An optimization model and multiple matching heuristics for quality planning in manufacturing systems

Planning quality control operations for parts assigned to a manufacturing system is an important decision-making process. It involves the selection of quality tools and assignment of the tools and quality operations to machine centers or inspection stations. The problem is complicated by multiple variables involved and the interactions between the variables. Trade-off must be made to minimize the total cost and satisfy demands and resource constraints. Mathematical formulation can be used to integrate the decisions and characterize the problem. More efficient heuristic algorithms are developed based on a tripartite graph representation of the original problem. Experimental results showed that the algorithms proposed are effective and efficient in their computational performance.