An evolutionary optimal green layout design for a production facility by simulated annealing algorithm

Facility layout goal includes the physical arrangement about diverse departments, machine cells/stations, machines, tools and equipments. The main objective of the Industry 4.0 is to reduce the cost and time to manufacture the products, so to reduce the product lead time, it became essential to have optimal facility layout. i.e., optimal arrangement of the machines and the work stations reduces the material movements. Thereby the productivity increases. To overcome the challenges, researchers and the industrialists are adopting different methodologies and tools. Even though many heuristic and hybrid methodologies are available, but those methodologies cannot be used universally. So the primary target of this research is to identify the optimal position of the available machines and the work stations in the floor shop by satisfying the constraints using the simulated annealing algorithm. Among the various optimization, simulated annealing having better optimization formulation for the considered facility layout problems in the shop floor. The experimental simulations of the existing or identified layout of the considered industry have been done with the Mat Lab. The obtained simulation results have also been validated and found that the results have the most efficient arrangement of various available machines and work centers within the shop floor. As the outcome, the workflow of the materials and the goods within the work-place will be in the shortest route and in shortest time. Also the secondary objective of the research is to make user-friendly optimal green layout with the concentrated rate of emission. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.