Scheduling Method for Steelmaking and Continuous Casting Production Based on Heuristic Algorithm and Variable Neighborhood Search Algorithm

Abstract

Modern large-scale steelmaking and continuous casting is usually composed of multiple converters, refining furnaces, continuous casting machines, multi-stage refining and reentrant line, which leads to the difficult scheduling. A mixed integer programming model is established to minimize the waiting time for all charges, and a variable neighborhood search algorithm is proposed to solve the problem. In order to improve the quality of the initial scheduling solution, heuristic scheduling rules are used to generate the initial solution. Six different neighborhood structures are designed and are constructed to generate the neighborhood solution to ensure the feasibility of neighborhood solution and improve search efficiency. On this basis, a scheduling method for steelmaking and continuous casting production is designed based on heuristic algorithm and variable neighborhood search algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed method can obviously shorten the waiting time by using actual steelmaking and continuous casting production data.