Cell Formation Problem with Alternative Routes and Machine Reliability: Review, Analysis, and Future Developments

The Cell Formation Problem (CFP) is a widely studied issue that aims to group machines effectively based on criteria such as productivity, lower costs, and greater efficiency. In recent years, more characteristics were summarized relating to this problem. This paper provides a bibliographic examination of methodologies addressing the CFP in cellular manufacturing, focusing on novel approaches such as alternative routes and machine reliability. The articles were obtained from Scopus and Web of Science and filtered using the PRISMA methodology. Classification based on objective functions, constraints, and methodologies facilitated informative visualizations for analysis. Findings indicate a focus on capital utilization optimization, with cost reduction via intercellular moves minimization as the primary objective. Common constraints include limits on the number of machines per cell, restricting machines to a single cell and singular production routes per part. The genetic algorithm predominates as a non-exact solution approach, while the “ε-constraint” method is commonly used. This study offers insights into contemporary trends in solving the CFP with alternative routings and machine reliability, aiding researchers and professionals in the field to improve the quality of their investigations.