Heuristic scheduling of jobs on a multi-product batch processing machine

In this paper we study a scheduling problem on a batch processing machine, i.e. on a processor that can manufacture a set of jobs simultaneously. The scheduling objective is to determine the batches of jobs of different types and their loading sequence to fully utilize the processor and to minimize the tool replacing and setting up times. The schedule is subject to some physical and technological constraints due both to the machine capacity and to the limited number of tools at its disposal. The attention given to this problem is motivated by a recurrent scheduling problem occurring in the production management of a typical shoe factory, which is considered as a case study. The paper gives an efficient heuristic procedure leading to a solution close to the optimal one.