A Νew Heuristic Optimization Approach to the Single Hoist Cyclic Scheduling Problem

Abstract

This paper introduces an innovative heuristic optimization approach, referred to as Optimization Approach-Single Hoist Cyclic Scheduling Problem (OA-SHCSP), which aims to minimize the cycle time of the Single Hoist Scheduling Problem (SHCSP). The effectiveness of this proposed heuristic is compared with a previously established heuristic, the Earliest Starting Time (EST). The comparison results reveal that the proposed OA-SHCSP heuristic consistently outperforms the EST heuristic in minimizing cycle time, particularly when more than two products are produced simultaneously. Moreover, as the number of part tasks soaked during a cycle increases, OA-SHCSP demonstrates significantly improved computational efficiency over the EST heuristic. The reduction in average cycle time achieved by OA-SHCSP ranges from 28.73% to 60.29%, underscoring its effectiveness and potential for application in high-volume production environments.