Two-stage assembly-type flowshop batch scheduling problem subject to a fixed job sequence

• Published in: The Journal of the Operational Research Society Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 839 - 845
• Main Authors: Hwang, F J, Lin, B M T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis 01.06.2012; Palgrave Macmillan; Palgrave Macmillan UK; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Series: Journal of the Operational Research Society
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; assembly flowshop; batch scheduling; Business and Management; Decision making; Dynamic programming; Exact sciences and technology; Fires; fixed sequence; General Paper; General Papers; Information management; Inventory control, production control. Distribution; Job shops; Lateness; Machinery; Management; Mathematical programming; Objective functions; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Operations research; Operations Research/Decision Theory; Performance metrics; Production scheduling; Recursion; Scheduling; Scheduling, sequencing; Studies; batch scheduling; dynamic programming; assembly flowshop; fixed sequence; Assembly machine; Parallel machines; Makespan; Batch scheduling; Delay; Optimal decision; Production management; Batchwise; Batch process; Lateness; Batch production; Flow shop; Metric; Dynamic programming; Assembly
• DOI: 10.1057/jors.2011.90
• ISSN: 0160-5682

This paper discusses a two-stage assembly-type flowshop scheduling problem with batching considerations subject to a fixed job sequence. The two-stage assembly flowshop consists of m stage-1 parallel dedicated machines and a stage-2 assembly machine which processes the jobs in batches. Four regular performance metrics, namely, the total completion time, maximum lateness, total tardiness, and number of tardy jobs, are considered. The goal is to obtain an optimal batching decision for the predetermined job sequence at stage 2. This study presents a two-phase algorithm, which is developed by coupling a problem-transformation procedure with a dynamic program. The running time of the proposed algorithm is O(mn+n 5 ), where n is the number of jobs.