Multi-Period Virtual Cell Formation: A New Methodology Based on Non-Linear Mixed-Integer Programming Model
This paper researched on multi-period dynamic virtual cell formation problem, and filled the gap on objectives of previous literatures. A developed 0-1 non-linear mixed-integer mathematical model was proposed, it incorporates real-life parameters like alternative routings, operation sequence, duplicate machine, processing time and machine capacity. The advantage of the model is to embed the function relationship between cell size and internal production cost in the model, thus the effects of set-up cost, work-in-process inventory cost, coordination cost and inventory handling cost on VCMS are acted on the model. Finally a numerical example solved by Lingo11.0 software package was presented to verify the model and related discussion was made. The results show that the cell size changes as time in dynamic condition and different scenarios of internal production cost can obtain different cell configurations.