ABSTRACT In shipyard operations, steel stockyards manage the intake, storage and distribution of raw materials. However, the inherent customisation of steel plates presents challenges such as inefficient outbound scheduling and elevated energy consumption. To address these issues, this study introduces a novel outbound scheduling model that comprehensively considers manufacturing orders and the current warehouse status during the outbound process. To solve this model, an improved ant colony optimisation algorithm, based on an energy consumption selection strategy (ECS-IACO), is proposed. The algorithm adopts a dynamic pheromone matrix and updates rules to address the complexity of high-dimensional state spaces. The energy consumption selection strategy is integrated into initialisation and state transitions, guiding and decisions throughout. Extensive numerical tests show that the ECS-IACO is robust and highly efficient in solving problems. In real-world scenarios tests, the ECS-IACO reduced energy use by up to 22% more than other algorithms, supporting sustainability efforts in business operations.
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