Union Variable Neighborhood Descent Algorithm for Multi-product Hybrid Disassembly Line Balancing Problem Considering Workstation Resource Configuration

Nowadays, the recycling of waste products has attracted extensive attention in academia and industry. In the layout design of disassembly lines, single-row and U-shaped hybrid disassembly lines have different application scenarios. Considering workstation resource configuration, disassembly line cycle time, and disassembly task precedence relationship, we address a Multi-product Hybrid-disassembly-line-balancing Problem (MHP), and establish its mathematical model with the objective of disassembly profit maximization. In addition, the union variable neighborhood descent (U-VND) algorithm is used to solve the problem, in which two kinds of neighborhood structures composed of different actions is designed. Experimental results and comparative analysis show that the proposed algorithm can quickly obtain stable and high-quality solutions, which verifies the validity of the neighborhood structure and the correctness of the model.