The book familiarizes the reader with the flexible assembly systems planning and scheduling issues and various operations research modelling and solution approaches. Some of the many topic highlights presented are the overall structure and components of a flexible assembly system, bi-objective integer programming models and algorithms for machine loading, assembly routing, and assembly plan selection, and fast combinatorial heuristics for scheduling flexible assembly lines with limited intermediate buffers. Also the book deals with just-in-time scheduling of flexible assembly lines, and dynamic dispatching algorithms for simultaneous scheduling of assembly stations and automated guided vehicles.

This book focuses on the design of Robotic Flexible Assembly Cell (RFAC) with multi-robots. Its main contribution consists of a new effective strategy for scheduling RFAC in a multi-product assembly environment, in which dynamic status and multi-objective optimization problems occur. The developed strategy, which is based on a combination of advanced solution approaches such as simulation, fuzzy logic, system modeling and the Taguchi optimization method, fills an important knowledge gap in the current literature and paves the way for future research towards the goal of employing flexible assembly systems as effectively as possible despite the complexity of their scheduling.

Pinedo is a major figure in the scheduling area (well versed in both stochastics and combinatorics) , and knows both the academic and practitioner side of the discipline. This book includes the integration of case studies into the text. It will appeal to engineering and business students interested in operations research.

With the approach of the 21st century, and the current trends in manufacturing, the role of computer-controlled flexible manufacturing an integral part in the success of manufacturing enterprises. will take Manufacturing environments are changing to small batch (with batch sizes diminishing to a quantity of one), larger product variety, produc tion on demand with low lead times, with the ability to be 'agile.' This is in stark contrast to conventional manufacturing which has relied on economies of scale, and where change is viewed as a disruption and is therefore detrimental to production. Computer integrated manufac turing (CIM) and flexible manufacturing practices are a key component in the transition from conventional manufacturing to the 'new' manu facturing environment. While the use of computers in manufacturing, from controlling indi vidual machines (NC, Robots, AGVs etc.) to controlling flexible manu facturing systems (FMS) has advanced the flexibility of manufacturing environments, it is still far from reaching its full potential in the environment of the future. Great strides have been made in individual technologies and control of FMS has been the subject of considerable research, but computerized shop floor control is not nearly as flexible or integrated as hyped in industrial and academic literature. In fact, the integrated systems have lagged far behind what could be achieved with existing technology.

A unified, systematic approach to applying mixed integer programming solutions to integrated scheduling in customer-driven supply chains Supply chain management is a rapidly developing field, and the recent improvements in modeling, preprocessing, solution algorithms, and mixed integer programming (MIP) software have made it possible to solve large-scale MIP models of scheduling problems, especially integrated scheduling in supply chains. Featuring a unified and systematic presentation, Scheduling in Supply Chains Using Mixed Integer Programming provides state-of-the-art MIP modeling and solutions approaches, equipping readers with the knowledge and tools to model and solve real-world supply chain scheduling problems in make-to-order manufacturing. Drawing upon the author's own research, the book explores MIP approaches and examples-which are modeled on actual supply chain scheduling problems in high-tech industries-in three comprehensive sections: Short-Term Scheduling in Supply Chains presents various MIP models and provides heuristic algorithms for scheduling flexible flow shops and surface mount technology lines, balancing and scheduling of Flexible Assembly Lines, and loading and scheduling of Flexible Assembly Systems Medium-Term Scheduling in Supply Chains outlines MIP models and MIP-based heuristic algorithms for supplier selection and order allocation, customer order acceptance and due date setting, material supply scheduling, and medium-term scheduling and rescheduling of customer orders in a make-to-order discrete manufacturing environment Coordinated Scheduling in Supply Chains explores coordinated scheduling of manufacturing and supply of parts as well as the assembly of products in supply chains with a single producer and single or multiple suppliers; MIP models for a single- or multiple-objective decision making are also provided Two main decision-making approaches are discussed and compared throughout. The integrated (simultaneous) approach, in which all required decisions are made simultaneously using complex, monolithic MIP models; and the hierarchical (sequential) approach, in which the required decisions are made successively using hierarchies of simpler and smaller-sized MIP models. Throughout the book, the author provides insight on the presented modeling tools using AMPL® modeling language and CPLEX solver. Scheduling in Supply Chains Using Mixed Integer Programming is a comprehensive resource for practitioners and researchers working in supply chain planning, scheduling, and management. The book is also appropriate for graduate- and PhD-level courses on supply chains for students majoring in management science, industrial engineering, operations research, applied mathematics, and computer science.

One critical barrier leading to successful implementation of flexible manufacturing and related automated systems is the ever-increasing complexity of their modeling, analysis, simulation, and control. Research and development over the last three decades has provided new theory and graphical tools based on Petri nets and related concepts for the design of such systems. The purpose of this book is to introduce a set of Petri-net-based tools and methods to address a variety of problems associated with the design and implementation of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), with several implementation examples.There are three ways this book will directly benefit readers. First, the book will allow engineers and managers who are responsible for the design and implementation of modern manufacturing systems to evaluate Petri nets for applications in their work. Second, it will provide sufficient breadth and depth to allow development of Petri-net-based industrial applications. Third, it will allow the basic Petri net material to be taught to industrial practitioners, students, and academic researchers much more efficiently. This will foster further research and applications of Petri nets in aiding the successful implementation of advanced manufacturing systems.