Multi-row Facility Layout Design Based on Random-key Bat Algorithm.

Aiming at the multi-row facility layout problems with uncertain number and position of vertical passages in rows, a layout optimization model was established with the goals of minimizing logistics intensity, minimizing the no-load intensity of handling equipment and maiming the interrelations between operation units, and a random-key BA was proposed for the model based on mapping rules. The idea of random-key coding was introduced into BA, and the mapping rules and steps from bat position based on random-key coding to combinational solution of multi-row facility layout were defined, so that the algorithm night be executed in continuous spaces without discrerization, and the layout schemes with different code length might be mapped in combinational spaces. Finally, the proposed random-key BA was used to solve an example of multi-row facility layout problem, and the advantages of the algorithm were proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]