Simulation-Based Multi-Objective Optimization for Reconfigurable Manufacturing System Configurations Analysis

The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of Simulation-Based Multi-Objective Optimization (SMO) for Reconfigurable Manufacturing System Configuration Analysis (RMS-CA). In doing so, this study addresses the need for efficiently performing RMS-CA with respect to the limited time for decision-making in the industry, and investigates one of the salient problems of RMS-CA: determining the minimum number of machines necessary to satisfy the demand. The study adopts an NSGA II optimization algorithm and presents two contributions to existing literature. Firstly, the study proposes a series of steps for the use of SMO for RMS-CA and shows how to simultaneously maximize production throughput, minimize lead time, and buffer size. Secondly, the study presents a qualitative comparison with the prior work in RMS-CA and the proposed use of SMO; it discusses the advantages and challenges of using SMO and provides critical insight for production engineers and managers responsible for production system configuration.