Proposing a new mathematical model and a meta-heuristic algorithm for scheduling and allocating automated guided vehicle

Abstract

One of the substantial things, which has been perceived more than ever by captains of industry in recent years, is the necessity of earning competitive value. As a result, mechanisation and enhancing the level of automation of the process has become one of the most fascinating issues to researchers. In this regard one of the most appealing systems to industries is flexible manufacturing systems which contribute to achievement of higher levels of automation in business environments. Since transportation plays an essential role in flexible production systems, automated guided vehicles (AVGs) have been utilised to carry material in these systems in order to maintain the flexibility, and increase the efficiency of production and distribution throughout the system. In this paper, a mathematical model for scheduling and allocating AVGs in the manufacturing process of a specific project is proposed and in the end, a heuristic algorithm is proposed and used to solve the model problem.