Abstract
This paper is based on a real-life application where big rolls (master rolls) of laminated films are slitted into smaller sizes as per customer specifications. The master rolls are of a constant length and varying widths. The dimensions of the smaller rolls vary based on the customer orders. The aim is to achieve less scrap while slitting the master rolls to meet customer demand. We propose a mixed-integer linear programming approach for the problem. A column generation-based method is developed and implemented to reduce the total scrap during the slitting process. An example problem instance is solved by using the proposed approach to compare with the result using the existing manual method. The findings of this project will directly benefit the companies, similar to the one studied, in minimizing scrap.
Keywords: Slitting; Cutting stock problem; Column generation; Laminates; Scrap reduction