Flowshop Scheduling Using a Network Approach

Abstract

In this paper, a network based formulation of a permutation flow shop problem is presented. Two nuances of flow shop problems with different levels of complexity are solved using different approaches to the linear programming formulation. Key flow shop parameters inclosing makespan of the flow shop problems were obtained without recourse to the traditional approach of using Gantt charts. The linear programming models of the flow shop problems considered were solved using LINGO 7.0. The present technique has been shown to be very effective and efficient.