A Two-phase algorithm for the manufacturer’s pallet loading problem

We propose a two-phase algorithm for solving the manufacturer's pallet loading problem (MPLP). A new integer linear programming model is developed to obtain the maximum number of items that could be packed onto a pallet in the first phase. The solution obtained in the first phase is then adopted to generate a layout pattern for the MPLP with a constraint programming model in the second phase. The computational results indicate that this algorithm can solve difficult instances to the optimality within reasonable computational times.