Memetic Algorithm for a Kind of Production and Assembly Integration Optimization Problem

This paper studies a production-assembly integrated optimization problem (PAIOP) with the criterion of minimizing the completion time. Since PAIOP consists of two sub-problems, namely, re-entrant permutation flow-shop scheduling problem (RPFSSP) and the type E simple assembly line balancing problem (SALBP-E). Utilizing these two systems in conjunction within a production framework can enhance industrial flexibility and robustness. Firstly, we investigated the SALBP-E and proposed a priority-based assembly method. Secondly, a memetic algorithm is designed to deal with the PAIOP. Extensive experiments and computational comparisons are conducted to confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of MA in solving PAIOP.