| In this thesis, a facility layout tool is developed, which is easy to manipulate, incorporates a variety of optimization algorithms and processes large amounts of data.; A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the communication interface between the user and the software in modern computing. There are two separate algorithms selectable for evaluation in the GUI developed for the Facility Layout Design.; The classical Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) model is used to solve the Facility layout problem. The model for classical combinatorial optimization problems contains a second degree term in the unknown permutation, and is known for its wide variety of practical applications. It has been reported that although many heuristic procedures for QAP have been proposed, there is no dominant algorithm which can solve effectively the combinatorial optimization problem. Genetic algorithms provide a new way to solve the QAP.; In this work, the genetic algorithm (GA) is a search algorithm based on the mechanics of natural selection and genetics. Upon comparison with traditional search methods encountered in engineering optimization problems, genetic algorithms have four distinct characteristics in the search procedures. Which are: (1) GA works with a coding of the parameter set; (2) GA searches from a population of points; (3) GA uses a fitness function to determine the directions of the search; (4) GA uses probabilistic transition rules, not determinacy. |
