Optimizing green supply chain Networks and U-shaped assembly lines under uncertainty: A meta-heuristic approach
Received: 2025-03-17
Revised: 2025-06-04
Accepted: 2025-06-30
Published in Issue 2025-08-23
Copyright (c) 2025 Nahid Farzan, Ali Mahmoodirad, Sadegh Niroomand, Saber Molla-Alizadeh-Zavardehi (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
PDF views: 232
Abstract
In instances where historical data is unavailable, belief degree-based uncertainty is frequently employed as a substitute for other uncertainty estimation methods, such as interval programming, fuzzy theory, and random planning. The present study focuses on a simultaneous design problem of green supply chain networks and U-shaped assembly lines with two objectives under belief degree-based uncertainty. This is the first study to do so. The objective functions are designed to minimize total transportation and fixed costs of establishing stations, while accounting for air pollution. As this issue is one of the NP-hard problems, a number of meta-heuristic algorithms have been developed for the purpose of addressing multi-objective problems. These include the gray wolf algorithm, the particle swarm optimization algorithm, and the NSGAII algorithm. A novel encoding-decoding method is employed in these algorithms. In order to analyze the performance of the proposed algorithms, test problems from the literature are considered, modified, and completed for this study. The numerical results obtained in this study indicate that the gray wolf multi-objective algorithm exhibits superior efficiency in comparison to alternative algorithms. Finally, the methodology of this study can be utilized as a management tool to address the real-time problems.
Keywords
- Uncertainty theory; Green supply chain; U-shaped assembly line; multi-objective optimization; Meta-heuristic algorithm
References
- S. Niroomand, S. Mosallaeipour, and A. Mahmoodirad. A hybrid simple additive weighting approach for constrained multicriteria facilities location problem of glass production industries under un-certainty. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 67(3): 846–854, 2020.
- B. Pal and S. Guin. A dual-channel closed-loop supply chain coordination with green innovation and sales effort under uncertain market conditions. International Journal of Systems Science: Operations & Logistics, 12(1), 2025.
- S. Isik, E. Dinler, and A. Aydemir-Karadag. A multi-objective simulated annealing approach to design ergonomic job rotation schedules: a case study in the automotive assembly line. International Journal of Systems Science: Operations & Logistics, 12(1), 2025.
- R. P. Mohanty and S. G. Deshmukh. Essentials of supply chain management. OPSEARCH, 38:238–239, 2001.
- A. Mahmoodirad and M. Sanei. Solving a multi-stage multi-product solid supply chain network design problem by meta-heuristics. Scientia Iranica, 23(3):1429–1440, 2016.
- P. Taylor. A survey of the assembly line balancing procedures. Production Planning & Control, pages 37–41, 2011.
- I. Baybars. A survey of exact algorithms for the simple assembly line balancing problem. Management Science, 32(8):909–932, 1986.
- K. Agpak and H. Gokc¸en. Assembly line balancing: Two resource constrained cases. International Journal of Production Economics, 96(1):129–140, 2005.
- T. Paksoy and E. Ozceylan. Supply chain optimisation with u-type assembly line balancing. International Journal of Production Research, 50(18):5085–5105, 2012.
- T. Paksoy, E. Ozceylan, and H. Gokc¸en. Supply chain optimisation with assembly line balancing. International Journal of Production Research, 50(11):3115–3136, 2012.
- A. Yolmeh and N. Salehi. An outer approximation method for an integration of supply chain network designing and assembly line balancing under uncertainty. Computers and Industrial Engineering, 83:297–306, 2015.
- D. Ogan and M. Azizoglu. A branch and bound method for the line balancing problem in u-shaped assembly lines with equipment requirements. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 36:46–54, 2015.
- M. Khorram, M. Eghtesadifard, and S. Niroomand. Hybrid meta-heuristic algorithms for u-shaped assembly line balancing problem with equipment and worker allocations. Soft Computing, 26(5): 2241–2258, 2022.
- P. Chutima and A. Khotsaenlee. Multi-objective parallel adjacent u-shaped assembly line balancing collaborated by robots and normal and disabled workers. Computers and Operations Research, 143: 105775, 2022.
- Y. Jiao, X. Deng, M. Li, X. Xing, and B. Xu. Balancing of parallel u-shaped assembly lines with a heuristic algorithm based on bidirectional priority values. Concurrent Engineering Research and Applications, 30(1):80–92, 2022.
- W. C. Chiang and T. L. Urban. The stochastic u-line balancing problem: A heuristic procedure. European Journal of Operational Research, 175(3):1767–1781, 2006.
- E. Gurevsky, O. Hazir, O. Batta¨ıa, and A. Dolgui. Robust balancing of straight assembly lines with interval task times. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 64(11):1607–1613, 2013.
- E. Nazarian and J. Ko. Robust manufacturing line design with controlled moderate robustness in bottleneck buffer time to manage stochastic inter-task times. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 32 (2):382–391, 2013.
- O. Hazir and A. Dolgui. A decomposition based solution algorithm for u-type assembly line balancing with interval data. Computers and Operations Research, 59:126–131, 2015.
- N. Hamta, M. Akbarpour Shirazi, S. M. T. Fatemi Ghomi, and S. Behdad. Supply chain network optimization considering assembly line balancing and demand uncertainty. International Journal of Production Research, 53(10):2970–2994, 2015.
- C. Koc. An evolutionary algorithm for supply chain network design with assembly line balancing. Neural Computing and Applications, 28(11):3183–3195, 2017.
- H. A. Mardani-Fard, A. Hadi-Vencheh, A. Mahmoodirad, and S. Niroomand. An effective hybrid goal programming approach for multi-objective straight assembly line balancing problem with stochastic parameters. Operational Research, 20(4):1939–1972, 2020.
- M. Salehi, H. R. Maleki, and S. Niroomand. Solving a new cost-oriented assembly line balancing problem by classical and hybrid meta-heuristic algorithms. Neural Computing and Applications, 32 (12):8217–8243, 2020.
- B. Q. Sun and L. Wang. A decomposition-based matheuristic for supply chain network design with assembly line balancing. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 131:408–417, 2019.
- R. Ramezanian and S. Khalesi. Integration of multi-product supply chain network design and assembly line balancing. Operational Research, 21(1):453–483, 2021.
- N. Farzan, A. Mahmoodirad, S. Niroomand, and S. Molla-Alizadeh-Zavardehi. A sustainable uncertain integrated supply chain network design and assembly line balancing problem with u-shaped assembly lines and multi-mode demand. Soft Computing, 28:2967–2986, 2024.
- D. B. Liu. Uncertainty theory. Uncertainty Theory, pages 205–234, 2007.
- K. B. Williams, A. Charnes, and W. W. Cooper. Management models and industrial applications of linear programming. Or, 13(3):274, 1962.
- Y. Liu and M. Ha. Expected value of function of uncertain variables. Journal of Uncertain Systems, 4(3):181–186, 2010
- A. Mahmoodirad, R. Dehghan, and S. Niroomand. Modelling linear fractional transportation problem in belief degree-based uncertain environment. Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence, 31(3):393–408, 2019.
- A. Mahmoodirad and S. Niroomand. A belief degree-based uncertain scheme for a bi-objective two-stage green supply chain network design problem with direct shipment. Soft Computing, 24(24):18499–18519, 2020.
- A. Mahmoodirad and S. Niroomand. Uncertain location-allocation decisions for a bi-objective two-stage supply chain network design problem with environmental impacts. Expert Systems, 37(5):1–24, 2020.
- M. Jamshidi, M. Saneie, A. Mahmoodirad, F. H. Lotfi, and G. Tohidi. Uncertain russel data envelopment analysis model: A case study in iranian banks. Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 37(2): 2937–2951, 2019.
- M. Jamshidi, M. Sanei, A. Mahmoodirad, G. Tohidi, and F. Hosseinzade Lotfi. Uncertain bcc data envelopment analysis model with belief degree: A case study in iranian banks. International Journal of Industrial Mathematics, 13(3):239–249, 2021.
- M. Jamshidi, M. Sanei, A. Mahmoodirad, F. H. Lotfi, and G. Tohidi. Uncertain sbm data envelopment analysis model: A case study in iranian banks. International Journal of Finance and Economics, 26 (2):2674–2689, 2021.
- M. Jamshidi, M. Sanei, and A. Mahmoodirad. An uncertain allocation models in data envelopment analysis: A case in the iranian stock market. Scientia Iranica, 29(6):3434–3454, 2022.
- A. Mahmoodirad, A. Jamalian, and M. Hajiaghaei-Keshteli. An analysis of the sensitivity and stability of an uncertain SBM DEA model based on belief degree. Expert Systems with Applications, 255:124778, 2024.
- T. Denœux. Uncertainty quantification in logistic regression using random fuzzy sets and belief functions. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning, 168:109159, 2024.
- Z. Guo, Z. Wan, Q. Zhang, X. Zhao, Q. Zhang, L. M. Kaplan, A. Jøsang, D. H. Jeong, F. Chen, and J.-H. Cho. A survey on uncertainty reasoning and quantification in belief theory and its application to deep learning. Information Fusion, 101:101987, 2024.
- P. Han, Z. Huang, W. Li, W. He, and Y. Cao. A belief rule base considering random variables of adaptive membership functions. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 74:1–14, 2025.
- M. C. Budak and A. Soyer. Human resources analytics performance measurement: a novel hybrid approach based on cumulative belief degree and pls-sem. International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, 18(2):353–381, 2025.
- S. Niroomand, D. Pamucar, and A. Mahmoodirad. Formulation and solution approach for uncertain multi-objective material requirement planning problem with multi-mode demand, overtime production, and outsourcing possibilities. Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, 34(1):1–28, 2025.
- B. Liu. Some research problems in uncertainty theory. Journal of Uncertain Systems, 3(1):3–10, 2009.
- P. Broomandi, B. Dabir, B. Bonakdarpour, Y. Rashidi, and A. Akherati. Simulation of mineral dust aerosols in southwestern iran through numerical prediction models. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 37:1380–1393, 2018.
- S. Mirjalili, S. Saremi, S. M. Mirjalili, and L. D. S. Coelho. Multi-objective grey wolf optimizer: A novel algorithm for multi-criterion optimization. Expert Systems with Applications, 47:106–117, 2016.
- C. A. C. Coello, G. T. Pulido, and M. S. Lechuga. Handling multiple objectives with particle swarm optimization computational intelligence methods for solving optimization problems in bioinformatics view project multi-objective control system design view project handling multiple objectives with particle swarm optimization. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 8(3), 2004.
- K. Deb, A. Pratap, S. Agarwal, and T. Meyarivan. A fast and elitist multiobjective genetic algorithm: Nsga-ii. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 6(2), 2002.
- C. Maringanti, I. Chaubey, and J. Popp. Development of a multiobjective optimization tool for the selection and placement of best management practices for nonpoint source pollution control. Water Resources Research, 45(6), 2009.
10.57647/j.fomj.2025.0602.07
