Authors : Okolie Paul Chukwulozie, Okafor Emeka Christian and Chinwuko Emmanuel Chuka
Abstract: This research focuses on developing a production mix which will give maximum profit at the lowest input cost, it analyze various process time and profit margin for two bread industries in Eastern Nigeria namely, Premier bread industry and Stephens bread industry. Linear programming model was employed in determining production mix and associated total profit for the two bread industries. A simulator (referred here as BREADPROD) was programmed in the MATLABTM Graphic Users Integrated Development Environment (GUIDE) windows and used to validate the production mix and accrued total profit for the 2 bread industries. Both the simulator and LP model was subjected to various initial input conditions in bread production processes which include mixing, matching, molding and baking processes with 3 different sizes of bread loaves: the giant, the long and small loaves with reference to non-basic variables x1, x2, x3, respectively. The study gave a production mix of 51% giant loaf, 26% long loaf and 23% small loaf with a profit margin of over 100%. The analysis of LP model and the simulation which operates on GUIDE window of MATLABTM and runs on run on either cost minimization or profit maximization will help any bread industry to estimate the quantity of bread to be produced in order to maximize profit and minimize production cost. The model adopted gave 202 giant loaf size, 102 long loaf and 92 small loaf for the optimum process time production batch which corresponds with the results of BREADPROD simulator.
Okolie Paul Chukwulozie, Okafor Emeka Christian and Chinwuko Emmanuel Chuka, 2010. Optimal Production Mix for Bread Industries: A Case Study of Selected Bakery Industries in Eastern Nigeria. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5: 403-412.