Hybrid algorithms for the twin-screw extrusion configuration problem

Abstract

The Twin-Screw Con guration Problem (TSCP) arises in the context of polymer processing, where twin-screw extruders are used to prepare polymer blends, compounds or composites. The goal of the TSCP is to de ne the con guration of a screw from a given set of screw elements. The TSCP can be seen as a sequencing problem as the order of the screw elements on the screw axis has to be de ned. It is also inherently a multi-objective problem since processing has to optimize various con icting parameters related to the degree of mixing, shear rate, or mechanical energy input among others. In this article, we develop hybrid algorithms to tackle the bi-objective TSCP. The hybrid algorithms combine di erent local search procedures, including Pareto local search and two phase local search algorithms, with two di erent population-based algorithms, namely a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and a multi-objective ant colony optimization algorithm. The experimental evaluation of these approaches shows that the best hybrid designs, combining Pareto local search with a multi-objective ant colony optimization approach, outperform the best algorithms that have been previously proposed for the TSCP.