Ranking of scheduling rule combinations in a flexible manufacturing system using preference selection index method

Abstract

This paper focuses on scheduling decision problems of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) using simulation modelling and analysis. A typical FMS configuration is considered for the study. A discrete-event simulation model is developed for the purpose of experimentation. In this study, various scheduling rules are used for the decisions such as part launching, part routing and part sequencing. The performance of the system is evaluated using the measures such as mean flow time, mean tardiness, percentage of tardy parts, mean utilisation of machines and mean work-in-process. Based on the overall performance score, the combinations of scheduling rules for part launching, part routing and part sequencing decisions are ranked using the preference selection index method.