Facility layout using swarm intelligence

摘要

Facility layout problems are intriguing combinatorial problems that involve determining the location and shape of various departments in a facility based upon inter-department volume and distance measures. We propose a method that divides a facility into a swarm of intelligent tiles and devises a set of simple rules for tile behavior. Using these simple rules, the tiles self-organize, and a solution to the layout problems evolves. This method provides improved results compared to CRAFT, which is one of the primary methods for facility layout in use today.