Applying Job Shop Scheduling to SMEs Manufacturing Platform to Revitalize B2B Relationship

A small and medium enterprises(SMEs)manufacturing platform aims to perform as a significant revenue to SMEs and vendors by providing scheduling and monitoring capabilities.The optimal job shop scheduling is generated by utilizing the scheduling system of the platform,and a minimum production time,i.e.,makespan decides whether the scheduling is optimal or not.This scheduling result allows manufacturers to achieve high productivity,energy savings,and customer satisfaction.Manufacturing in Industry 4.0 requires dynamic,uncertain,complex production environments,and customer-centered services.This paper proposes a novel method for solving the difficulties of the SMEs manufacturing by applying and implementing the job shop scheduling system on a SMEs manufacturing platform.The primary purpose of the SMEs manufacturing platform is to improve the B2B relationship between manufacturing companies and vendors.The platform also serves qualified and satisfactory production opportunities for buyers and producers by meeting two key factors:early delivery date and fulfillment of processing as many orders as possible.The genetic algorithm(GA)-based scheduling method results indicated that the proposed platform enables SME manufacturers to obtain optimized schedules by solving the job shop scheduling problem(JSSP)by comparing with the real-world data from a textile weaving factory in South Korea.The proposed platform will provide producers with an optimal production schedule,introduce new producers to buyers,and eventually foster relationships and mutual economic interests.

Integrated and Intelligent Manufacturing： Perspectives and Enablers

With ever-increasing market competition and advances in technology, more and more countries are prioritizing advanced manufacturing technology as their top priority for economic growth. Germany announced the Industry 4.0 strategy in 2013. The US government launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership （AMP） in 2011 and the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation （NNMI） in 2014. Most recently, the Manufacturing USA initiative was officially rolled out to further ＂leverage existing resources... to nurture manufacturing innovation and accelerate commercialization＂ by fostering close collaboration between industry, academia, and government partners. In 2015, the Chinese government officially published a 10- year plan and roadmap toward manufacturing： Made in China 2025. In all these national initiatives, the core technology development and implementation is in the area of advanced manufacturing systems. A new manufacturing paradigm is emerging, which can be characterized by two unique features： integrated manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing. This trend is in line with the progress of industrial revolutions, in which higher efficiency in production systems is being continuously pursued. To this end, 10 major technologies can be identified for the new manufacturing paradigm. This paper describes the rationales and needs for integrated and intelligent manufacturing （i2M） systems. Related technologies from different fields are also described. In particular, key technological enablers, such as the Intemet of Things and Services （IoTS）, cyber-physical systems （CPSs）, and cloud computing are discussed. Challenges are addressed with applica- tions that are based on commercially available platforms such as General Electric （GE）＇s Predix and PTC＇s ThingWorx.