Evolutionary algorithm for flexible process sequencing with multiple objectives

In this paper, we propose a new flexible process sequencing problem considering the operation flexibility and AGV guidepath for computer-aided process planning system. The process sequence for each part should be selected based on the multiple criterions: (1) minimizing the sum of machine processing time and the material handling time of all the parts considering realistic shop factors such as production volume, machining time, machine capacity, material handling time and capacity of transfer device; (2) balancing workload between machines. An evolutionary algorithm approach based on genetic algorithm is developed to solve this problem. The efficiency of the proposed approach is verified with a numerical example.