A fast global convergence algorithm, small-world optimization (SWO), was designed to solve the global optimization problems, which was inspired from small-world theory and six degrees of separation principle in sociology. Firstly, the solution space was organized into a small-world network model based on social relationship network. Secondly, a simple search strategy was adopted to navigate into this network in order to realize the optimization. In SWO, the two operators for searching the short-range contacts and long-range contacts in small-world network were corresponding to the exploitation and exploration, which have been revealed as the common features in many intelligent algorithms. The proposed algorithm was validated via popular benchmark functions and engineering problems. And also the impacts of parameters were studied. The simulation results indicate that because of the small-world theory, it is suitable for heuristic methods to search targets efficiently in this constructed small-world network model. It is not easy for each test mail to fall into a local trap by shifting into two mapping spaces in order to accelerate the convergence speed. Compared with some classical algorithms, SWO is inherited with optimal features and outstanding in convergence speed. Thus, the algorithm can be considered as a good alternative to solve global optimization problems.
The material distribution routing problem in the manufacturing system is a complex combinatorial optimization problem and its main task is to deliver materials to the working stations with low cost and high efficiency. A multi-objective model was presented for the material distribution routing problem in mixed manufacturing systems, and it was solved by a hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (HMOEA). The characteristics of the HMOEA are as follows: 1) A route pool is employed to preserve the best routes for the population initiation; 2) A specialized best?worst route crossover (BWRC) mode is designed to perform the crossover operators for selecting the best route from Chromosomes 1 to exchange with the worst one in Chromosomes 2, so that the better genes are inherited to the offspring; 3) A route swap mode is used to perform the mutation for improving the convergence speed and preserving the better gene; 4) Local heuristics search methods are applied in this algorithm. Computational study of a practical case shows that the proposed algorithm can decrease the total travel distance by 51.66%, enhance the average vehicle load rate by 37.85%, cut down 15 routes and reduce a deliver vehicle. The convergence speed of HMOEA is faster than that of famous NSGA-II.
A cost-based selective maintenance decision-making method was presented.The purpose of this method was to find an optimal choice of maintenance actions to be performed on a selected group of machines for manufacturing systems.The arithmetic reduction of intensity model was introduced to describe the influence on machine failure intensity by different maintenance actions (preventive maintenance,minimal repair and overhaul).In the meantime,a resolution algorithm combining the greedy heuristic rules with genetic algorithm was provided.Finally,a case study of the maintenance decision-making problem of automobile workshop was given.Furthermore,the case study demonstrates the practicability of this method.
