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Optimally routing and scheduling tow trains for JIT-supply of mixed-model assembly lines

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  • Emde, Simon
  • Boysen, Nils

Abstract

In recent years, more and more automobile producers adopted the supermarket-concept to enable a flexible and reliable Just-in-Time (JIT) part supply of their mixed-model assembly lines. Within this concept, a supermarket is a decentralized in-house logistics area where parts are intermediately stored and then loaded on small tow trains. These tow trains travel across the shop floor on specific routes to make frequent small-lot deliveries which are needed by the stations of the line. To enable a reliable part supply in line with the JIT-principle, the interdependent problems of routing, that is, partitioning stations to be supplied among tow trains, and scheduling, i.e., deciding on the start times of each tow train’s tours through its assigned stations, need to be solved. This paper introduces an exact solution procedure which solves both problems simultaneously in polynomial runtime. Additionally, management implications regarding the trade-off between number and capacity of tow trains and in-process inventory near the line are investigated within a comprehensive computational study.

Suggested Citation

  • Emde, Simon & Boysen, Nils, 2012. "Optimally routing and scheduling tow trains for JIT-supply of mixed-model assembly lines," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 217(2), pages 287-299.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:217:y:2012:i:2:p:287-299
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2011.09.013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Masood Fathi & Morteza Ghobakhloo, 2020. "Enabling Mass Customization and Manufacturing Sustainability in Industry 4.0 Context: A Novel Heuristic Algorithm for in-Plant Material Supply Optimization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Stefan Helber & Carolin Kellenbrink & Insa Südbeck, 2024. "Evaluation of stochastic flow lines with provisioning of auxiliary material," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 46(3), pages 669-708, September.
    3. Diefenbach, Heiko & Emde, Simon & Glock, Christoph H., 2020. "Loading tow trains ergonomically for just-in-time part supply," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(1), pages 325-344.
    4. Bock, Stefan, 2020. "Optimally solving a versatile Traveling Salesman Problem on tree networks with soft due dates and multiple congestion scenarios," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(3), pages 863-882.
    5. Boysen, Nils & Emde, Simon & Hoeck, Michael & Kauderer, Markus, 2015. "Part logistics in the automotive industry: Decision problems, literature review and research agenda," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(1), pages 107-120.
    6. Beixin Xia & Yuan Li & Jiayi Gu & Yunfang Peng, 2024. "Research on Sustainable Scheduling of Material-Handling Systems in Mixed-Model Assembly Workshops Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-15, November.
    7. Boysen, Nils & Emde, Simon, 2014. "Scheduling the part supply of mixed-model assembly lines in line-integrated supermarkets," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 239(3), pages 820-829.
    8. Diefenbach, Heiko & Emde, Simon & Glock, Christoph H., 2023. "Multi-depot electric vehicle scheduling in in-plant production logistics considering non-linear charging models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 828-848.
    9. Maurizio Faccio & Mauro Gamberi & Alessandro Persona & Alberto Regattieri & Fabio Sgarbossa, 2013. "Design and simulation of assembly line feeding systems in the automotive sector using supermarket, kanbans and tow trains: a general framework," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 187-208, July.
    10. Erfan Ghorbani & Mahdi Alinaghian & Gevork. B. Gharehpetian & Sajad Mohammadi & Guido Perboli, 2020. "A Survey on Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Routing Problem and a Proposal of Its Classification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-71, October.
    11. C. Briand & Y. He & S. U. Ngueveu, 2018. "Energy-efficient planning for supplying assembly lines with vehicles," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 7(4), pages 387-414, December.
    12. Sternatz, Johannes, 2015. "The joint line balancing and material supply problem," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 304-318.
    13. Daria Battini & Nils Boysen & Simon Emde, 2013. "Just-in-Time supermarkets for part supply in the automobile industry," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 209-217, July.
    14. Adenipekun, Ebenezer Olatunde & Limère, Veronique & Schmid, Nico André, 2022. "The impact of transportation optimisation on assembly line feeding," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    15. Simon Emde & Michael Schneider, 2018. "Just-In-Time Vehicle Routing for In-House Part Feeding to Assembly Lines," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(3), pages 657-672, June.
    16. Simon Emde, 2017. "Scheduling the replenishment of just-in-time supermarkets in assembly plants," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 39(1), pages 321-345, January.
    17. Stefan Bock, 2016. "Finding optimal tour schedules on transportation paths under extended time window constraints," Journal of Scheduling, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 527-546, October.
    18. Zenker, Michael & Emde, Simon & Boysen, Nils, 2016. "Cyclic inventory routing in a line-shaped network," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 250(1), pages 164-178.
    19. Bock, Stefan, 2015. "Solving the traveling repairman problem on a line with general processing times and deadlines," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 244(3), pages 690-703.
    20. Hanson, Robin & Finnsgård, Christian, 2014. "Impact of unit load size on in-plant materials supply efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PA), pages 46-52.
    21. Simon Emde & Lukas Polten, 2019. "Sequencing assembly lines to facilitate synchronized just-in-time part supply," Journal of Scheduling, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 607-621, December.
    22. Emde, Simon & Gendreau, Michel, 2017. "Scheduling in-house transport vehicles to feed parts to automotive assembly lines," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 260(1), pages 255-267.

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