The continuous modular design problem with linear separable side constraints

This paper describes a heuristic for designing a single module in the presence of linear side constraints and nonlinear requirements constraints. The objective is to minimize the total parts cost to satisfy demand for a set of end products. We model the problem as a nonconvex programming problem and show that the problem can be transformed into an equivalent convex problem. Due to the size of the potential applications we develop a heuristic procedure that is an extension of the Shaftel and Thompson algorithm. Closed form expressions are derived for determining feasible movement directions and step lengths. Computational results are promising since the CPU time required to run the heuristic is small and the solutions compared favorably with solutions generated by standard nonlinear programming software.