Managing a two-bottleneck job shop with a two-machine flow shop algorithm

Abstract

This work studies the possibility of using three new sequencing rules in a simple hybrid assembly shop with two bottleneck machines in order to study the conjecture that a job shop may be characterized by its bottleneck structure. A simulation model for a nine-machine job shop is developed and used to compare these rules. The total makespan is the performance measure. The study is made under a combination of three different factors. The effect of the bottleneck machines location is also studied. The results show that some job shops can be managed by simply managing the bottleneck machines, that the three new rules can be used to manage a job shop with two bottlenecks, and that the location of the bottleneck machines is of importance. The results indicate new management rules may be inferred for job shops by studying the application of single and multiple machine flow shop scheduling theory.