A constructive heuristic for total flowtime minimization in a no-wait flowshop with sequence-dependent setup times

In this paper, we addressed the problem of scheduling jobs in a no-wait flow shop with sequence-dependent setup times with the objective of minimizing the total flow time. As this problem is well-known for being NP-hard, we present a new constructive heuristic, named QUARTS, in order to obtain good approximate solutions in a short CPU time. QUARTS breaks the problem in quartets in order to minimize the total flow time. The method was tested with other literature methods: BAH and BIH by Bianco et al. (1999) [6], TRIPS, by Brown et al. (2004) [7] and the metaheuristic Iterated Greedy with Local Search proposed by Ruiz and Stützle (2007) [25]. The computational results showed that IG_LS obtained the best results and QUARTS presented the best performance regarding other constructive heuristics.     

Modeling realistic hybrid flexible flowshop scheduling problems

This paper aims to contribute to the recent research efforts to bridge the gap between the theory and the practice of scheduling by modelizing a realistic manufacturing environment and analyzing the effect of the inclusion of several characteristics in the problem formulation. There are several constraints and characteristics that affect the scheduling operations at companies. While these constraints are many times tackled in the literature, they are seldom considered together inside the same problem formulation. We propose a formulation along with a mixed integer modelization and some heuristics for the problem of scheduling n jobs on m stages where at each stage we have a known number of unrelated machines. The jobs might skip stages and, therefore, we have what we call a hybrid flexible flowshop problem. We also consider per machine sequence-dependent setup times which can be anticipatory and non-anticipatory along with machine lags, release dates for machines, machine eligibility and precedence relationships among jobs. Manufacturing environments like this appear in sectors like food processing, ceramic tile manufacturing and several others. The optimization criterion considered is the minimization of the makespan. The MIP model and the heuristics proposed are tested against a comprehensive benchmark and the results evaluated by advanced statistical tools that make use of decision trees and experimental designs. The results allow us to identify the constraints that increase the difficulty.     

Minimizing total tardiness in a two-machine re-entrant flowshop with sequence-dependent setup times

We consider a two-machine re-entrant flowshop scheduling problem in which all jobs must be processed twice on each machine and there are sequence-dependent setup times on the second machine. For the problem with the objective of minimizing total tardiness, we develop dominance properties and a lower bound by extending those for a two-machine re-entrant flowshop problem (without sequence-dependent setup times) as well as heuristic algorithms, and present a branch and bound algorithm in which these dominance properties, lower bound, and heuristics are used. For evaluation of the performance of the branch and bound algorithm and heuristics, computational experiments are performed on randomly generated instances, and results are reported.     

Solving a bi-objective flowshop scheduling problem by a Multi-objective Immune System and comparing with SPEA2+ and SPGA

This paper presents a bi-objective flowshop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times. The objective functions are to minimize the total completion time and the total earliness/tardiness for all jobs. An integer programming model is developed for the given problem that belongs to an NP-hard class. Thus, an algorithm based on a Multi-objective Immune System (MOIS) is proposed to find a locally Pareto-optimal frontier of the problem. To prove the efficiency of the proposed MOIS, different test problems are solved. Based on some comparison metrics, the computational results of the proposed MOIS is compared with the results obtained using two well-established multi-objective genetic algorithms, namely SPEA2+ and SPGA. The related results show that the proposed MOIS outperforms genetic algorithms, especially for the large-sized problems.     

A fuzzy-mixed-integer goal programming model for a parallel-machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and release dates

This paper presents a new mixed-integer goal programming (MIGP) model for a parallel-machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and release dates. Two objectives are considered in the model to minimize the total weighted flow time and the total weighted tardiness simultaneously. Due to the complexity of the above model and uncertainty involved in real-world scheduling problems, it is sometimes unrealistic or even impossible to acquire exact input data. Hence, we consider the parallel-machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent set-up times under the hypothesis of fuzzy processing time's knowledge and two fuzzy objectives as the MIGP model. In addition, a quite effective and applicable methodology for solving the above fuzzy model are presented. At the end, the effectiveness of the proposed model and the denoted methodology is demonstrated through some test problems.     

Two-agent two-machine flowshop scheduling with learning effects to minimize the total completion time

We study a two-agent scheduling problem in a two-machine permutation flowshop with learning effects. The objective is to minimize the total completion time of the jobs from one agent, given that the maximum tardiness of the jobs from the other agent cannot exceed a bound. We provide a branch-and-bound algorithm for the problem. In addition, we present several genetic algorithms to obtain near-optimal solutions. Computational results indicate that the algorithms perform well in either solving the problem or efficiently generating near-optimal solutions.     

A two-machine flowshop problem with two agents

The multiple-agent scheduling problems have received increasing attention recently. However, most of the research focuses on deriving feasible/optimal solutions or examining the computational complexity of the intractable cases in a single machine. Often a number of operations have to be done on every job in many manufacturing and assembly facilities (Pinedo, 2002 [1]). In this paper, we consider a two-machine flowshop problem where the objective is to minimize the total completion time of the first agent with no tardy jobs for the second agent. We develop a branch-and-bound algorithm and simulated annealing heuristic algorithms to search for the optimal solution and near-optimal solutions for the problem, respectively.     

A new heuristic for scheduling the two-stage flowshop with additional resources

This paper deals with the problem of preemptive scheduling in a two-stage flowshop with parallel unrelated machines at the first stage and a single machine at the second stage. At the first stage, jobs use some additional resources which are available in limited quantities at any time. The resource requirements are of 0–1 type. The objective is the minimization of makespan. The problem is NP-hard. Heuristic algorithms are proposed which solve to optimality the resource constrained scheduling problem at the first stage of the flowshop, and at the same time, minimize the makespan in the flowshop by selecting appropriate jobs for simultaneous processing. Several rules of job selection are considered. The performance of the proposed heuristic algorithms is analyzed by comparing solutions with the lower bound on the optimal makespan. The extensive computational experiment shows that the proposed heuristic algorithms are able to produce near-optimal solutions in short computational time.     

Parallel machine scheduling with flexible resources

Parallel machine flexible resource scheduling (PMFRS) problems consider an additional flexible resource (e.g. operators), which can be freely allocated to any jobs and/or any machines and may speed-up the process in proportion to its amount. If job–machine assignment is unspecified, the problem is referred to as unspecified PMFRS (UPMFRS). This paper reviews the mathematical models of both PMFRS and UPMFRS problems in the literature and not only gives some extensions to the model of dynamic PMFRS problem but also presents integer programming (IP) models for static and dynamic UPMFRS problems with the objective of minimizing makespan. To solve large-sized dynamic PMFRS and UPMFRS problems, a relaxed IP based constraint programming (CP) approach is also proposed. All IP models and the proposed IP/CP approach are tested with an extensive computational study. The results of the computational experiments are discussed with respect to the major parameters of the problem and conclusions are drawn.     

Two-machine robotic cell scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times

In this paper, we introduce a new and practical two-machine robotic cell scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times (2RCSDST) along with different loading/unloading times for each part. Our objective is to simultaneously determine the sequence of robot moves and the sequence of parts that minimize the total cycle time. The proposed problem is proven to be strongly NP-hard. Using the Gilmore and Gomory (GnG) algorithm, a polynomial-time computable lower bound is provided.     

带运输考虑的多阶段动态可重入混合流水车间调度

可重入混合流水车间调度允许一个工件多次进入某些加工阶段,它广泛出现在许多工业制造过程中,如半导体制造、印刷电路板制造等.本文研究了带运输时间的多阶段动态可重入混合流水车间问题,目标是最小化总加权完成时间.针对该问题,建立了整数规划模型,进而基于工件解耦方式提出了两种改进的拉格朗日松弛(LR)算法.在这些算法中,设计了动态规划的改进策略以加速工件级子问题的求解,提出了异步次梯度法以得到有效的乘子更新方向.测试结果说明了所提出的两种改进算法在解的质量和运行时间方面均优于常规LR算法,两种算法都能在可接受的计算时间内得到较好的近优解.     

Two-machine flowshop scheduling with conditional deteriorating second operations

This paper considers a flowshop‐scheduling problem with a waiting time constraint imposed to restrict the processing of the two operations of each job. If the second operation of a job cannot start within a specified waiting time after the completion of its first operation, then an extra processing time will be incurred for its second operation as a penalty. We first show that even a greatly restricted version of the problem is strongly ????‐hard. We then develop an O(n²) algorithm to determine the makespan of a processing sequence of the jobs.     

Integrating non-preemptive open shops scheduling with sequence-dependent setup times using advanced metaheuristics

In this article, we consider non-preemptive open shops scheduling problem (OSSP) where setup times are sequence-dependent (SDST) on each machine to minimize makespan. The contributions of this article are threefold. Firstly, we incorporate a very practical assumption in our problem, SDST, which, according to Allahverdi et al. (2008) [Allahverdi, A., Ng, C. T., Cheung, T. C. E., & Kovalyov, Y. M. (2008). A survey of scheduling problems with setup times or costs. European Journal of Operational Research, 187(3), 985–1032], no paper has ever attempted to integrate into OSSP. Secondly, we propose two new advanced metaheuristics: multi-neighborhood search simulated annealing and hybrid simulated annealing to tackle the problem at hand. Thirdly, for the first time, we adapt two well-known constructive heuristics: longest total processing time and longest total remaining processing from the literature so as to consider the case of SDSTs. We also apply genetic algorithm from the literature of OSSP to embrace the concepts of SDST. Since there is no standard SDST-OSSP benchmark, we make certain adaptations on the Taillard’s benchmark [Taillard, E. (1993). Benchmarks for basic scheduling problems. European Journal of Operational Research, 64, 278–285] to include setup times. An experimental design based on foregoing benchmark is conducted to evaluate the competitiveness and robustness of our proposed algorithm against some effective algorithms in the literature. The obtained results strongly support the high performance of our proposed algorithms with respect to other well-known heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms.     

The two-machine flowshop no-wait scheduling problem with a single server to minimize the total completion time

This work studies the scheduling problem where a set of jobs are available for processing in a no-wait and separate setup two-machine flow shop system with a single server. The no-wait constraint requires that the operations of a job have to be processed continuously without waiting between two machines. The setup time is incurred and attended by a single sever which can perform one setup at a time. The performance measure considered is the total completion time. The problem is strongly NP-hard. Optimal solutions for several restricted cases and some properties for general case are proposed. Both the heuristic and the branch and bound algorithms are established to tackle the problem. Computational experiments indicate that the heuristic and the branch and bound algorithm are superior to the existing ones in term of solution quality and number of branching nodes, respectively.     

MIP formulation and heuristics for multi-stage capacitated lot-sizing and scheduling problem with availability constraints

In this paper, the problem of lot-sizing and scheduling of multiple product types in a capacitated flow shop with availability constraints for multi-period planning horizon is considered. In many real production systems, machines may be unavailable due to breakdowns or preventive maintenance activities, thus integrating lot-sizing and scheduling with maintenance planning is necessary to model real manufacturing conditions. Two variants are considered to deal with the maintenance activities. In the first, the starting times of maintenance tasks are fixed, whereas in the second one, maintenance must be carried out in a given time window. A new mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is proposed to formulate the problem with sequence-dependent setups and availability constraints. The objective is to find a production and preventive maintenance schedule that minimizes production, holding and setup costs. Three MIP-based heuristics with rolling horizon framework are developed to generate the integrated plan. Computational experiments are performed on randomly generated instances to show the efficiency of the heuristics. To evaluate the validity of the solution methods, problems with different scales have been studied and the results are compared with the lower bound. Computational experiments demonstrate that the performed methods have good-quality results for the test problems.     

Scheduling with dependent setups and maintenance in a textile company

This paper deals with a scheduling problem with machine maintenance in a textile company. In the production system, the sequence-dependent setup time of a job cannot be ignored when a switch between two different jobs occurs. This study presents a heuristic to minimize the completion time, or equivalently the total setup time subject to periodic maintenance and due dates. The performance of the heuristic is evaluated by comparing its solution with the solution of the branch-and-bound algorithm. The real data are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the heuristic.     

Two-machine flowshop scheduling with truncated learning to minimize the total completion time

Scheduling with learning effects has received a lot of research attention lately. However, the flowshop setting is relatively unexplored. On the other hand, the actual processing time of a job under an uncontrolled learning effect will drop to zero precipitously as the number of jobs increases. This is rather absurd in reality. Motivated by these observations, we consider a two-machine flowshop scheduling problem in which the actual processing time of a job in a schedule is a function of the job’s position in the schedule and a control parameter of the learning function. The objective is to minimize the total completion time. We develop a branch-and-bound and three simulated annealing algorithms to solve the problem. Computational results show that the proposed algorithms are efficient in producing near-optimal solutions.     

Two–machine flowshop minimum–length scheduling problem with random and bounded processing times

We address the two–machine flowshop scheduling problem to minimize makespan where jobs have random and bounded processing times. The probability distributions of job processing times are unknown and only the lower and upper bounds of processing times are given before scheduling. In such cases there may not exist a unique schedule that remains optimal for all possible realizations of processing times, and therefore, a set of schedules has to be considered which dominates all other schedules. In this paper, we find some sufficient conditions for the considered problem.     

The distributed permutation flowshop scheduling problem

This paper studies a new generalization of the regular permutation flowshop scheduling problem (PFSP) referred to as the distributed permutation flowshop scheduling problem or DPFSP. Under this generalization, we assume that there are a total of F identical factories or shops, each one with m machines disposed in series. A set of n available jobs have to be distributed among the F factories and then a processing sequence has to be derived for the jobs assigned to each factory. The optimization criterion is the minimization of the maximum completion time or makespan among the factories. This production setting is necessary in today's decentralized and globalized economy where several production centers might be available for a firm. We characterize the DPFSP and propose six different alternative mixed integer linear programming (MILP) models that are carefully and statistically analyzed for performance. We also propose two simple factory assignment rules together with 14 heuristics based on dispatching rules, effective constructive heuristics and variable neighborhood descent methods. A comprehensive computational and statistical analysis is conducted in order to analyze the performance of the proposed methods.     

Job shop scheduling with setup times, deadlines and precedence constraints

In the last 15 years several procedures have been developed that can find solutions of acceptable quality in reasonable computing time to Job Shop Scheduling problems in environments that do not involve sequence-dependent setup times of the machines. The presence of the latter, however, changes the picture dramatically. In this paper we adapt one of the best known heuristics, the Shifting Bottleneck Procedure, to the case when sequence dependent setup times play an important role. This is done by treating the single machine scheduling problems that arise in the process as Traveling Salesman Problems with time windows, and solving the latter by an efficient dynamic programming algorithm. The model treated here also incorporates precedence constraints, release times and deadlines. Computational experience on a vast array of instances, mainly from the semiconductor industry, shows our procedure to advance substantially the state of the art. Paper presented in New York at MISTA 2005. E. Balas supported by the National Science Foundation through grant DMI-9802773 and by the Office of Naval Research through contract #N00014-97-1-0133.