A short term cutting stock formulation for minimization of work in process and shortages in sheet metal industry

Abstract

Cutting stock problems rank among the first applications ofoperations research and they have been implemented in a wide range ofopepations for optimization of cutting and allocation problems.In this study, a cutting stock procedure is developed for theslitting operation of sheet metal rolls for a multi-plant firm whichproduces durable household goods. The objective is set as minimizationof work-in-prbcess accumulation of sheet-metal parts and also avoidingshortages of these parts. This is the main difference of this procedurefrom the existing ones which seek the solution with minimum wastage.Theprocedul'e has been implemented in the firm and the resultsha ve been encouraging .