An Operations Research Application to Furniture Round Production

Sixteen-foot-long hardwood logs were cut into 48-inch long bolts from which round furniture stock of 2.0-, 2.5-, and 3.0-inch diameters were sawn on machines which have been developed for that purpose. Data were collected during the operation pertaining to machine time requirements and yields of stock and residual pulp chips. Regression equations were developed to provide input for a linear programming analysis of alternative input mixes and levels, input costs, output prices, machine time constraints, and market requirements. Optimal solutions were generated for 48-, 50-, and 52-inch bolt lengths. Four major findings resulted from the study. These findings concerned the length of bolts processed, log input distribution, mill layout, and output mix. Processing of the longest bolts evaluated (52-inch) resulted in maximum revenue net of log cost, if variables other than log cost were constant. Optimum linear program solutions revealed that 9- to 12-inch-diameter logs yielding 9- to 15-inch-diameter bolts were optimum for round stock production. Results showed that 2.0-inch-diameter stock should be sawn from 9- to 11-inch diameter bolts, 2.5-inch-diameter stock from 12- to 15-inchdiameter bolts, and 3.0-inch-diameter stock from 11- to 17inch-diameter bolts. Eight-inch-diameter bolts and bolts of 20-inch and larger diameters should be chipped when sufficient volumes of the optimum–size bolts are included in the input distribution. Changes in mill layout were suggested, including moving the log cut-off saw so that logs are bucked immediately after debarking and existing deck storage capacity is utilized for sorting and storing bolts rather than logs. Management should attempt to purchase fewer logs of 14 inches and greater scaling diameter in order to reduce the volume of the larger, less efficient bolts to be processed. Also, effort should be directed toward increasing sales of 3.0-inch stock as a proportion of total output in order to increase returns.

You must be logged in to download any documents. Please login (login accounts are free) or learn how to Become a Member