Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility

<i>Background</i>: Logistics operations are integral to manufacturing systems, particularly in the transportation processes that occur not only between facilities and stakeholders but also between warehouses and workstations within a facility. The design of functional areas and allocatin...

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Main Authors: Selman Karagoz, Yasin Karagoz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Logistics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/1/13
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author Selman Karagoz
Yasin Karagoz
author_facet Selman Karagoz
Yasin Karagoz
author_sort Selman Karagoz
collection DOAJ
description <i>Background</i>: Logistics operations are integral to manufacturing systems, particularly in the transportation processes that occur not only between facilities and stakeholders but also between warehouses and workstations within a facility. The design of functional areas and allocating goods to appropriate zones within the warehouse management system (WMS) are critical activities that substantially influence the efficiency of manufacturing logistics operations. <i>Methods</i>: This study develops a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model to optimize material flow and product routing in manufacturing. The model identifies efficient pathways, assigns products to routes, and determines the required material-handling equipment. It is implemented in Python (3.11.5) using the Pyomo (6.7.3) package and the CBC solver (2.10.11), with sensitivity analysis performed on constraints and decision variables to evaluate robustness. <i>Results</i>: The findings indicate that Material Flow 3 and Material-Handling Equipment 1 represent the optimal configurations for managing the majority of goods within the manufacturing system. <i>Conclusions</i>: The proposed mathematical model supports the decision-making process by enabling adjustments to the proportions of functional areas within the manufacturing logistics system, ensuring operational efficiency and flexibility in response to changing demands. Furthermore, the study offers managerial insights and suggests directions for future research.
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spelling doaj-art-e8ff5b61f1dd49e9af1b394a6a4c403c2025-08-20T03:19:08ZengMDPI AGLogistics2305-62902025-01-01911310.3390/logistics9010013Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing FacilitySelman Karagoz0Yasin Karagoz1Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University, The Newarke, Leicester LE2 7BY, UKDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul 34700, Turkey<i>Background</i>: Logistics operations are integral to manufacturing systems, particularly in the transportation processes that occur not only between facilities and stakeholders but also between warehouses and workstations within a facility. The design of functional areas and allocating goods to appropriate zones within the warehouse management system (WMS) are critical activities that substantially influence the efficiency of manufacturing logistics operations. <i>Methods</i>: This study develops a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model to optimize material flow and product routing in manufacturing. The model identifies efficient pathways, assigns products to routes, and determines the required material-handling equipment. It is implemented in Python (3.11.5) using the Pyomo (6.7.3) package and the CBC solver (2.10.11), with sensitivity analysis performed on constraints and decision variables to evaluate robustness. <i>Results</i>: The findings indicate that Material Flow 3 and Material-Handling Equipment 1 represent the optimal configurations for managing the majority of goods within the manufacturing system. <i>Conclusions</i>: The proposed mathematical model supports the decision-making process by enabling adjustments to the proportions of functional areas within the manufacturing logistics system, ensuring operational efficiency and flexibility in response to changing demands. Furthermore, the study offers managerial insights and suggests directions for future research.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/1/13material flow optimizationmanufacturing logisticswarehouse management system (WMS)mixed-integer programming (MIP)
spellingShingle Selman Karagoz
Yasin Karagoz
Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
Logistics
material flow optimization
manufacturing logistics
warehouse management system (WMS)
mixed-integer programming (MIP)
title Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
title_full Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
title_fullStr Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
title_full_unstemmed Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
title_short Optimization of Material Flow and Product Allocation in Inter-Unit Operations: A Case Study of a Refrigerator Manufacturing Facility
title_sort optimization of material flow and product allocation in inter unit operations a case study of a refrigerator manufacturing facility
topic material flow optimization
manufacturing logistics
warehouse management system (WMS)
mixed-integer programming (MIP)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/1/13
work_keys_str_mv AT selmankaragoz optimizationofmaterialflowandproductallocationininterunitoperationsacasestudyofarefrigeratormanufacturingfacility
AT yasinkaragoz optimizationofmaterialflowandproductallocationininterunitoperationsacasestudyofarefrigeratormanufacturingfacility