Modelling and scheduling analysis of multi-cluster tools with residency constraints based on time constraint sets

• Published in: International journal of production research Vol. 51; no. 16; pp. 4835 - 4852
• Main Authors: Liu, Ming-Xiang, Zhou, Bing-Hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 01.08.2013; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Algorithms; Flexibility; Linear programming; Mathematical models; Mathematical problems; modelling; Modules; multi-cluster tools; multiple wafer product types; Nonlinear programming; Optimization; Production scheduling; Programming; residency constraints; Scheduling; Scheduling algorithms; Simulation; Studies; time constraint set; Transportation problem (Operations research); Wafers
• ISSN: 0020-7543; 1366-588X
• DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2013.774490

This paper is dedicated to the scheduling problem of multi-cluster tools with process module residency constraints and multiple wafer product types. The problem is formulated as a non-linear programming model based on a set of time constraint sets. An effective algorithm called the time constraint sets based (TCSB) algorithm is presented as a new method to schedule the transport modules to minimise the makespan of a number of wafers. In approach, time constraint sets are maintained for all the resources and necessary operations to exploit the remaining production capacities during the scheduling process. To validate the proposed algorithm on a broader basis, a series of simulation experiments are designed to compare our TCSB algorithm with the benchmark with regard to cluster factor, configuration flexibilities and the variation of the processing times and residency constraint times. The results indicate that the proposed TCSB algorithm gives optimal or near optimal scheduling solutions in most cases.