A heuristic algorithm for assembly line balancing with stochastic sequence-dependent setup times

Having analyzed studies on the assembly line balancing problem considering setup times, a few papers are observed. However, researches show that setup time plays an important role in total production time. Besides, in these studies, the setup times are assumed to be deterministic. Considering setup times to be deterministic decreases proximity of problem to real life application. Because the operation and setup times may vary in real applications due to human factors, machine breakdowns, lack of equipment and environmental factors. Therefore, in this study, assembly line balancing problem is investigated considering the sequence-dependent stochastic setup times. A heuristic approach based on COMSOAL is presented for the problem and it is seen that algorithm is effective for the problem.