A Parallel Algorithm for Constrained Fixed Two-Staged Two-Dimensional Cutting/Packing Problems

This paper proposes a parallel cooperative algorithm for approximately solving the constrained fixed (non-oriented) two-staged two-dimensional two-dimensional cutting/packing problem. The proposed algorithm considers three key features: a search strategy based on beam-search, a fast filling procedure based on strip generation, and a tighter upper bound applied for refining the selected paths. The algorithm explores, in parallel, a subset of elite nodes following the master-slave paradigm. The master processor guides the search-resolution by maintaining a global list while each slave processor develops its own path according to its internal lists and an internal processor that completes the global paths. The computational investigation shows the good performance of the proposed algorithm which either matches the optima or improves the best known solution values within a reduced runtime.