Treffer: Scheduling parallel mixed-model assembly lines with cross-line item transfers.

This paper investigates a system of parallel, identical assembly lines, where items can either remain on the same line or transfer to another line. The objective is to minimise the makespan or a cost function. First, the system is analysed under deterministic assumptions using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. The effects of transfers and in-transfer storage on the makespan are examined. Then, a Markov Decision Process (MDP) solution is introduced for stochastic conditions, where item arrivals and process times are uncertain. An MDP-based heuristic is developed to handle large-scale systems with many stages. Its performance, which considers both the makespan and transfer costs, is compared with a simplified myopic method. Results indicate that the makespan increases with the process time variability by 13% in the MILP model and 16% in the MDP solution. Transfers improve performance, reducing makespan by an average of 10%, both by the MILP and the MDP. In the deterministic case, both transfers and in-transfer storage lead to notable improvements, with makespan reductions of 5% to 13%. In the stochastic case, the number of stages and the transfer cost parameter affect the choice of the best policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Production Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Volltext ist im Gastzugang nicht verfügbar. Melden Sie sich für Vollzugriff an.