We consider the NP-hard no-wait flowshop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times to minimize makespan. We propose a hybrid heuristic which combines the iterated greedy process with local search method based on a block swap operator. Experimental results show that the proposed heuristic is comparatively more effective than the existing metaheuristics.

One of the most important assumptions in production scheduling is that the machines are permanently available without any breakdown. In the real world of scheduling, machines can be made unavailable due to various reasons such as preventive maintenance and unpredicted breakdown. In this paper, we explore flowshop configuration under the assumption of condition-based maintenance to minimize expe...

This paper investigates how to adapt a discrepancy-based search method to solve two-stage hybrid flowshop scheduling problems in which each stage consists of several identical machines operating in parallel. The objective is to determine a schedule that minimizes the makespan. We present an adaptation of the Climbing Depth-bounded Discrepancy Search (CDDS) method based on Johnson’s rule and on ...

We treat the n-job, two-stage hybrid flowshop problem with one machine in the first stage and two different machines in parallel in the second stage. The objective is to minimize the makespan. We demonstrate that the problem is NP-complete. We formulate a dynamic program, which is beyond our grasp for problems of more than 15 jobs. We have conducted experimentation to evaluate the time performa...

This paper presents a genetic algorithm for a scheduling problem frequent in printed circuit board manufacturing: a hybrid flowshop with unrelated machines, sequence dependent setup time and machine availability constraints. The proposed genetic algorithm is a modified version of previously proposed genetic algorithms for the same problem. Experimental results show the advantages of using new c...

We address a complex scheduling problem arising in the wood panel industry with the objective of minimizing a quadratic function of job tardiness. The proposed solution strategy, which is based on an effective genetic algorithm, has been coded and implemented within a major Tunisian company, leader in the wood panel manufacturing. Preliminary experimental results indicate significant decrease o...

In this paper a hybrid genetic and harmony search algorithm is proposed to find the possible best sequence of operation solutions for hybrid flow shop scheduling problems. In this work the problem is considered with respect to the objective of minimization of makespan. Hybrid flow shop scheduling problem is considered for the sequencing of jobs in a hybrid flow shop with two or more identical m...

In this work, we introduce the Flowshop Scheduling Problem with Delivery Dates and Cumulative Payoffs. This problem is a variation of the flowshop scheduling problem with job release dates that maximizes the total payoff with a stepwise job objective function. This paper contributes towards proposing a mathematical formulation for this new problem and an original constructive heuristic. Additio...