CSIR algorithms simplify omplex production scheduling
23 September 2015
News
A researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed multi-objective algorithms for a complex real-world production scheduling problem. A first of its kind, Dr Jacomine Grobler developed the algorithms while at the University of Pretoria and finalised the hyper-heuristic algorithms after joining the CSIR.
“I specifically developed these optimisation algorithms to address production scheduling challenges in the manufacturing sector,” she says. “The algorithms consider how operators schedule jobs and which machines they use. This has a significant impact on the competitiveness of companies.” She adds that if jobs are scheduled efficiently then companies are also better positioned to meet their delivery dates.
One of the algorithms she has developed also considers queue time – which is an indication of how long jobs wait on the production floor – with the objective of reducing inventory. “If there are large queue times it basically means that all the jobs wait too long for processing,” she explains. “This queue time has financial implications as companies will need to rent storage space and pay insurance and other related costs.”
The algorithms have shown to outperform existing state-of-the-art algorithms by up to 76%, resulting in a significant decrease in manufacturing costs. This work has earned her the 2015 JD Roberts Award for Emerging Researchers for her contribution to the development of optimisation algorithms for solving industrial engineering problems.
For more information contact Jacomine Grobler, CSIR, +27 (0)12 841 2417, [email protected]
Further reading:
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
Tackling e-waste with help from international partners
News
Every year millions of electrical and electronic devices and appliances, including mobile phones and computers, are thrown away and these items are now the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pricing surge reshapes engineering reality
Technews Publishing
News
The recent and continuing surge in memory prices has become more than a supply-chain story confined to global semiconductor markets. We have watched in disbelief as the ASP of memory has risen by over
...
Read more...
Siemens democratises EDA software access
News
This collaboration will provide streamlined access to advanced electronic design automation software for European semiconductor innovation.
Read more...
Components distribution: A promising trend
News
The European electronic components market returned to solid growth in Q1, gaining 16,9%, with broad, but uneven, momentum across the region.
Read more...
printer friendly version