply process in a multi-plant cellular manufacturing configuration.

Keywords : Multi-plant Cellular manufacturing; Supply chain management; flexibility; mathematical modeling

Year : 2011
Issue : 1
Volume : 4