A hybrid genetic algorithm for group scheduling with sequence dependent group setup time

This paper deals with group scheduling problems with sequence dependent group setup time in multi-stage manufacturing systems. In general, this problem is known as NP-complete and it still requires the development of practical new models and algorithms. The objective of this paper is to develop and evaluate a practical algorithm for determining the group sequence and the job sequence within each group in order to minimize the total tardiness in multi-stage manufacturing systems with sequence dependent group setup time. This paper proposes a hybrid genetic algorithm in which a genetic algorithm (GA) is used for determining the group sequence and a heuristic procedure is used for determining the job sequence in each group.