Graph Partitioning and Set Covering for the Optimal Design of a Production System in the Metal Industry

Abstract In this article, we are dealing with a design problem in the sheet metal industry. We are interested in the process of punching holes in various shapes on metal sheets, the blanks. A multi-head technology for the hole-punching phase is analyzed and the solution procedure is related to classical problems of combinatorial optimization. We shall describe the algorithmic implementation and report numerical results for the best multi-head configurations.