Using genetic algorithms (GA) and a coloured timed Petri net (CTPN) for modelling the optimization-based schedule generator of a generic production scheduling system

The semiconductor manufacturing industry is one of the most complicated manufacturing systems in the world. Considering its complex problem nature, such as the unrelated parallel machine environment, dynamic job arrival, non-pre-emption, inseparable sequence-dependent set-up time, multiple-resource requirements, general precedence constraint, and job recirculation, this study proposed the optimization-based schedule generator (OptSG) for solving the generalized scheduling problems arising from the semiconductor manufacturing environment. The separation of the problem structure and problem configuration in OptSG contributes to the structural independence, making OptSG robust and convenient in analysis and problem-solving in real settings with changing properties. Meanwhile, an MILP model was proposed as a benchmark to estimate the validity of OptSG. Inseparable sequence-dependent set-up time and multiple-resource requirements that have not been addressed simultaneously in the literature were considered in this model. By using different evaluation criteria, including makespan, total completion time and maximum tardiness, experiments were conducted to compare the solutions of the MILP model, OptSG and dispatching rule-based heuristics (DRBH). The results validated the solution quality of OptSG.