Agent-based flow-shop modelling in dynamic environment

This article studies a multiple-objective flow-shop modelling and scheduling problem by multi-agent system (MAS) in a production context characterized by diversified, high-volume production mix. The analysed flow shop is characterised by multi-machine workstations, transfer batches, sequence-depende...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Production planning & control 2014-01, Vol.25 (2), p.110-122
Main Authors: Savino, Matteo M., Mazza, Antonio, Neubert, Gilles
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agents (artificial intelligence)
Business administration
dynamic flow shop
Economics and Finance
Humanities and Social Sciences
Information systems
Job shops
multi-agent system
Production scheduling
re-entrant jobs
scheduling
Studies
Work in process
Work stations
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Summary:This article studies a multiple-objective flow-shop modelling and scheduling problem by multi-agent system (MAS) in a production context characterized by diversified, high-volume production mix. The analysed flow shop is characterised by multi-machine workstations, transfer batches, sequence-dependent setup times and possible re-entrant jobs. The agent-based model is structured from the current flow-shop configuration, defining the main entities and related events to realize the most possible flexible model. After a description of entities and their states, the agent framework with state diagrams is implemented through Jade platform. The system is provided with a simulation-based environment to test it in two main production scenarios including re-entrant jobs and failures. A coordination mechanism between agents and a dedicated scheduling algorithm managed by the MAS allowed to front this kind of events optimising concurrent objectives like work in process, Makespan and buffer queues.
ISSN:0953-7287
1366-5871
DOI:10.1080/09537287.2013.782946