A Parallel Machine Scheduling Problem for a Plastic Injection Company

Abstract

In this study, a production planning and scheduling problem is carried out in a company operating in the plastic injection sector in Turkey. The scheduling problem is classified as unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times, including job-machine eligibility, common source and precedence constraints. The proposed solution methodology is based on weekly planning with order grouping and makespan minimization. As a result, a mixed integer programming model was formulated, and optimal results are obtained for a sample data set with real data received. A user-friendly Decision Support System (DSS) was created to help the company with the weekly production planning and scheduling process, applying a heuristic approach solution.