Tabu Search Strategies in Scheduling Problem in Flexible Manufacturing System - Considering Tool Switches and Number of Setups

In this paper it’s investigated the impact of the Tabu List size, neighborhood generation approach and the managing of the decision variables of the Objective Function in the quality of a Tabu Search solution to the Scheduling Problem applied to a Flexible Manufacturing System. It was used a Part Scheduling Model, which starts with qualitatively different initial solutions that yields experiments in which it’s observed the Tabu List size influence in the results quality, according to the pre-defined Objective Function variables contribution. This Model creates a schedule in a Flexible Manufacturing System, considering resident tooling concepts, production turns, Part Selection, Machine Magazine Constraints and Due-dates. Numerical results show relations among neighborhood strategies and the Tabu List size behavior considering initial solutions and contribution managing of the Objective Function variables.