Modular production line optimization: The exPLOre architecture (Q1841257)

Summary: The general design problem in serial production lines concerns the allocation of resources such as the number of servers, their service rates, and buffers given production-specific constraints, associated costs, and revenue projections. We describe the design of exPLOre: a modular, object-oriented, production line optimization software architecture. An abstract optimization module can be instantiated using a variety of stochastic optimization methods, such as simulated annealing and genetic algorithms. Its search space is constrained by a constraint checker, while its search direction is guided by a cost analyzer which combines the output of a throughput evaluator with the business model. The throughput evaluator can be instantiated using Markovian, generalized queueing network methods, a decomposition, or an expansion method algorithm.