Simultaneous scheduling of workpieces, fixtures and cutting tools within flexible machining cells

The planning and scheduling of flexible machining cells is a problem of well-known complexity. Within such cells, the use of the latest computerized numerical control machining centres can be maximized through the timely provision of cutting tools and the effective management of the fixturing operations. This paper describes a novel concept for the simultaneous scheduling of the flow of workpieces, fixtures and cutting tools within flexible machining cells. Based on this concept and using a simulation based scheduling approach, a ‘multi-flow scheduling system’ has been generated. The paper describes this system and relates it to the potential benefits obtained by the integration of scheduling of these three principal manufacturing flows.