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Multi-level production scheduling for a class of flexible machining and assembly systems

  • Chapter 3 Production Scheduling
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Abstract

A class of machining and assembly systems characterised by a flat assembly component structure, the existence of families of similar items, non-negligible setups and fast material flow between work-centres is considered. A hierarchical production scheduling framework is proposed for this class of systems. The decision problems at each level of the hierarchy are identified and formulated. The formulations constitute a sufficiently accurate reflection of reality, while at the same time leading to tractable mathematical models that can be handled by carefully chosen and adapted optimisation techniques. The models can, when combined with suitable knowledge bases form the core of an effective multi-pass, hierarchical decision support system. Possible srategies for coordinating the various decision problems at the different levels of the hierarchy are also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Decision Technologies Group, Computation Department, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, UK

    E. Toczylowski, K. S. Hindi & M. G. Singh

Authors
  1. E. Toczylowski
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  2. K. S. Hindi
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  3. M. G. Singh
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Additional information

This work was supported by the ACME Directorate of the Science and Engineering Research Council of the United Kingdom, Grant No. GR/D 51476, and was carried out in collaboration with Lucas Aerospace (Engines Division), Shaftmoor Lane, Birmingham, U.K.

On leave from Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of Automatic Control, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665 Warszawa, Poland.

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Toczylowski, E., Hindi, K.S. & Singh, M.G. Multi-level production scheduling for a class of flexible machining and assembly systems. Ann Oper Res 17, 163–180 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02096603

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