Method for the design of material handling systems for lean automation

Current production systems are required to stay up-to-date with the changing market conditions. To date, most conventional flexible systems are dependent on human flexibility. However, the demand for flexible automation systems is increasing because of rising labor costs and higher quality requirements, even in emerging countries. To implement automation systems in the unpredictable market, cost reduction is essential to reduce the investment risk. However, there is no systematic design method for reducing the cost of automation systems. Thus, in this study, we propose a new method for the design of material handling systems, wherein the waiting time of the equipment is reduced by grouping the operations and allocating certain equipment to each group. The proposed design method uses a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal grouping of operations on the basis of the equipment cost and cycle time. The design method is then applied to an automobile engine control unit to verify its effectiveness.