Analyzing the effects of family-based scheduling rule on reducing capacity loss of single machine with uncertain job arrivals

For a single finite-capacity machine that can process several product types of jobs, uncertainties in job arrival time and product type can make the calculation of required setup time and the setting of output target very complicated. Setup activities may cause wastage in machine capacity and extend job lead time. In such circumstances, the family-based scheduling rule (FSR) can be used to reduce setup frequency and amount of setup time. To efficiently evaluate the effects on capacity-saving, both expected setup time and service time are estimated by the FSR analytic models. The effect of FSR in reducing setup time and capacity loss is explored further by comparing the results with FIFO rule. Finally, the performances of the developed analytic models for estimating setups and setup time are evaluated in the experimental design, and a simulation model is built for accuracy comparisons with the analytic models. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.