Solving the platform selection problem using an evolutionary algorithm

摘要

Contemporary manufacturing is characterised by fierce competition on price, quality and features offered. Successful manufacturers avoid developing products individually and base their products on a platform, using it as the starting point and then adding or removing components to create the desired variety. In this paper, we select the optimal platform for the production of a product family while minimising the overall production cost. The problem is formulated as an optimisation problem, minimising the production cost. Both an optimal formulation and an evolutionary strategy based on genetic algorithm are presented. The approach is illustrated with an industrial example.