Branch-and-bound algorithms for simple assembly line balancing problem

Abstract

In this paper, exact algorithms for solving the simple assembly line balancing type I problem are presented. The proposed algorithms consist of a constructive and two destructive algorithms. Several well-known lower-bound computational methods are also applied in these algorithms. Computational experiments were carried out to test the performance of the proposed algorithms based on a set of benchmark problem instances. The computational results show that the algorithms proposed in this paper are efficient in solving the simple assembly line balancing benchmark problem instances. Moreover, a problem instance whose optimal solution had previously been unknown is solved by one of the proposed algorithms. © 2006 Springer-Verlag London Limited.