A hybrid genetic algorithm for the two-dimensional single large object placement problem

In the two-dimensional single large object placement problem, we are given a rectangular master surface which has to be cut into a set of smaller rectangular items, with the aim of maximizing the total value of the pieces cut. We consider the special case in which the items cannot be rotated and must be cut with their edges always parallel to the edges of the surface. We present new greedy algorithms and a hybrid genetic approach with elitist theory, immigration rate, heuristics on-line and tailored crossover operators. Extensive computational results for a large number of small and large benchmark test problems are presented. The results show that our approach outperforms existing heuristic algorithms.