The application of Adaptive Genetic Algorithms in FMS dynamic rescheduling

Uncertainties in the production process would inevitably result in deviations from the existing schedule in flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). This paper tries to study the problem in an environment with realistic interruptions and a requirement of time-restricted response in rescheduling. In our paper, the rescheduling system is based on the records of a dynamic database (DDB). It is able to reform the up-to-date status of a disturbed system via summarizing the remaining resources and works in process (WIPs) precisely. By using it as the new initial state, the new schedule is configured smoothly in conjunction with the existing schedule to improve the efficiency of FMS at this critical instant. Considering both speed and economic benefit, an adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) is proposed for finding the new sub-optimal schedule of a large and complicated job shop FMS shortly after the interruption occurred. The AGA is designed to prevent the premature convergence and refine the performance of genetic algorithms in re-scheduling. During the AGA evolution process, the probabilities of crossover and mutation are varied, depending on both the fitness value and the normalized fitness distances between solutions. With help from DDB, the FMS scheduling model and AGA, the results obtained in the test examples of rescheduling are quite satisfactory.