An extension of the model for the problem of workpiece scheduling in a flexible manufacturing cell

This paper proposes an extension to the 1993 model presented by Teixeira for scheduling workpieces in a flexible manufacturing cell (FMC). In that case, Teixeira modelled the problem as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) and introduced a robot as the transport device for the workpieces. The extension consists in considering that each job requires a set of different tools to be executed and that the FMC's central tool magazine is loaded with one tool of each type. This approach is interesting when one considers the case of tools being so expensive that it is preferable to increase the production length rather than buy additional tooling. A small example problem is solved and the resulting Gantt charts are shown.