Single machine common flow allowance scheduling with a rate-modifying activity

In this paper we consider single machine SLK due date assignment scheduling problem with a rate-modifying activity. In this model, the machine has a rate-modifying activity that can change the processing rate of machine under consideration. Hence the actual processing times of jobs vary depending on whether the job is scheduled before or after the rate-modifying activity. We need to make a decision on when to schedule the rate-modifying activity, the optimal common flow allowance and the sequence of jobs to minimize total earliness, tardiness and common flow allowance cost. We introduce an efficient (polynomial time) solution for this problem. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.