中間作業を伴う2機械自動生産システムの最適スケジューリング

抄録

This paper deals with scheduling problems of minimizing the maximum completion time (i. e., the makespan) for automated manufacturing systems in which n jobs are processed on two machine centers M_a and M_b in this order, and there is an intermediate washing station (WS) between M_a and M_b, which is also used for storing the jobs completed on M_a (work-in-process, WIP). The job transportation between M_a and WS is done by a robot R_TA and the job transportation between WS and M_b by another robot R_TB. This paper gives an algorithm that can efficiently solve the problem exactly even when the job loading/unloading times are non-negligible and the job washing times are job-dependent. Furthermore, this paper gives more efficient algorithms for the special cases in which the washing station is set in input AS/RS (Automated Storage/ Retrieval System) or output AS/RS so only one transportation robot is necessary.