Solving multiple Hoist scheduling problems by use of simulated annealing

The multiple Hoist schedule problem is a critical issue in the design and control of many manufacturing processes. When the Hoist number and station number are very large, finding the optimal schedule is very hard. In this paper, the mathematical model of multiple Hoist schedule problem is discussed and a heuristic method about it is proposed by use of simulated annealing. A large number of random examples indicate that this heuristic method is very useful, and satisfactory solutions can be obtained with a small amount of computation.