A Survey of Machine Scheduling Problems with Blocking and No-Wait in Process

Abstract

An important class of machine scheduling problems is characterized by a no-wait or blocking production environment, where there is no intermediate buffer between machines. In a no-wait environment, a job must be processed from start to completion, without any interruption either on or between machines. Blocking occurs when a job, having completed processing on a machine, remains on the machine until a downstream machine becomes available for processing. A no-wait or blocking production environment typically arises from characteristics of the processing technology itself, or from the absence of storage capacity between operations of a job. In this review paper, we describe several well-documented applications of no-wait and blocking scheduling models and illustrate some ways in which the increasing use of modern manufacturing methods gives rise to other applications. We review the computational complexity of a wide variety of no-wait and blocking scheduling problems and describe several problems which remain open as to complexity. We study several deterministic flowshop, jobshop, and openshop problems and describe efficient and enumerative algorithms, as well as heuristics and results about their performance. The literature on stochastic no-wait and blocking scheduling problems is also reviewed. Finally, we provide some suggestions for future research directions.

Sequencing and Scheduling in Robotic Cells: Recent Developments

“…Such conditions are commonly seen in steel manufacturing or plastic molding, where the raw material must maintain a certain temperature, or in food canning to ensure freshness (Hall and Sriskandarajah, 1996). Results for no-wait cells can be found in Agnetis (2000), Agnetis and Pacciarelli (2000), Che, Chu, and Levner (2003), Hall and Sriskandarajah (1996), Kats and Levner (2002), and Levner, Kats, and Levit (1997).…”

Solving the no-wait job-shop problem by using genetic algorithm with automatic adjustment

“…This problem varies from its classic equivalent (through a classic equivalent, the job-shop problem with no constraints is understood) where the requirement of the beginning time of an operation should be exactly as that time when the technological predecessor finishes its operation execution. This constraint is very often met not only in those branches of industry where the transformed product changes quickly its physical-chemical properties, e.g., in drug production (Raaymakers and Hoogeveen [9]), foodstuff production (Hall and Sriskandarajah [6]), steel melting (Wismer [16]), or concrete elements manufacturing (Grabowski and Pempera [5]), but also in other branches like in semiconductors testing (Ovacik and Uzsoy [14]) or in computer systems (Reddi and Ramamoorth [10]). …”

Scheduling in Robotic Cells: Heuristics and Cell Design

“…A three-machine mobile-robot cell is illustrated by Hall et al (1997Hall et al ( ,1998. The machines are served by a central robot.…”

“…In §7, we provide a conclusion and some comments about related models. Hall (1999) provides an introduction to the use of operations research techniques for the planning, design, control, and analysis of robotic systems. Reviews of the literature related to robotic cells appear in Sethi et al (1992), Hall et al (1997), Crama (1997), and Sriskandarajah et al (1998).…”

“…Hall (1999) provides an introduction to the use of operations research techniques for the planning, design, control, and analysis of robotic systems. Reviews of the literature related to robotic cells appear in Sethi et al (1992), Hall et al (1997), Crama (1997), and Sriskandarajah et al (1998). Of particular relevance are the works of Drezner and Nof (1984), Wilhelm and Sarin (1985), Nof and Drezner (1986), Wilhelm (1987), and Crama and van de Klundert (1997).…”