Abstract
Lot-streaming is the process of splitting a job (lot) into a number of smaller sublots to allow the overlapping of operations between successive machines in a multi-stage production system. A new genetic algorithm (NGA) is proposed for minimizing the mean weighted absolute deviation of job completion times from due dates when jobs are scheduled in a no-wait lot-streaming flow shop. In a no-wait flow shop, each sublot must be processed continuously from its start in the first machine to its completion in the last machine without any interruption on machines and without any waiting in between the machines. NGA replaces selection and mating operators of genetic algorithms (GAs), which often lead to premature convergence, by new operators (marriage and pregnancy operators) and adopts the idea of inter-chromosomal dominance. The performance of NGA is compared with that of GA and the results of computational experiments show that NGA works well for this type of problem.
