QUANTITATIVE MODELS FOR PLANNING AND SCHEDULING OF FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

Since the publication of the first articles on the planning problems in flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) proposed by Stecke and Solberg 1981 and Stecke 1983, much research has been devoted to the solution of these types of problems. This paper provides a survey of different approaches and models proposed in the literature to tackle the FMS planning and scheduling problems during the last ten years (between 1997 and 2007). The main goal of the survey is to see how the issues of FMS planning and scheduling are actually formalized in the proposed models. At the same time, it provides the basis for the evaluation of the areas for future research directions. Articles are classified into seven categories according to type of FMS problems. Some published articles provide frameworks to clarify different approaches and models to describe planning and scheduling problems in FMSs. Few focuses on proposing quantitative models can solve planning and scheduling problems.