AN IMPROVEMENT-TYPE LAYOUT ALGORITHM FOR SINGLE AND MULTIPLE-FLOOR FACILITIES

In this paper we introduce the use of spacefilling curves in facility layout, and we extend a well-known facility layout algorithm (CRAFT) t o facilities with multiple floors. Spacefilling curves make it possibl e to exchange any two departments and to use more powerful exchange ro utines than two-way or three-way exchanges. We also further enhance CR AFT by controlling department shapes, and (with multiple floors) by al lowing ''flexible'' departmental area requirements. Although the algor ithm we present can be used for any single-floor or multi-floor facili ty layout problem, its primary target is production facilities. A tail ored version of the algorithm was successfully tested and used in a la rge, multi-floor production facility. The algorithm differs significan tly from two previous extensions of CRAFT to multi-floor facilities.