Concurrent Methodology for Part Selection, Loading, and Routing Mix problems in Flexible Manufacturing System

Generally, a planning problem in a flexible manufacturing system is considered to be a composite of three interdependent tasks : part selection, loading, and routing mix. This research presents a mathematical model which can concurrently solve part selection, loading, and routing mix problems, so the problems that are caused by treating the planning problems independently are solved. The mathematical model is aimed to minimize system unbalance and the number of late parts, including constraints such as machine capacity, tool magazine capacity, and tool inventory. To illustrate the application of the model, an example is included. Solution procedure based on Lagrangian relaxation is also suggested for larger-sized problems.