Integration of process planning and scheduling in a job shop environment

Today’s manufacturing systems are striving for an integrated manufacturing environment. To achieve truly computer-integrated manufacturing systems (CIMS), the integration of process planning and production scheduling is essential. This paper proposes a framework for integration of process planning with production scheduling in a job shop environment for axisymmetric components. Based on the design specifications of incoming parts, feasible process plans are generated taking into account the real time shop floor status and availability of machine tools. The scheduling strategy prioritizes the machine tools based on cost considerations.     

A class of hypothesis-test-based genetic algorithms for flow shop scheduling with stochastic processing time

As an important optimisation problem with a strong engineering background, stochastic flow shop scheduling with uncertain processing time is difficult because of inaccurate objective estimation, huge search space, and multiple local minima, especially NP-hardness. As an effective meta-heuristic, genetic algorithms (GAs) have been widely studied and applied in scheduling fields, but so far seldom for stochastic cases. In this paper, a hypothesis-test method, an effective methodology in statistics, is employed and incorporated into a GA to solve the stochastic flow shop scheduling problem and to avoid premature convergence of the GA. The proposed approach is based on statistical performance and a hypothesis test. It not only preserves the global search ability of a GA, but it can also reduce repeated searches for those solutions with similar performance in a statistical sense so as to enhance population diversity and achieve better results. Simulation results based on some benchmarks demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method by comparison with traditional GAs. The effects of some parameters on the performance of the proposed algorithms are also discussed .     

具有随机加工时间和机器故障的流水车间调度

不同的流水车间往往具有不同的生产方式,为提高调度方案对不同生产方式下随机因素的处理能力,重点考虑了2种生产方式下3种不同情况的随机调度。针对这3种情况,以最小化最大完工时间为目标,研究了具有随机加工时间和随机机器故障的置换流水车间调度问题,提出了处理不同生产方式下随机因素的3种计算方法,通过预测机器的期望故障时刻来计算每个任务的完工时间。采用启发式规则和遗传算法相结合的方法,确定出最佳调度方案,并进行了实验分析和比较。     

Ant colony system for job shop scheduling with time windows

Scheduling for a job shop production system is an integral aspect of production management. Scheduling operations must minimize stock, waste, and idle time and ensure on-time delivery of goods in a time window problem. In this study, due date is considered as an interval instead of a time point. This study addresses scheduling with a time window of job shop scheduling problem (JSP) and yields a solution that is close to the time window. The total penalty due to earliness and tardiness is minimized. As the problem is NP-hard, a mathematical model of the JSP with a time window is initially constructed, and data are then simulated. Solutions are obtained by ant colony optimization (ACO) programs written in C-language and are compared with the best solution obtained using LINGO 7.0 to determine the efficiency and robustness. Test results indicate that ACO is extremely efficient. Solution time using ACO is less than that using LINGO. Hence, ACO is both effective and efficient, which are two qualities stressed in business management.     

Flow shop scheduling with two batch processing machines and nonidentical job sizes

A batch processing machine can process several jobs simultaneously. In this research, we consider the problem of a two-stage flow shop with two batch processing machines to minimize the makespan. We assume that the processing time of a batch is the longest processing time among all the jobs in that batch and the sizes of the jobs are nonidentical. There is a limitation on batch sizes and the sum of job sizes in a batch must be less than or equal to the machine capacity. Since this problem is strongly nondeterministic polynomial time hard, we propose two heuristic algorithms. The first one is knowledge-based and the other is based on the batch first fit heuristic proposed previously. To further enhance the solution quality, two different simulated annealing (SA) algorithms based on the two constructive heuristics is also developed. Since heuristic methods for this problem has not been proposed previously, a lower bound is developed for evaluating the performance of the proposed methods. Several test problems have been solved by SAs and lower bound method and the results are compared. Computational studies show that both algorithms provide good results but the first SA (ARSA) algorithm considerably outperforms the second one (FLSA). In addition, the results of ARSA algorithm, optimal solutions, and lower bounds are compared for several small problems. The comparisons show that except for one instance, the ARSA could find the optimal solutions and the proposed lower bound provides small gaps comparing with the optimal solutions.     

考虑运输时间柔性作业车间调度问题的快速寻优方法

为了快速获得考虑运输时间的柔性生产调度问题的近优解,进行了快速寻优方法研究。采用运输时间矩阵对析取图模型进行改进,建立了设备选择的多阶段决策方法。建立了考虑运输时间的关键链优化方法,通过邻域搜索快速获得近优解。开发了调度实验系统对上述工作进行验证。实验结果表明,该方法可较稳定地获得近优调度解,并具有较好的计算效率。     

Hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm for job shop scheduling with due date time window and release time

This study intends to solve the job shop scheduling problem with both due data time window and release time. The objective is to minimize the sum of earliness time and tardiness time in order to reduce the storage cost and enhance the customer satisfaction. A novel hybrid meta-heuristic which combines ant colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), called ant colony–particle swarm optimization (ACPSO), is proposed to solve this problem. Computational results indicate that ACPSO performs better than ACO and PSO.     

Interval job shop scheduling problems

This paper focuses on the design and development of an expert system for on-line detection of various control chart patterns so as to enable the quality control practitioners to initiate prompt corrective actions for an out-of-control manufacturing process. Using this expert system developed in Visual BASIC 6, all the nine most commonly observed control chart patterns, e.g., normal, stratification, systematic, increasing trend, decreasing trend, upward shift, downward shift, cyclic, and mixture can be recognized well, employing an optimal set of seven shape features. Based on an observation window of 32 data points, it can plot the control chart, compute the control limits, identify the control chart pattern, calculate the process capability index, determine the maximum run length, and identify the starting point of the maximum run length. After pattern recognition, it can also inform the users about various root assignable causes associated with a particular pattern along with the necessary pre-emptive actions. It opens up wide opportunities for quality improvement and real-time applications in diverse manufacturing processes. This developed expert system is built for a vertical drilling process and its recognition performance is tested using simulated process data.     

Controllable processing time policies for job shop manufacturing system

The research presented concerns the policy to manage a job shop in which the machines have controllable processing times. A controllable processing time means that it can be reduced processing time by using additional resources. The model proposed is based on a multi-agent architecture that supports the manufacturing system. The policy proposed concerns the evaluation of the workload of the resources. It is necessary to define the following issues for the controllable time process of a resource: the condition of start and the duration of the process time reduction. Two approaches are proposed to assign the resources to the machines. The first approach concerns the reduction of the processing time one machine at time, while the second approach distributes the additional resources proportionally among the machines. A simulation environment is developed to test the proposed approach in several dynamic conditions. The simulation results show that the control of the processing times proposed allows to improve significantly the performance.     

Integrated and events-oriented job shop scheduling

When events such as rush orders or machine breakdown occurs during the production process in a job shop, the delivery date of order may be delayed. To solve this problem, an events-oriented job shop scheduling process is built, and a scheduling model integrated with an enterprise information system (EIS), including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Data Management/Computer Aided Process Planning (PDM/CAPP), etc., is proposed and analyzed in detail. A genetic algorithm and a hybrid allocation-based method are used in scheduling. Lastly, an events-oriented job shop scheduling simulation system is presented.     

Integrated and events-oriented job shop scheduling

When events such as rush orders or machine breakdown occurs during the production process in a job shop, the delivery date of order may be delayed. To solve this problem, an events-oriented job shop scheduling process is built, and a scheduling model integrated with an enterprise information system (EIS), including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Data Management/Computer Aided Process Planning (PDM/CAPP), etc., is proposed and analyzed in detail. A genetic algorithm and a hybrid allocation-based method are used in scheduling. Lastly, an events-oriented job shop scheduling simulation system is presented .     

Dynamic flexible job shop scheduling with alternative process plans: an agent-based approach

This paper studies a flexible job shop problem considering dynamic events such as stochastic job arrivals, uncertain processing times, and unexpected machine breakdowns. Also, the considered job shop problem has routing flexibility and process flexibility. A multi-agent scheduling system has been developed for solution with good quality and robustness. A pheromone-based approach is proposed for coordination among agents. The proposed multi-agent approach is compared with five dispatching rules from literature via simulation experiments to statistical analysis. The simulation experiments are performed under various experimental settings such as shop utilization level, due date tightness, breakdown level, and mean time to repair. The results show that the proposed agent-based approach performs well under all problem settings.     

Flexible job shop scheduling with tabu search algorithms

This paper presents a tabu search algorithm that solves the flexible job shop scheduling problem to minimize the makespan time. As a context for solving sequencing and scheduling problems, the flexible job shop model is highly complicated. Alternative operation sequences and sequence-dependent setups are two important factors that frequently appear in various manufacturing environments and in project scheduling. In this paper, we present a model for a flexible job shop scheduling problem while considering those factors simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to minimize the makespan time and to find the best sequence of operations and the best choice of machine alternatives, simultaneously. The proposed tabu search algorithm is composed of two parts: a procedure that searches for the best sequence of job operations, and a procedure that finds the best choice of machine alternatives. Randomly generated test problems are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Results of the algorithm are compared with the optimal solution using a mathematical model solved by the traditional optimization technique (the branch and bound method). After modeling the scheduling problem, the model is verified and validated. Then the computational results are presented. Computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm can produce optimal solutions in a short computational time for small and medium sized problems. Moreover, it can be applied easily in real factory conditions and for large size problems. The proposed algorithm should thus be useful to both practitioners and researchers.     

A study of the flexible job shop scheduling problem with parallel machines and reentrant process

This paper develops a scheduling algorithm for the job shop scheduling problem with parallel machines and reentrant process. This algorithm includes two major modules: the machine selection module (MSM) and the operation scheduling module (OSM). An order has several jobs and each job has several operations in a hierarchical structure. The MSM helps an operation to select one of the parallel machines to process it. The OSM is then used to schedule the sequences and the timing of all operations assigned to each machine. A real-life weapons production factory is used as a case study to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Due to the high penalty of delays in military orders, the on-time delivery rate is the most important performance measure and then makespan is the next most important measure. Well-known performance measures in the scheduling literature, such as maximum lateness and average tardiness, are also evaluated. The simulation results demonstrate that the MSM and OSM using the combination of earliest due date (EDD), the operations’ lowest level code (LLC) of the bill of materials (BOM), and the longest processing time (LPT) outperforms the other scheduling methods.     

随机工时下柔性加工车间的鲁棒优化调度方法

为了提高柔性加工车间调度方案的可行性、保障生产过程的稳定性,提出一种鲁棒优化调度方法。引入两个不确定参数来描述随机工时的波动程度和约束条件的允许违背程度,提出随机变量服从概率分布时一般线性规划问题的鲁棒优化方法。采用该方法将含随机工时而难以求解的随机型柔性加工车间调度模型转化为确定型鲁棒对等模型。基于该模型,将随机工时融入适应度函数中,结合遗传进化的全局优化和邻域搜索的空间拓展能力研制出鲁棒调度算法,同步实现工件排序和机器分配的双重决策。案例测试表明,所提方法可以在较短计算时间内、以较小性能损失、将近95%的置信度获得当前最优解。     

可变机器约束的模糊作业车间调度问题研究

在车间实际加工中,工件的加工时间和交货期是一个模糊数,而且工件的某道工序有多台机器可供选择。针对这类作业的车间调度,提出了以极大化最小客户满意度为指标的可变机器约束的模糊作业车间调度模型,并给出了算法设计。应用遗传算法在适应度函数处理中引入模糊数处理方法,解决作业车间模糊调度问题,实现调度优化。仿真实验结果表明了该调度方法的有效性,为可变机器约束的模糊作业车间调度提供了一种实现途径。     

Designing integrated cellular manufacturing systems with scheduling considering stochastic processing time

This paper addresses a new mathematical model for cellular manufacturing problem integrated with group scheduling in an uncertain space. This model optimizes cell formation and scheduling decisions, concurrently. It is assumed that processing time of parts on machines is stochastic and described by discrete scenarios enhances application of real assumptions in analytical process. This model aims to minimize total expected cost consisting maximum tardiness cost among all parts, cost of subcontracting for exceptional elements and the cost of resource underutilization. Scheduling problem in a cellular manufacturing environment is treated as group scheduling problem, which assumes that all parts in a part family are processed in the same cell and no inter-cellular transfer is needed. Finally, the nonlinear model will be transformed to a linear form in order to solve it for optimality. To solve such a stochastic model, an efficient hybrid method based on new combination of genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA) algorithm, and an optimization rule will be proposed where SA and optimization rule are subordinate parts of GA under a self-learning rule criterion. Also, performance and robustness of the algorithm will be verified through some test problems against branch and bound and a heuristic procedure.     

单件小批量生产作业计划的倒排产算法研究

提出一种用于单件小批量生产中编制作业计划的算法模型———倒排产算法 ,并建立一套包含此模型的作业计划及调度监控集成系统。在科龙等企业的生产部门进行实施 ,获得良好效果     

多目标模糊作业车间调度问题研究

研究了具有模糊加工时间和模糊交货期的多目标作业车间调度问题,首先给出了基于模糊优先规则的编码新方式,染色体的每一位表示在GT算法迭代过程中,对应机器上发生的某次冲突,根据该基因位对应的优先规则消除。然后设计了基于个体密集距离的多目标进化算法,该算法利用密集距离进行外部档案维护和适应度赋值。最后将多目标进化算法应用于模糊作业车间调度问题,以最大化最小一致指标和最小化模糊最大完成时间,并和其他算法比较。计算结果验证了多目标进化算法在模糊调度方面良好的搜索性能。     

基于滚动时域优化策略的柔性作业车间动态调度研究

根据传统柔性作业车间静态调度模型很难适应实际生产过程中动态性和不确定性的特点,通过对动态环境下柔性作业车间调度问题的研究,构建以生产系统最大完工时间最小为优化目标的数学模型。基于滚动时域优化基本框架,设计一种生产设备出现故障情况下周期和事件混合驱动的动态调度策略。同时,采用一种扩展的基于工序和设备双层染色体编码的遗传算法来对动态调度模型进行求解。最后,通过对某一具体生产车间实例进行仿真求解,验证该动态调度策略的可行性和有效性。