In this paper the problem of FMS machine loading is considered with the objective of minimizing the system imbalance using a simulated annealing (SA) approach. New job sequences are generated with a proposed perturbation scheme named the 'modified insertion scheme' (MIS). These sequences are used in the proposed simulated annealing algorithm to arrive at a near global optimum solution. A new approach for temperature variation in the SA algorithm is also suggested in which temperature is assumed to be parabolic. The SA algorithm using the proposed MIS and the assumed temperature variation proved to be giving substantial improvement in system imbalance as against conventional sequences.