A new integration of the multi-plant lot sizing problem with the distribution problem

• Grant number: 25/00386-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Operational Research
• Principal Investigator: Horacio Hideki Yanasse
• Grantee: Marlon Jeske
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/05803-3 - Cutting, packing, lot-sizing, scheduling, routing and location problems and their integration in industrial and logistics settings, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project deals with a multi plant lot sizing problem integrated with the distribution problem. Both the problem of lot sizing, which consists of determining the size of production lots in order to optimize costs, and the problem of distribution and routing problems are difficult to solve. Solving these two problems in an integrated way becomes even more difficult task, also solve real problems is a need that has been found in several industrial applications and much studied in the literature. The proposal of this project is inspired in a real case of an aluminum packaging company. The aim is to propose a mathematical model that integrates planning decisions in multiple plants and distribution, with characteristics not yet found in the literature. Furthermore, we intend to insert routing decisions, as well as to propose viable solution methods for the problem under study and other problems in the area, and this study may be applicable to other similar productive scenarios and also to problems with similar solution complexity. We propose the application of a Sequential Method that performs the solution by the Branch and Bound method and Local Search strategies, where relaxation heuristics are applied combined, in a sequential processing structure between the two approaches.