The objective of this SBIR Phase I proposal is to study the feasibility of automatically scheduling multi-machine complexes on a real-time basis and implementing a unified computer system to provide new scheduling tools in automated systems. Real-time scheduling by separating schedule generation and regeneration tasks from schedule adaptation/recovery tasks will be investigated. The effectiveness of heuristics to automatically determine variable rescheduling periods, schedule adaptation/recovery procedures, and schedule regeneration procedures will be explored. This research should lead to a new software product and is motivated by user requirements derived from applications of a current software product, FACTOR, which provides shop floor scheduling tools. FACTOR was developed under a prior SBIR grant. If this Phase I research is successful, a Phase II proposal will be submitted.
