Scheduling Algorithms Using Metaheuristics for Production Processes with Crane Interference

This paper proposes scheduling algorithms using metaheuristics for production processes in which cranes can interfere with each other. There are many production processes that involve cranes in manufacturing industry, such as in the steel industry, so a general purpose algorithm for this problem can be of practical use. The scheduling problem for this process is very complicated and difficult to solve because the cranes must avoid interfering with each other plus each machine has its own operational constraints. Although several algorithms have been proposed for a specific problem or small-scale problem, general purpose algorithms that can be solved in real time (about 30 minutes or less) in the company’s production planning work have not been developed for large-scale problems. This paper develops some metaheuristic algorithms to obtain suboptimal solutions in a short time, and it confirms their effectiveness through computer experiments.