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Artigo A Linear Programming Applicalion Lo
Artigo A Linear Programming Applicalion Lo
Cupola Charging
by R. w. METZGER
General M otors Institute
and R. SCHWARZBEK
Central Foundry Division, Defiance Plant, General Motors COl"Poration
LEAST COST cupola charging can be accomplished Historically, these four plants operated independently
with a relatively new analysis tool called linear pro of one another. Linear programming was applied to the
gramming. The purposes of this presentation are to: distribution of the product from these plants to the cus
1. Present some general information about linear programming. tomers on the basis of the total four plant system, and
2. Describe the cupola charge problem and the required linear resulted in a distribution pattern as shown in Figure 2.
programming formulation. This solution or pattern of shipping from the plants
3. Describe how linear progra~ming has been successfully used to the customers presents the lowest cost shipping pro
in a production foundry making cast and malleable iron.
gramo If management devi ates from this plan, the total
No attempt wiIl be made to describe any of the methods costs \Vould increase. For example, if managemcnt de
of linear programming. While the problems discussed cided not to ship from the plant in Washington to the
are concerned with making cast or malleable iron, the customer in Maine, but rather to ship to him froro the
general approach is equally valid for any blending type plant in Pennsylvania, it would mean:
problem, i.e., any problem where a variety of items are One or more changes in the shipments from the factory in
mixed, blended, or melted to form an end product. Pennsylvania.
Several changes in the shipments from the factory in Indiana.
INTRODUCTION Several changes in the shiprnents from the factory in Kansas.
Linear programming can best be defined as a group of
mathematical techniques that can obtain the very best
solution to problems which have many possible solutions.
While a great many industrial problems fit this category
of having many possible solutions, linear programming
is not a magic panacea which will solve ali problem5.
However, it can be used to solve a variety of industrial
problems. For example, consider a four plant manu
facturing system which manufactures an item and then
ships it prepaid to a number of customers. Figure 1
illustrates the locations of the four plants, the customers
and the sales regions allotted to each planto
With this mathematical statement, the problem is gives the following information for those materiais not
ready for linear programming. The objective or cost in charge:
equation indicates that we desire the answer with the Material Marginal C ost
lowest possible cost and one which is within the limita (x,) FeSi Number 1 2.07
tions described in the set of relationships . This formu (x.,) AlIoy Number 2 4l.01
lation or mathematical statement of the problem can be (x,) AlIoy Number 3 39.85
(x,) SiC 6.71
solved with the simplex method of linear programming.
While we wiU not consider the details of the simplex These marginal costs indicate the amount of reduction
method here, let's take a look at the lowest cost solution in price per ton that must occur before these material~
which the simplex method provides. can be included in the charge, i.e. , AlIoy Number 2 will
The least cost solution is as follows ! be profitable to use only if its price per ton is reduced by
Variable Value Description Ibs ./2000 lbs. . $41.01 per ton-from' $260.00 to $218.99 per tono These
Xn .10 100/0 Steel N umber 3 in the charge 200.00
marginal costs give management an indication of the
x. .011 l.l % FeSi N umber 2 in the charge 22.0 penalties incurred for deviating from the best solution.
x' .00711 .711 % A1I0y N umber 1 in the charge 14 .22 These can also be used very profitably by the purchasing
x, .03 30/0 Silvery Pig in the charge 60.0 agent in his dealings with suppliers.
x, .73713 73 .7130/0 Pig lron in the charge 1474.26 Additional marginal costs are provided which can be
x•• .01472 1.4720/0 Steel Number 2 in the charge 29.44
x. .10 100/0 Steel Number in lhe charge 200 .00
used to study the effect of changing the chemical re
quirements of the charge. These marginal costs for this
1999.92Ibs. problem are:
Total Cost Per Ton $59.56. Element Marginal Cost
This charge results in minimum amounts of the four Carbon 3.67
elements carbon, silicon, manganese, and chrome. As Silicon 1.98
mentioned earlier linear programming not only provides Manganese 2.09
the best solution (lowest cost in the case) but it provides Chrome 5.09
information about less ' than best or alternative solutions. which can be interpreted :
The linear programming solution for this problem also Carbon-If we raise the minimum carbon content in the charge
by 1 percent this will increase the charge cost by 53.67 per tono
An increase of .1 percent \ViII increase the charge costs by S.3i
'It should be noted that the formulation of this problem can per tono Also a decrease of 1 percent in the minimum carbon con
be reduced in size. The same solution ca n be obtained if we omit tent wiU decrease the charge cost by $3.67 per tono
lhe upper limit relationships on carbon, silicon, manganese and
chrome. In solving more than 30 similar cupola charging problema A similar interpretation can be developed for each of
for both cast and malleable iron it was found' that the optimum the other elements.
(lowest cost) solution always resu lted in charges exactly at the The analysis of the marginal cost provided by the
lower Iimit specification. With this experience it seems reasonable linear programming solution are often of more value than
to formulate a cupola charge problem without the upper limits
and incIude these only if the solution demands them. This is a
the specific least cost charge in that they give manage
practical approach even when high speed computing equipment ia ment a quantitative measure of penalties and hence a
readily available. measure of operating flexibility .
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of the materiais on hand were used to determine the least (X28, X29, X30) seem to have negative amounts of the
cost charge. This was used as a guide by the metallurgist various elements. During the course of the study it was
in charging the cupola. found that the use of plate and bundles in a charge tends
In putting the linear programming on a production to reduce the recovery of certain of the elements in the
basis a form was developed to facilitate data collection. final melt. The negative nurobers reflect the infiuence of
Figure 3 illustrates the forro that is used for the linear these materiais on the recovery of the chemical elements .
programming analysis. Space is provided for the data These corrections ar modifications were ma.de after
prepared by the purchasing agent, metallurgist, and the several months of operating experience with linear pro
mathematician . The analysis of certain materiais re gramroing. It is interesting to note, here, that these cor
mains relatively constant, so its analysis is printed on the rections came to light primarily due to the fact that the
formo Each column in the upper half of the form repre charges developed by linear programming always result
sents a charge material or space for one. The rows repre in exactly the miniroum chemical content. Without these
sent (froro top to bottom) : co rrection factors some charges resulted in melt which
1. Th e identification or name of the material. was below the minimum specification on certain elements.
2. Cost (including freight)-this may be cost per ton or cost This forro is started by the purchasing agent who fills
per car load. in data concerning the cost and availability of materiais
3. Code number-this identifies the material for the ma thema
tician.
for charging the cupola. The form is then sent to the
4. Tolal cost per net ton delivered-this is the numerical roetallurgist, who indicates the minimum chemical speci
quantity used in the linear programming analysis. fications, cheroical analyses of the available charge ma
5-8. Four rows fo r the chemical content for carbon, si licon, teriais, any limitations on the use of charge materiais,
manganese, and chrome in the various materiais and the charge . and the total tonnage projected for the period.
You will note that plate (X25, X26, X27) and bundles The form is then sent to the mathematicia.n who checks