Auction-based distributed scheduling and control scheme for flexible manufacturing systems

An auction-based algorithm for real-time scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems with alternate routings is presented. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated by comparing it with various priority rules via simulation. The framework was built on a model developed by MacChiaroli and Riemma in 2002. The cost function of the original model was modified to incorporate ‘time’ as the primary criterion. The coefficients in the cost function were calibrated to improve the effectiveness of the approach. A software environment that included various Visual Basic® modules and the simulation package Promodel® were developed to implement the concept. The model was compared with typical priority rules on the basis of average tardiness, average lateness, average due date deviation, utilization balance, average throughput, average wait time and total cost. Analysis of the results showed that the auction-based approach outperformed the priority rules on most performance measures. The study concluded with a discussion on future research on auction-based models and on their application in the area of flexible manufacturing systems.