Production Scheduling for Parallel Machines Using Simulation Techniques: Case Study of Plastic Packaging Factory

The purpose of this study is to use simulation techniques to examine the production scheduling process for parallel machines. This examination focuses on improving the work sequence in the machine and making the most cost-effective use of raw materials, as well as delivering goods on time to customers and reducing total uptime. After examining and collecting data on the planning and sequencing operations, it was discovered that there was a problem in determining how to assign work to the machines due to a lack of systematic analysis of production scheduling, so scheduling systems and tools cannot tell if the current sequence is the best one. The researchers then used simulation techniques to create all possible alternatives and identify the best solution for the sequencing process on the machine. The simulation results showed that sequencing using simulation techniques can reduce the total working time to 112,831.99 seconds by 54%.