A two-stage hybrid with uniform machines and setup times

In this paper, we consider a two-stage hybrid flowshop in a semi-conductor industry. We assume that components are grouped into families and a major setup is required when a machine at either stage starts to process a new family. While Stage 1 contains a single machine, Stage 2 contains multiple uniform machines. The objective is to minimize the total makespan. To solve the problem, we develop a heuristic and 8 effective sequencing rules to assign the parts to the machines at both stages. We also present a model to examine the trade-offs between the costs and the speeds of the machines at Stage 2. We also present a model to examine the trade-offs between the costs and the speeds of the machines at Stage 2