Scheduling no-wait production with time windows and flexible processing times

This paper presents a low-complexity algorithm for on-line job scheduling a t workcenters along a given route in a manufacturing system. At each workce nter, the job has to be processed by any one of a given set of identical ma chines. Each machine has a preset schedule of operations, leaving out time- windows during which the job's processing must be scheduled. The manufactur ing system has no internal buffers and the job cannot wait between two cons ecutive operations, There is some flexibility in the job's processing times , which must be confined to given time intervals, The scheduling algorithm minimizes the job's completion time, and it is executable in real time when ever the job requirement is generated.