Hierarchical Fuzzy Competition Algorithm for Complex Job Shops Scheduling

Complex job shops problem is a combination of classic job shop and parallel machines problems. Either classic job shop scheduling approach or parallel machines approach can not used to schedule complex job shops. This paper proposed hierarchical fuzzy competition algorithm (HFCA) that combines fuzzy competition algorithm (FCA) for classic job shop and FCA for parallel machine to schedule complex job shops problem. HFCA is a structural model approach that uses FCA in multi level hierarchical structure. This approach is object oriented approach that defines each level as independent class hence can be used to model any type manufacturing. Two simulations were done to compare HFCA with priority dispatching heuristics, i.e.: SPT, EDD, CR, and FPR, that were implemented for complex job shops. Simulation results indicate that FCA improvement overall scheduling performance