Job Shop Scheduling Focusing on Role of Buffer

Abstract

A scheduling problem is formulated in order to consistently manage each manufacturing resource, including machine tools, assembly robots, AGV, storehouses, material shelves, and so on. The manufacturing resources are classified into three types: producer, location, and mover. This paper focuses especially on the role of the buffer, and the differences among these types are analyzed. A unified scheduling formulation is derived from the analytical results based on the resource’s roles. Scheduling procedures based on dispatching rules are also proposed in order to numerically evaluate job shop-type production having finite buffer capacity. The influences of the capacity of bottle-necked production devices and the buffer on productivity are discussed.