Abstract
This paper describes a new approach for integration of facility planning and layout planning using self-organization. The self-organization method is proposed to generate facility layout plans autonomously according to the material flow which emerges from the local interactions among production elements. In addition, facility number decision rule is introduced to the self-organization method. Finally, the both planning methods are integrated. A case study is presented for semiconductor manufacturing, in which it is difficult to find a proper plan because of large scale of the system and complex process flow. The effectiveness of the proposed method is discussed in the computer simulations by comparing with the current facility layout which is made by human experts in terms of WIP, TAT and the accumulated traveling mileage of products.
