An Artificial Bee Colony Differentiated Search Algorithm for Parallel Batch Processing Machines Scheduling

In this study, parallel batch processing machines scheduling problem with machine eligibility and preventive maintenance is considered and an artificial bee colony differentiated search (ABCDS) algorithm is proposed to minimize total tardiness and total setup cost simultaneously. Heuristic is used for initialization. Three employed bee colonies are formed and differentiated global searches are performed on them. In onlooker bee phase, food sources are selected and all selected food sources are divided into three sets and different neighborhood structures and greedy selection strategies act on them. A new scout phase is designed. Numerous experiments were conducted. The computational results show that the ABCDS has promising advantages on the considered problem.