Industrial Projects of the Department of Computational Optimization
- For one of the market leading building ventures of Hungary we have
investigated the problem how to cut off preset size and number of pieces
of different profile, 18 meters long iron rods in such a way that the waste
is minimal. Another problem was to minimize the number of useless part (due
to the costs of their deposition). The developed new algorithm was by more
than 1% better than the previously applied one. Regarding the high material
costs in the magnitude of tens of millions of Euros per year, the few
months work of two persons involved brings a substantial profit. The
suggested algorithm is now incorporated into the production support
program of the given venture, they use it, and sell the
implemented program since that time.
- One of the two leading airplane construction firms of the world studied
with which angle the sheets of the airplane wall should be glued together
in such a way that a given rigidity is achieved and the wight or the cost
is minimal per square meter. The problem can be formulated as a 5-10
dimensional complicated nonlinear optimization problem with nonlinear
constraints. The set of feasibility was not connected, it could e.g.
contain holes. The real challenge was however that the better the usual
approximate solutions were (obtained by stochastic techniques), the larger
was the chance that not absolutely precise production resulted in a
structure that hurt some of the constraints. In this way the security risk
increases.
With several man-years of work we have developed the methodology of
optimization with tolerances. With this we were able to solve real life
problems within minutes on PCs of the 1990s in such a way that the
precision of the production can be given by the user, together with the
accepted level of suboptimality. As it was requested by the airplane
building firm, we have published our results and method after a 6 months
delay.
- As it was ordered by the European Space Agency, we have investigated
with Austrian partners how the new paradigm of clouds can be applied
in the solution space mission related problems. The aim was to summarize
empirical data in such away that enables the improvement of the success
rates of space missions. The key is a better estimation of how often rare
events can occur. The study is now completed and accepted by the European
Space Agency.
- We are participants of a big state founded project (with other
universities and with a major Hungarian property management firm) that
aims to solve scheduling and controlling problems of mission critical
delivery. The online algorithm being investigated and developed will be
capable to determine an optimal path of the transported goods handling
satellite connection, bar code and radio frequency identification devices,
among dynamically changing environments and still allowing safe delivery.
- The earlier mentioned tolerance optimization methodology was applied
for the solution of static problems considering the uncertainties in soil
conditions, trying to get rid of a part of the usual over-insurance for
the planing of building footings. The reliable handling of the large
number of complicated nonlinear constraints resulted in a substantial
saving while no compromise has been made regarding the security.
- We have used the experiences collected on the field of verified
investigation of dynamic systems also for the solution of practical
problems. In this framework new possibilities emerge for the design of
industrial chemistry production systems by utilizing the verified
determination of fix points and separatrices for reaction networks, that
can be utilized to design optimal control with a better cost efficiency -
reliably.
- It is of profound importance for telecommunication providers to
increase their market share. This is why they want to provide an
attractive choice of services for their future clients, and on the other
hand they want to ensure that their income reaches the level allowed by
the law. The subscriber packages can be optimized in such a way that both
goals are achieved. We have collected much experience in optimizing tariff
systems - applying deeper mathematical tools too.
- For the optimal management of segments in a firm it is important to
utilize the human workforce close to the possible maximal level. The
scheduling of the respective tasks leads to multiple objective function
problems, often to such that does not have a standard theoretical recipe.
The emerged concrete application problems were solved successfully by the
help of the theories of scheduling, logistics, and service problems for
a telecommunication firm.
- A Belgian firm asked us to provide a table containing the number of
barrels one can place on a Euro-palette depending on the size of the
barrels. The problem was motivated by the fact that the venture selling
printing colors placed the barrels slightly over the palette and that
resulted for densely packed lorries in the opening of the barrel lids, and
the expensive colors were wasted causing also much mess.
- For a multinational rubber goods producing firm we have prepared
two studies investigating the simulation of the whole production procedure
of the plant, and on the possible improvements to be made on the scheduling
the product families on available machine lines (under real life constraints).