Dealing with disruptions in low-volume manufacturing: a constraint programming approach

Abstract

Unexpected events can compromise the execution of the production schedule in low-volume assembly lines. When a disruption occurs because of a delayed part supply, a quality problem or an operator absence, a reactive scheduling approach should be used in a short time in order to prevent significant deviations in final performances. In this study, we propose a new approach based on constraint programming to deal with disruptions. It is tested on a large dataset of problem instances and the obtained results are discussed.