An Ant-bidding Algorithm for Multistage Flowshop Scheduling Problem: Optimization and Phase Transitions.

In this chapter we present the integration of an ant-based algorithm with a greedy algorithm for optimizing the scheduling of a multistage plant in the consumer packaged goods industry. The multistage manufacturing plant is comprised of different stages: mixing, storage, packing and finished goods storage, and is an extension of the classic Flowshop Scheduling Problem (FSP).We propose a new algorithm for the Multistage Flowshop Scheduling Problem (MSFSP) for finding optimized solutions. Theschedulingmust provide both optimal and flexible solutions to respond to fluctuations in the demand and operations of the plants while minimizing costs and times of operation. Optimization of each stage in the plant is an increasingly complex task when considering limited capacity and connectivity of the stages, and the constraints they mutually impose on each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]