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An improved branch-and-bound algorithm to minimize the weighted flowtime on identical parallel machines with family setup times

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Abstract

This article investigates identical parallel machines scheduling with family setup times. The objective function being the weighted sum of completion times, the problem is known to be strongly NP-hard. We propose a constructive heuristic algorithm and three complementary lower bounds. Two of these bounds proceed by elimination of setup times or by distributing each of them to jobs of the corresponding family, while the third one is based on a lagrangian relaxation. The bounds and the heuristic are incorporated into a branch-and-bound algorithm. Experimental results obtained outperform those of the methods presented in previous works, in term of size of solved problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LOSI-ICD CNRS FRE 2848, Université de technologie de Troyes, Troyes, France

    Belgacem Bettayeb, Imed Kacem & Kondo H. Adjallah

Authors
  1. Belgacem Bettayeb
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  2. Imed Kacem
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  3. Kondo H. Adjallah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kondo H. Adjallah.

Additional information

This work was supported in part by Regional Council of Champagne-Ardenne (France).

Belgacem Bettayeb is currently a Ph.D candidate in industrial systems engineering at the Engineering National School of Sfax (Tunisia). He received M.S. degree in optimization and systems safety in 2005 and his engineering degree in industrial systems in 2004 from the University of Technology of Troyes (France). In 2000, he received the high studies of technology degree in electrical engineering from the High Institute of Technological Studies of Radès (Tunisia). His research interests are maintenance, scheduling and industrial systems optimization.

Imed Kacem received the engineering degree from the ENSAIT (France) and his M.S. degree from the University of Lille 1 (France) both in 2000 and the Ph.D. degree in 2003 in Control and Computer Science (flexible job-shop scheduling) from the Ecole Centrale de Lille, France. He is currently Associate Professor and HDR (Research Director) at the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT). He is leading research activities with the Charles Delaunay Institute, at UTT, in the Research Group for Optimization of Industrial Systems. His research interests include combinatorial optimization, scheduling, transportation systems and maintenance. He is author of more than 80 publications in referred journals, conferences, books and chapters of books. He is associate editor for European Journal of Industrial Engineering and Journal of Industrial Systems Engineering. He was Organization Chairman of ICSSSM06 and WAC/ISIAC06. He is listed in “Who’s Who in the World”.

Kondo H. Adjallah received the M.S. degree in electrical engineering and automation control engineering from the University of Nancy 1, France, in 1989 and the Ph.D. degree in 1993 in electrical engineering (diagnosis of dynamic systems) from the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine, France. He is currently Associate Professor and HDR (Research Director) at the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), France, where he was responsive for the engineers training program to Management of Industrial Facilities. He is leading research activities with the Charles Delaunay Institute, at UTT, in the Research Group for Optimization of Industrial Systems. His research interests include methods of real-time management of diagnosis, forecasting of networked distributed systems and predictive maintenance. In 2006 he was a Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Nuclear Engineering, NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Intelligent Maintenance Systems. He is leading the international cooperative research network for the mastering the durable infrastructures of development (MID). He is also member of the IEEE Society.

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Bettayeb, B., Kacem, I. & Adjallah, K.H. An improved branch-and-bound algorithm to minimize the weighted flowtime on identical parallel machines with family setup times. J. Syst. Sci. Syst. Eng. 17, 446–459 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11518-008-5065-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11518-008-5065-y

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