Performance of Hierarchical Production Scheduling Policy

The performance of Kimemia and Gershwin´s hierarchical scheduling scheme for flexible manufacturing systems, as enhanced by Gershwin, Akella, and Choong, is described. This method calculates times at which to dispatch parts into a system in a way that limits the disruptive effects of such disturbances as machine failures. Simulation results based on a detailed model of an IBM printed circuit card assembly facility are presented. Comparisons are made with other policies and the hierarchical policy is shown to be superior.