A new application of multi-criteria decision-making methods for the scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems: A case study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Article

Authors

1 - School of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran - Kingston Business School, Kingston University, Kingston Hill, Kingston Upon Thames, London, UK

2 School of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA

Abstract

With the growing use of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), it became more important to optimize them. Scheduling is one of the critical problems in FMS optimization. This study presents a new application of multi-criterion decision-making (MCDM) methods for scheduling problems of automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The problem addressed in this research refers to a situation, in which several orders from different job stations are submitted as a control system of AGVs. The research methodology consists of two steps. We first identify the criteria for finding the importance of jobs and then apply several MCDM methods (i.e., TOPSIS, VIKOR, and PROMRTHEE) to assign AGVs to the jobs. At last, we highlight the scheduling plan for AGVs using the mathematical formulation. This paper can bring some managerial insights not only for those who use an FMS but also for anyone who is working in the field of smart management. By scrutinizing the parameters and investigating the proposed methodology by a real-life case study, we highlight that the travel distance is significantly correlated with utilities. In other words, the more important are the jobs, the less distance is between jobs and AGVs.

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Scientia Iranica

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 May 2023

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 March 2022
  • Revise Date: 20 February 2023
  • Accept Date: 22 May 2023

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