Intelligent simulation‐based scheduling of workcells: an approach

In recent years, many firms have rediscovered the importance of scheduling on the shopfloor. Within the manufacturing functions, scheduling remains among the most important and challenging tasks that must be performed routinely. Developing a schedule involves designating the resources needed to execute each operation of the process routeing plan and assigning the times at which each operation in the routeing will start and finish execution. The trend of current scheduling technology is towards a combination of the three common approaches; OR‐based, simulation‐based and AI‐based. Presents a hybrid approach using simulation‐based scheduling and a neural network to solve the detailed scheduling problem. Develops the neural network to analyse the complex information as well as orders coming on the shopfloor, and suggests candidate scheduling rules to the simulation model. The simulation model then uses the rules to schedule the orders on hand. The work is set against a backdrop of a currently operating flexible manufacturing cell.