Application of the Similarity Coefficient Method in Group Technology

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Abstract
The Similarity Coefficient Method (SCM) is one of the methods used to form the machine cells in group technology applications. Compared to the other methods, SCM incorporates more flexibility into the machine-component grouping process and more easily lends itself to the computer application. The new model improves the existing models based on SCM by dealing with the duplication of bottleneck machines and by employing special data storage and analysis techniques which greatly simplify the machine-component grouping process. The duplication process in the new model is based on the number of inter-cellular moves. Duplication starts with the machine generating the largest number of inter-cellular moves and continues until no machine generates more inter-cellular moves than specified by a threshold value. By changing the threshold value, alternative solutions can be examined. the new model employs the bit-level data storage technique to reduce the storage and computational requirements of the machine-component grouping process.