A rule-based system for scheduling in a hybrid group technology environment.

Small to medium batch production has been traditionally characterized by the use of a functional layout, wherein machines of the same type are placed together in one area of the production facility. Group Technology (GT) has sought to gain several advantages over the functional layout by the creation of production cells. Each production cell in the pure GT environment is responsible for the production of a family of parts. However, the shift to a GT layout introduces workload imbalances across machines and cells. In addition, the dedication of certain machines to the production of a part family is appearing to be the cause of high queueing times. The twin problems of uneven machine utilization and long queues is addressed in this paper by the proposal of a rule-based system that will schedule jobs in a hybrid environment that incorporates key features of both the GT and functional layouts. A set of heuristic and priority rules is suggested, and the proposed testing of the model is discussed, along with its implications. (A)