A heuristic algorithm for the loading problem in flexible manufacturing systems

The paper considers the loading problem in flexible manufacturing systems. This problem involves the assignment to the machine tools of all operations and associated cutting tools required for part types that have been selected to be produced simultaneously. The loading problem is first formulated as a linear mixed 0-1 program with the objective to minimize the greatest workload assigned to each machine. A heuristic procedure is presented in which an assignment of operations to machine tools is obtained by solving a parameterized generalized assignment problem with an objective function that approximates the use of tool slots required by the operations assigned to the machines. The algorithm is coded in FORTRAN and tested on an IBM-compatible personal computer. Computational results are presented for different test problems to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the suggested procedure.