Scheduling unrelated parallel machines with a common server and sequence dependent setup times

Abstract

In this article we consider the problem of scheduling unrelated parallel machines with sequence dependent setup times and a common server subject to unavailability periods. The problem is inspired by the industrial context of a manufacturer that produces mechanical parts for hydraulic and electrical sector. The originality resides in the fact that the common server, used for setup of all machines have fixed unavailability periods, rarely considered in the literature. We have formulated the problem by a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). We executed different tests of the MILP, to study the influence of each parameter on the resolution time. The preliminary results show that, while the algorithm presented takes exponential time to solve, it can be used to give effective schedules for small size problems and can be used as a basis for heuristic approaches.