An Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm and Its Application to Travelling Salesman Problems: Reverse Logistics Optimisation for Accumulator Recycling Companies
AbstractThe reverse logistics processes, i.e. collecting the recycling materials, have a major cost for the recycling companies. Collecting the recycling materials with the shortest route, recycling companies can reduce the transportation cost. In this study, we introduce a case study on a travelling salesman problem encountered in an accumulator recycling company. We introduce a mathematical model and an artificial bee colony algorithm to reach the shortest route of the distribution network in the case. Scenario analysis for the performance evaluation of the proposed bee colony algorithm has been made on high-scale benchmark problems in the literature. (see, travelling salesman problems in OR Library, http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~mastjjb/jeb/info.html). It has been shown that the algorithm is efficient for an industrial application, it is able to reach near-optimal solutions in reasonable solution time.