AN APPLICATION OF GRAPH THEORY (HAMILTONIAN TECHNIQUE) AND BRANCH AND BOUND TECHNIQUE ON FACILITY LAYOUT PROBLEMS ABSTRACT

Abstract

In this study, two different algorithms have been used to obtain the alternative plant layout in order to minimize the materials handling cost. The first algorithm is the Foulkes Algorithm, which is essentially the Hamiltonian Cycles with minimized cost and is based on Graph Theory. The second one is the Branch and Bound Algorithm, which is considered as the Travelling Salesman Problem. The computer programs of both algorithms have been prepared specifically for the research and no package program has been used. It was observed that the Foulkes Algorithm provides better solutions compared to Branch and Bound Algorithm under necessary and satisfactory conditions. The final solutions are discussed in the last section. Key Words: Graph theory, branch and bound technique, travelling salesman problem, facilities, layout