Modified Shifting Bottleneck Heuristic for Scheduling Problems of Large-Scale Job Shops

A modified shifting bottleneck algorithm was proposed to solve scheduling problems of a large-scale job shop.Firstly,a new structured algorithm was employed for sub-problems so as to reduce the computational burden and suit for large-scale instances more effectively.The modified cycle avoidance method,incorporating with the disjunctive graph model and topological sort algorithm,was applied to guaranteeing the feasibility of solutions with considering delayed precedence constraints.Finally,simulation experiments were carried out to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the modified method.The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can solve the large-scale job shop scheduling problems(JSSPs) within a reasonable period of time and obtaining satisfactory solutions simultaneously.

Performance of bottleneck shifting for remanufacturing system considering returns' quality grading

Aimed at the remanufacturing system, the effect of the uncertainty of returns＇ quality on bottleneck shifting is investigated. A novel definition of bottleneck station is presented and the probability of a station becoming a bottleneck is also given. By calculating the effective output, the effective operation time （EOT） and the ratio of EOT of each station, the system＇s current bottleneck of effective output time is determined. By calculating the probability coefficient of variation and index of bottleneck shifting, the quantitative performance of bottleneck shifting is obtained. Discrete event simulation and the experiment design method are adopted to simulate the system, in which the proportion of quality grading, repair rates and process routes are considered. The case study shows that the uncertainty of returns＇ quality greatly increases the probability of bottleneck shifting, and with the increase of the discrete degree of the returns＇ repair rate, the bottleneck shifting phenomenon is more obvious. Furthermore, bottleneck shifting is closely related to the process route of the dominating returns＇ quality grade.

Modified bottleneck-based heuristic for large-scale job-shop scheduling problems with a single bottleneck

A modified bottleneck-based （MB） heuristic for large-scale job-shop scheduling problems with a welldefined bottleneck is suggested, which is simpler but more tailored than the shifting bottleneck （SB） procedure. In this algorithm, the bottleneck is first scheduled optimally while the non-bottleneck machines are subordinated around the solutions of the bottleneck schedule by some effective dispatching rules. Computational results indicate that the MB heuristic can achieve a better tradeoff between solution quality and computational time compared to SB procedure for medium-size problems. Furthermore, it can obtain a good solution in a short time for large-scale jobshop scheduling problems.

Dynamic Prediction Method of Production Logistics Bottleneck Based on Bottleneck Index

In modern manufacturing pattern, there are many uncertain factors in the modern manufacturing process, such as changes of product attribute, changes of manufacturing resources＇ state, and so on, which cause production logistics bottleneck frequently shift, and make decisions of production planning and control based on formed bottleneck deviated from practical production process. Considering these factors, present researches mainly apply afterwards control to optimize production process to passively adapt to bottleneck changes If the direction of bottleneck shifting can be accurately forecasted, the transition from afterwards control of chasing bottleneck to beforehand control can be realized. Therefore, aiming at the phenomenon of production logistics bottleneck shifting under uncertain manufacturing circumstances, this paper starts off with dynamic property of capability and requirement and then builds the concepts of bottleneck degree and bottleneck index to describe dynamic bottleneck characteristic of production unit; taken production capability, production load and quality assurance capability into consideration, mathematical model of bottleneck index is established to measure bottleneck degree accurately, consequently, quantitative research on mechanism of production logistics shifting is achieved. Based on bottleneck index, the prediction model of production logistics bottleneck is founded to predict dynamic change of bottleneck accurately. Finally, an example of forecasting and monitoring the production logistics bottleneck in one manufacturing shop is given to testify the validation and practicability of the prediction method.

A New Local Search Algorithm for the Job Shop Scheduling Problem

In this paper, the job shop scheduling problem concerned with minimizing make\|span is discussed, and a new local search algorithm is proposed for it. This local search method is based on an improved shifting bottleneck procedure and Tabu Search technique. This new local search is different from the previous Tabu Search (TS) proposed by other authors, which is because the improved shifting bottleneck procedure is a new technology that is provided by us for the problem, and two remarkable strategies--intensification and diversification of TS are modified. To demonstrate the performance, our algorithm has been tested on many common problem instances (benchmarks) with various sizes and levels of hardness and compared with other algorithms, especially the latest TS in the literatures. Computational experiments show that this algorithm is effective and efficient.