The design and implementation of a shop-floor scheduling system

An implemented scheduling system designed to improve the control of the manufacture of grinding wheels is described. Trucks are loaded with a complex mix of wheel types and fired for several days in kilns. Previous practice involved significant delays and very long lead-times and great variability in performance. A HOGUS simulation and the OPT philosophy were used to devise an appropriate planning routine which was tested alongside existing practices and implemented with a 13% reduction of lead times, an improvement in due date performance (60% to 97%), more accurate planned due dates and a major (19%) increase in kiln utilization.