An IP Formulation for a Machine-Sequencing Problem to Minimize Job Deviations and Set-Ups

Abstract

The maximum deviation machine-sequencing problem with set-ups is a short-term decision problem in which a sequence of plastic outer-shell car parts are to be determined for launching in a paint shop. The decision is made under two objectives. On the one hand, the deviation between the original job number in the called off sequence by the customer and the position on which the job is painted should be minimized. On the other hand, the number of set-ups that occur when changing the colour in the paint shop should also be minimized. The situation is taken from a real-world situation of a supplier in the German automotive industry. Due to the large number of authentic influences, the problem is described in detail and classified according to existing characterizations of scheduling problems. An IP formulation is presented that is solved by the constraint method. Finally, an example is explained and computational results discussed.