An improved methodology for real-time production decisions at batch-process work stations

Demonstrates a methodology which uses the information of future work-in-process (WIP) arrivals to minimize the average number of lots in the queue at a workstation which is capable of processing multiple lots simultaneously as a single batch. This kind of batch-process workstation is common in semiconductor manufacturing; an example is furnace tubes used for deposition operations. The proposed heuristic seeks to minimize the average number of lots waiting in the queue by choosing start times for process cycles that minimize the total lot queue time per unit time over a scheduling horizon equal to the processing time plus any prior waiting time