Scheduling to minimize the maximum lateness with multiple product classes in batch processing

In view of the properties of multi-product batch scheduling problem with major and minor setup times that a practical steel pipe plant of iron and steel industry usually has, a 0-1 mixed integer-programming model to the problem is developed with minimizing the job maximum lateness (L/sub max/) as the optimal objective function. A tabu search-based heuristic (TSH) algorithm is proposed by analyzing the optimal properties of the problem. The simulation results have confirmed its feasibility and effectiveness.