Constraint Programming Approach to Designing Conflict-free Schedules for Repetitive Manufacturing Processes

A problem of designing conflict-free schedules for concurrent repetitive manufacturing processes using resources in mutual exclusion is considered. Processes that share resources can wait for resources (machines) required to complete successive operations in their production routes. Systems of processes sharing only one resource are considered. A problem of finding operation times and starting times of the processes for which a schedule exists, with no process waiting for access to the shared resource has been solved using the constraint programming (CP) approach. The necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of conflict-free schedules have been implemented in the Oz/Mozart constraint programming system used to find the schedules.