Optimization of Scheduling of Automated Guided

Vehicles in FMS
Under the supervision of
Dr.A.K.Madan
Faculty, Dept of Production engg

Presented by
Gayathri Devi K
PhD scholar
2k16/phd/me/61

What is FMS?
A flexible manufacturing
system is an automated
machine cell, consisting of
a group of processing
workstations,
interconnected
with
automated
material
handling
and
storage
system.
The FMS is most suited for
the
mid-variety,
midvolume production range

What makes it flexible???

Three capabilities that a manufacturing
system must possess to be a flexible.
1. The
ability
to
identify
and
distinguish among the different part
styles processed by the system.
2. Quick changeover of operating
instructions, and
3. Quick changeover of physical setup.

Basic components of FMS

Workstations
Automated Material Handling and Storage
systems

Computer Control System

Material Transport Equipment

Industrial trucks
AGVs
Robots
Monorails and other rail guided vehicles
Conveyors
Cranes and hoists

What is AGV?
An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a driverless
material handling system used for horizontal
movement of materials.

Increase efficiency and reduce costs by helping to

automate a manufacturing facility or warehouse.

AGVs are employed in nearly every industry,

including, paper, metals, newspaper and general
manufacturing.

They follow guidance circuits connecting various

workstations in the warehouse

The usage of AGVs will pay off for environments with repeating transportation
patterns.
Examples of these environments are

Distribution
Warehouses and cross docking centers are examples of distribution

areas.

Trans-shipment
At transshipment systems, such as container terminals, AGVs take care

of the transport of products between the various modes of transport. AGVs are
used in these areas for the internal transport of, for example, pallets between the
various departments, such as receiving, storage, sorting and shipment areas.

Importance of AGVS
An AGV is a material handling equipment that travels on a
network of guide paths.

The FMS is composed of various cells, also called working

stations, each with a specific function such as milling, washing,
or assembly.

Each cell is connected to the guide path network by a pickup/delivery (P/D) station where pallets are transferred from/to
the AGVs.

Pallets of products are moved between the cells by the AGVs.

The guide path is composed of aisle segments on which the
vehicles are assumed to travel at a constant speed.

The vehicles can travel forward or backward. As many

vehicles travel on the guide path simultaneously, collisions
must be avoided.

The AGVs effectiveness depends on several factors,

among them a well-designed vehicle management
whose functions are:
(1) Dispatching the process of selecting and
assigning tasks to automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
(2) Routing the process of selecting specific paths
taken by AGVs.
(3) Scheduling the process of determining the
arrival and departure dates.

Three types of algorithms

for AGVs problems

1.For general path topology

static methods- where an entire path remains occupied until a

vehicle completes its route
time-window based methods- where a path segment may be used
by different vehicles during different time-windows
dynamic methods- where the utilization of any segment of path is
dynamically determined during routing rather than before as with
categories (1a) and (1b).
2.For path optimization and
3.For specific path topologies.

Research Areas in AGVS

Design and control issues
New analytical and simulation models need to be
developed for large AGV systems to overcome large
computation times, NP completeness, congestion,
deadlocks and delays in the system and finite
planning horizons.

Different methodologies to optimize AGV

systems for the two significant problems of
scheduling and routing at manufacturing,
distribution, trans-shipment and
transportation systems.

What is Scheduling?
FMS scheduling problems include determining
the optimal input sequence of parts and an
optimal sequence at each machine tool given
the current part mix.

Scheduling is one of the most complex aspects

of FMS

Optimizing the scheduling of tasks is a tedious

task, so computers are used to optimize the
scheduling

Types of Scheduling Objectives

The objectives are decided upon the situation, market demands, company
demands and the customers satisfaction. There are two types for the
scheduling objectives :
[1] Minimizing the makespan
[2] Due date based cost minimization
The objectives considered under the minimizing the make span are,
(a) Minimize machine idle time
(b) Minimize the in process inventory costs
(c) Finish each job as soon as possible
(d) Finish the last job as soon as possible
The objectives considered under the due date based cost minimization are,
(a) Minimize the cost due to not meeting the due dates
(b) Minimize the maximum lateness of any job
(c) Minimize the total tardiness
(d) Minimize the number of late jobs

Parameters of job characteristics in scheduling

S. No.

Parameter types

Description

Pre-emptive condition

It means that processing may be

interrupted and resumed later.
With pre-emption, a job or
operation may be interrupted
several times. If job or operation
splitting is not allowed, then it is
without pre-emption.

Precedence relationship

If the jobs or operations of a job

are to be processed strictly in a
specific sequence, then the jobs
or operations are constrained with
precedence relationship

Processing time

It may either be deterministic

(predictable exactly before the
production run) or stochastic (vary
during production run)

Release dates

It specifies the job arrival pattern,

whether it is all available at the
starting of the scheduling period
or arrive in future

Due dates

It indicates the time at which the

jobs are to be delivered

Parameters of optimality criterion in

scheduling
S.
No.

Parameter types

Description

Makespan related

1.Finish the last job

as soon as possible
2.Finish each job as
soon as possible
3.Maximize
machine utilization

Due date related

1.Minimize the
number of late jobs
2.Minimize the
total tardiness
3.Minimize the
maximum lateness
of any jobs

Objective functions for scheduling and

routing problems
Scheduling

1. Makespan
2 Total (Weighted)
Completion Time
3 (Weighted) Mean Flow
Time
4 Mean Waiting Time
5 Lateness
6 Tardiness

Routing

1. The global transportation

cost
2. Drivers and vehicles fixed
costs
3. Number of vehicles and/or
drivers
4. Balancing of the routes
5. Penalties for not/partially
served customers

Types of Methodology

Mathematical programming
These are the formulation with a set of equation that represents the constraints and the objective criteria.

Branch-Bound algorithm
It is based on the idea of intelligently enumerating the feasible solutions with lower and upper bounds.

Priority rules
These are simple sequencing rules that specify the queue discipline.

Heuristics
These algorithms rely on rules of thumb. Any approach without formal guarantee of performance can be
considered heuristic.

Local search

LITERATURE SURVEY

AUTHOR

YEAR

METHODOLOGY

OBJECTIVE
FUNCTION

RESULTS

1.

Zhao,
Chunwei
Wu, Zhiming

2001

Genetic Algorithm

To
reduce
tardiness

In this a genetic algorithm

with the concepts of virtual
and
real
operations
are
introduced.
Chromosome
coding and genetic operators
of GAs are defined during the
problem solving. A minimum
weighted tardiness objective
function is used to define
code fitness, which is used
for
selecting
species
and
producing a new generation
of codes. Finally, they have
given several experimental
results.

2.

Kumar, R
Tiwari, M K
Shankar, R

2003

Ant
colony
optimization

3.

Noorul Haq,
A.
Karthikeyan,
T.

2003

Simulated annealing
and modified GA

The
proposed
solution
procedure applies a graphbased
representation
technique with nodes and
arcs representing operation
and transfer from one stage
of processing to the other.
Various
features
like
stagnation
avoidance
and
prevention
from
quick
convergence
have
been
incorporated in the proposed
algorithm so that the nearoptimal solution is obtained
for
the
FMS
scheduling
problem, which is considered
as a non-polynomial (NP)hard problem
Minimize
make span.
Minimize the

The integrated scheduling of

FMS, namely, the production
scheduling conforming to the
MHS
scheduling,
is

Jerald, J.
Asokan, P.
Prabaharan,
G.
Saravanan,
R.

2005

Genetic
algorithm
(GA),
simulated
annealing
(SA)
algorithm, memetic
algorithm (MA) and
particle
swarm
algorithm (PSA)

1.minimising
the idle time
of
the
machine
2.minimising
the
total
penalty cost
for
not
meeting
the
deadline
concurrently

The authors have written the

software
in
C
language.
Results are obtained for three
types of problems: 10 jobs 8
machines,
20
jobs
15
machines and 43 jobs 16
machines. Results obtained
by the different approaches
are
compared
and
the
performances are analysed.
Particle swarm algorithm is
found to be superior and
gives the minimum combined
objective function.

Jerald, J.
Asokan, P.
Saravanan,
R.
Rani,
A.
Delphin
Carolina

2006

Adaptive GA

Minimizing
penalty cost
and
minimizing
machine idle
time

The
designed
scheduling
procedure
with
adaptive
genetic algorithm software
was
developed
in
C
programming
language
to
conduct experiments. This
nearest to optimal schedule
for the FMS obtained by the
AGA
procedure
was
compared to the sequence
obtained by GA. For the
experimental problem, the
sequence obtained by the
AGA gives a minimum total
penalty cost as well as a
comparatively
lower
minimum machine idleness
(i.e.
maximum
system
utilization),
and
thus
a
minimum COF,

Srinoi, P.
Shayan, E.
Ghotb, F.

2006

Fuzzy
Approach

Logic

Average
machine
utilisation,
meeting due
dates, setup
times, work
in
process
and
mean
flow times

The job priority relationships

for assigning operations to
machines and relationships
for a set of due dates and
setup times of jobs have been
developed
mathematically
and exemplified. Several
experiments were conducted
to investigate the feasibility
and effectiveness of the
proposed
method.
These
examples
demonstrate
positive improvement and
promising
results.
The
performance of the new
approach is superior to that of
existing methods when using
the same data.

Izakian,
Hesam
Ladani,
Behrouz T.
Zamanifar,
Kamran
Abraham,
Ajith

2009

Discreet
Particle
Swarm
Optimization

Minimizing
make
span
and flow time

The performance of the

proposed
method
was
compared with the fuzzy
PSO through carrying out
exhaustive simulation tests
and
different
settings.
Experimental results show
that the proposed method
outperforms fuzzy PSO.

8
2009
Gnanavel
Babu, a.
Jerald, J.
Noorul Haq,
A.
Muthu
Luxmi, V.
Vigneswaral
u, T.P.

Fatos Xhafa,
Javier
Carretero

Differential
Evolution

Scheduling
of machines
and
scheduling of
AGVs.
Minimize
make span

2009

Taboo search

Minimization
of
the
makespan
and flowtime

The purpose of this work is

to make AGV scheduling an
integral
part
of
the
scheduling activity, actively
participating
in
the
specification of the off-line
schedule. The computational
results have indicated that the
differential
evolution
algorithm is very effective in
generating optimal solutions
for FMS.
The computational results
show that the TS scheduler
outperforms
Ritchies
implementations for most of
the considered instances at
far inferior executions times.
Additionally, TS has also
been tested in more realistic
frameworks (larger static and
dynamic
instances),
outperforming also previous
approaches.

10

11

Udhayakuma
r, P.
Kumanan, S.

2010

Li-Ning
Xing ,

2009

Ying-Wu
Chen,
Peng
Wang, QingSong
Zhao,
Jian Xiong

Ant
colony
optimization,
Genetic algorithm

Knowledge
ACO

based

to find the
near
optimum
schedule for
two
AGVs
based on the
balanced
workload and
the minimum
traveling
time
for
maximum
utilization

A scheduling procedure is
developed
for
the
task
scheduling of AGV with the
multiple
objective
of
balancing the AGVs and
minimizing the task times of
AGVs in an FMS. The nearoptimum schedules for the
combined objective function
are obtained by using GA and
ACO
algorithm
and
the
results are compared. The
result obtained by the ACO
algorithm is promising and
encouraging

Flexible Job
shop
scheduling

The performance of KBACO

was largely improved by
integrating the ACO model
with knowledge model. In
KBACO,
some
available
knowledge was learned from
the optimization of ACO by
the knowledge model, at the
same
time,
the
existing
knowledge was applied to
guide the cur- rent heuristic
searching of ACO. Final
experimental results indicate
that the proposed KBACO
algorithm outperforms some
published methods in the
quality of schedules.

11

Paslar,
Shahla
Ariffin,
M.K.a.
Tamjidy,
Mehran
Hong, Tang
Sai

2014

Biogeography-based
optimisation

integrating
the
assignment
of
appropriate
machine-tool
combination
to each partoperation and
sequencing
and timing of
those
partoperations
with
constraints

The proposed algorithm is

capable
to
obtain
optimal/suboptimal solutions
for the small- and mediumsized problems in limited
time. Constraints such as
limitation on set-up and
machining cost, number of
tool copy and parts due date
are imposed on the system.

12

Yin,
Yunqiang
Wu,
Wen
Hung
Cheng, T. C
E
Wu,
Chin
Chia
Wu,
Wen
Hsiang

2015

A
honey-bees
optimization
algorithm

To minimize
the weighted
sum of the
completion
times of the
jobs of one
agent
with
the restriction
that
the
maximum
late- ness of
the jobs of
the
other
agent cannot
exceed
a
given limit.

The authors considered a

two-agent
singe-machine
scheduling
problem
with
arbitrary job release dates. A
branch-and-bound
solution
scheme and a marriage of
honey-bees
optimization
algorithm is to solve the
problem
optimally
and
approximately.
Computational results show
that the BAB algorithm can
solve problem instances with
up to 24 jobs. The results also
show
that
the
MBO
algorithm performs quite well
in terms of both accuracy and
stability.

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Thank You