Soft computing for parallel scheduling with setup times

A model of scheduling grouped jobs on identical parallel machines is discussed. The model assumes that a set-up time is incurred when a machine changes from processing one type of parts to a different type of parts, and the objective is to minimize the total flow time. The algorithm of fuzzy logic embedded genetic algorithm is developed to solve the problem. The efficiency of this approach is tested on several groups of random problems and shows that soft computing algorithm has potential for practical applications in larger scale production systems.