A scheduling method using genetic algorithm and dispatching rule for sheet metal processing

In the sheet metal processing, nesting and scheduling are important design and operational tasks, respectively. The optimal cutting layout is determined by nesting for reducing waste of material while the optimal sequence is determined by scheduling for increasing efficiency of operational activities. Since we often encounter trade-offs regarding to their decision-making, they should be considered simultaneously. Accordingly, we previously proposed an integrated method of nesting and scheduling under a certain system boundary. In order to realize more efficient manufacturing, the punching process, which is the first process of sheet metal processing, should be considered. To work with this problem, in this study, we have extended our previous method by applying genetic algorithm for the optimization of sequence of punching process which depends on the cutting layout. Numerical experiment is provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.