Heuristic Model for Variable Sublots of Multiple Products in a Flow Shop

• Main Authors: En-Chang Chen, 陳英彰
• Other Authors: Shu-Chu Liu
• Format: Others
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/25417746423982590913

碩士 === 國立屏東科技大學 === 資訊管理系 === 91 === A technique known as lot streaming or lot splitting has received attention as a scheduling tool to help reduce makespan in a batch production environment. Lot streaming is the process of splitting a given lot or job to allow the overlapping of successive operations in multi-stage production systems, thereby reducing the makespan of the corresponding schedule. Recently, variable transfer batch models have received a lot of attentions. Trietsch and Baker proposed a variable transfer batch model for lot streaming that can deal with a three-machine problem to minimize the makespan (Trietsch and Baker, 1993). However, this model cannot solve multi-stage problems when machine (stage) number is more than three. Liu and Chen proposed a heuristic solution for this problem (Liu and Chen, 2001). However, the solution is only good for single product. Therefore, in this research, variable lot streaming for multiple products is proposed in a multi-stage flow shop environment. The procedure of this proposed model is as follows： (1) Determine the sequencing of products for machining. (2) Determine the transfer machines for each product and (3) Determine the transfer scope of variable lot streaming. Based on these three issues mentioned above, we propose several heuristic procedures for these models. At last, sensitivity analysis for different parameters will be performed and discussed.