Robust scheduling and control technique for time-variant batch production systems

Various studies have identified problems with schedule adherence within the manufacturing community. This paper describes a practical technique devised to address these problems in the process/batch production area which is one outcome from EUREKA project EU358, called `FORCAST´. The use of a discrete-event based scheduler to generate schedules over a planning period is described. The scheduler adopts a parallel approach to schedule building to avoid the pitfalls associated with the more usual serial approach. The paper then details a technique to evaluate the schedule robustness horizon, which indicates the period over which a time-variant batch production system will respond to an applied schedule in a predictable manner-thus the time to re-schedule or apply other control effort is indicated