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Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

College of Engineering

Cyclic and Dynamic Hoist Scheduling for Multi-recipe and Multi-stage Material Handling Processes

Qiang Xu, Ph.D.
Professor

Qiang Xu, Ph.D.

Cyclic and Dynamic Hoist Scheduling for Multi-recipe and Multi-stage Material Handling Processes

​Multi-recipe and multi-stage material handling (M3H) processes are broadly used for manufacturing various products/jobs, where hoists are commonly used to transport inline products according to their processing recipes. When multiple types of jobs with different recipes are simultaneously and continuously handled in a production line, the hoist movement scheduling should be thoroughly investigated to ensure the operational feasibility of every job inline, and in the meantime to maximize the productivity if possible. The hoist scheduling will be more complicated if uncertainties of new coming jobs are considered, i.e., the arrival time, type, recipe, and number of new jobs are totally unknown and unpredictable before they join the production line. In this study, we have developed a series of hoist scheduling strategies to help the manufacturing of M3H processes, including cyclic scheduling, environmental benign scheduling, real-time dynamic scheduling, process design and retrofit oriented scheduling. This study could help improve the production efficiency in various industrial processes, such as electroplating and surface finishing, chemical, food, automotive, and electronics industries.

Selected References

  • Qu, H. L., Wang, S. J.*, Xu, Q.*, “Simultaneous 2D Hoist Scheduling and Production Line Design and for Multi-recipe and Multi-stage Material Handling Processes”, Chemical Engineering Science, 167, 251-264, 2017 (2017 Best Paper Award of AIChE Process Development Division).
  • Chen, M., Qu, H. L., Xu, Q.*, “Two Dimension Cyclic Hoist Scheduling”, Proceedings of FOCAPO/CPC 2017, Paper F49, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 2017.
  • Qu, H. L., Wang, S. J.*, Xu, Q.*, “A New Method of Cyclic Hoist Scheduling for Multi-recipe and Multi-stage Material Handling Processes”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 90, 171-187, 2016.
  • Zhao, C. Y., Fu, J., Xu, Q.*, “Real-time Dynamic Hoist Scheduling for Multi-stage Material Handling under Uncertainties”, AIChE J., 59(2), 465-482, 2013.
  • Zhao, C. Y., Fu, J., Xu, Q.*, “Production-Ratio Oriented Optimization for Multi-recipe Material Handling via Simultaneous Hoist Scheduling and Production Line Arrangement”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 50(5), 28-38, 2013.
  • Fu, J., Zhao, C. Y., Xu, Q.*, T.C. Ho “Debottleneck of Multi-stage Material-Handling Processes via Simultaneous Hoist Scheduling and Production Line Retrofit”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 52(1), 123-133, 2013.
  • Liu, C. W., Zhao. C. Y., Xu, Q.*, “Integration of Electroplating Process Design and Operation for Simultaneous Productivity Maximization, Energy Saving, and Freshwater Minimization”, Chemical Engineering Science, 68(1), 2012.
  • Liu, C. W., Fu, J., Xu, Q.*, “Simultaneous Mixed-Integer Dynamic Optimization for Environmentally Benign Electroplating”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 35(11), 2411-2425, 2011.
  • Chen, M., Qu, H. L., Xu, Q.*, “Two Dimension Cyclic Hoist Scheduling”, Proceedings of FOCAPO/CPC 2017, paper #49, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 2017.
  • Zhao, C. Y., Xu, Q.*, “Coupling Hoist Scheduling and Production Line Arrangement for Productivity Maximization”, Proceedings of FOCAPO 2012, paper #32, Savannah, Georgia, USA, 2012.
  • Xu, Q.*, Liu, C. W., Simultaneous Cyclic Hoist Scheduling and Water-Reuse Network Design for Environmentally Benign Electroplating, Proceedings of FOCAPO 2008, 183-186, M. Lerapetritou, M. Bassett, S. Pistikopoulos, CACHE Corporation, Boston, MA, USA.