• IE interfaces
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2011

To mitigate space restriction and to raise productivity, some shipbuilding companies use floating-docks on the sea instead of dry-docks on the land. In that case, a floating-crane that can lift very heavy objects (up to 3,600 tons) is used to handle the blocks which are the basic units in shipbuilding processes, and so, very large blocks (these are called the mega-blocks) can be used to build a ship. But, because these mega-blocks can be made only in the area near the floating-dock and beside the sea, the space is very important resource for the process. Therefore, our problem is to make an efficient spatial schedule for the mega-block assembly yard. First of all, we formulate this situation into a mathematical model and find optimal solution for a small problem using a commercial optimization software. But, the software could not give optimal solutions for practical sized problems in a reasonable time, and so we propose a GA-based heuristic algorithm. Through a numerical experiment, finally, we show that the spatial scheduling algorithm can provide a very good performance.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2012

The scheduling problem of large products like ships, airplanes, space shuttles, assembled constructions, and automobiles is very complex in nature. To reduce inherent computational complexity, we often design scheduling systems that the original problem is decomposed into small sub-problems, which are scheduled independently and integrated into the original one. Moreover, the steep growth of communication technology and logistics makes it possible to produce a lot of multi-nation corporation by which products are produced across more than one plant. Therefore vertical and lateral coordination among decomposed scheduling systems is necessary. In this research, we suggest an agent-based coordinating mechanism for multi-level scheduling systems in supply chain. For design of a general coordination mechanism, at first, we propose a grammar to define individual scheduling agents which are responsible to their own plants, and a meta-level coordination agent which is engaged to supervise individual scheduling agents. Second, we suggest scheduling agent communication protocols for each scheduling agent topology which is classified according to the system architecture, existence of coordinator, and direction of coordination. We also suggest a scheduling agent communication language which consists of three layers : Agent Communication Layer, Scheduling Coordination Layer, Industry-specific Layer. Finally, in order to improve the efficiency of communication among scheduling agents we suggest a rough capacity coordination model which supports to monitor participating agents and analyze the status of them. With this coordination mechanism, we can easily model coordination processes of multiple scheduling systems. In the future, we will apply this mechanism to shipbuilding domain and develop a prototype system which consists of a dock-scheduling agent, four assembly-plant-scheduling agents, and a meta-level coordination agent. A series of experiment using the real-world data will be performed to examine this mechanism.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.213-226
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• 2011

In global supply chain, the scheduling problems of large products such as ships, airplanes, space shuttles, assembled constructions, and/or automobiles are complicated by nature. New scheduling systems are often developed in order to reduce inherent computational complexity. As a result, a problem can be decomposed into small sub-problems, problems that contain independently small scheduling systems integrating into the initial problem. As one of the authors experienced, DAS (Daewoo Shipbuilding Scheduling System) has adopted a two-layered hierarchical architecture. In the hierarchical architecture, individual scheduling systems composed of a high-level dock scheduler, DAS-ERECT and low-level assembly plant schedulers, DAS-PBS, DAS-3DS, DAS-NPS, and DAS-A7 try to search the best schedules under their own constraints. Moreover, the steep growth of communication technology and logistics enables it to introduce distributed multi-nation production plants by which different parts are produced by designated plants. Therefore vertical and lateral coordination among decomposed scheduling systems is necessary. No standard coordination mechanism of multiple scheduling systems exists, even though there are various scheduling systems existing in the area of scheduling research. Previous research regarding the coordination mechanism has mainly focused on external conversation without capacity model. Prior research has heavily focuses on agent-based coordination in the area of agent research. Yet, no scheduling domain has been developed. Previous research regarding the agent-based scheduling has paid its ample attention to internal coordination of scheduling process, a process that has not been efficient. In this study, we suggest a general framework for agent-based coordination of multiple scheduling systems in global supply chain. The purpose of this study was to design a standard coordination mechanism. To do so, we first define an individual scheduling agent responsible for their own plants and a meta-level coordination agent involved with each individual scheduling agent. We then suggest variables and values describing the individual scheduling agent and meta-level coordination agent. These variables and values are represented by Backus-Naur Form. Second, we suggest scheduling agent communication protocols for each scheduling agent topology classified into the system architectures, existence or nonexistence of coordinator, and directions of coordination. If there was a coordinating agent, an individual scheduling agent could communicate with another individual agent indirectly through the coordinator. On the other hand, if there was not any coordinating agent existing, an individual scheduling agent should communicate with another individual agent directly. To apply agent communication language specifically to the scheduling coordination domain, we had to additionally define an inner language, a language that suitably expresses scheduling coordination. A scheduling agent communication language is devised for the communication among agents independent of domain. We adopt three message layers which are ACL layer, scheduling coordination layer, and industry-specific layer. The ACL layer is a domain independent outer language layer. The scheduling coordination layer has terms necessary for scheduling coordination. The industry-specific layer expresses the industry specification. Third, in order to improve the efficiency of communication among scheduling agents and avoid possible infinite loops, we suggest a look-ahead load balancing model which supports to monitor participating agents and to analyze the status of the agents. To build the look-ahead load balancing model, the status of participating agents should be monitored. Most of all, the amount of sharing information should be considered. If complete information is collected, updating and maintenance cost of sharing information will be increasing although the frequency of communication will be decreasing. Therefore the level of detail and updating period of sharing information should be decided contingently. By means of this standard coordination mechanism, we can easily model coordination processes of multiple scheduling systems into supply chain. Finally, we apply this mechanism to shipbuilding domain and develop a prototype system which consists of a dock-scheduling agent, four assembly- plant-scheduling agents, and a meta-level coordination agent. A series of experiments using the real world data are used to empirically examine this mechanism. The results of this study show that the effect of agent-based platform on coordinated scheduling is evident in terms of the number of tardy jobs, tardiness, and makespan.

• IE interfaces
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.354-361
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• 1999

In this paper, resource leveling heuristics are developed for ship erection scheduling. The heuristics, which enable scheduling with limited resources, are composed of the gradual resource limit decrease anti the resource allocation. At first, earliest start(ES) schedule is derived by PERT to get initial resource limit. And then, the heuristics lower the resource limits by a given increment and derive a new schedule from day-by-day resource allocation procedure. The procedure is repeated until the project duration reaches at the given ship erection duration, called dock cycle. Through the application of the heuristics for real world ship erection projects, wc can observe significant improvement in resource leveling.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1995

The erection process planning is to decide erection strategy and sequence that satisfies dock duration. The erection scheduling is to decide erection date of each block. The load profile varies according to scheduling and it is related to building cost. It must be possible to simulate the various combinations of process plan and schedule for optimal planning. To develop the process planning system for optimal planning, the system that generate the sequence of erection automatically and the load leveling system are required. This paper suggests the method that generates the erection sequence. The load leveling should be done to all the ships in the same dock batch to get reliable results. In this case since the search space is very large, efficient optimization method is needed Our research achieved the load leveling system using Genetic Algorithm. This system made it possible to simulate various process plans to which schedule is considered.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2015

In shipbuling processes, a quay wall is a major resource for additional operations after an erection operation at dock. A quay wall is becoming a new bottleneck instead of docks, while ship types with long operation time at quay wall are increasing recently. We developed a quay wall scheduling algorithm for the quayside operations of ships in this paper. The objective function is to minimize the sum of not assigned days of ships which have to be assigned to any quay wall under limited numbers of quay walls. The scheduling algorithm is based on an assignment method to assign each ship to a quay wall among its alternative quay walls at the time of launching or moving to another quay wall. The scheduling algorithm is also using Tabu Search algorithm to optimize assignment sequence of ships. The experiment shows that the algorithms in this paper are effective to make schedule of the quayside operations of ships.

• IE interfaces
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2000

In this paper, we develope a genetic algorithm for the erection scheduling in shipbuilding. Erection, the final manufacturing stage of shipbuilding, involves the landing and joining of blocks at drydock. Since several ships are built simultaneously at the same drydock and they compete with the common constrained production resource such as labor, space, and crane, we should consider both ship-specifics and common resource constraints for the desirable erection scheduling. Ship erection should also satisfy the predetermined dock cycle given from higher level production planning. Thus, erection schedule of a ship can be represented as a PERT/CPM project network with its own deadline. Since production resources are shared, the erection scheduling become the so-called multi-project scheduling problem with limited resources, which can not be solved easily due to the large size of project network. We propose a function as a minimization of load index which represented the load deviation over time horizon considering the yard production strategy. For the optical parameter setting, we tried various experiments. We verified that the proposed approach was effective to deal with the erection scheduling problem in shipbuilding.

• Journal of Ship and Ocean Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2006

The erection in shipbuilding is the process to assemble all the blocks one by one in certain order and requires more leveled and efficient schedule than other processes do. However, erection schedule includes too many constraints to be systemized with simple programs and constraints are changed frequently. These difficulties make it rare to find automatic erection schedule generation system with load leveling ability. In this paper, a CSP (Constraint Satisfaction Problem)-based load leveling algorithm using a maximum load diminution technique is proposed and applied to the block erection scheduling of a dock in a shipyard. The result shows that it performs better than currently used scheduling method based on empirical logics. The maximum load of welding length and crane usage are reduced by 31.63% and 30.00% respectively. The deviation of resource usage amount also decreases by 8.93% and 7.51%.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.248-257
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• 2011

Cross docking is a logistics management concept in which items delivered to a terminal by inbound trucks are immediately sorted out, routed and loaded into outbound trucks for delivery to customers. Two main advantages by introducing a cross docking terminal are to consolidate multiple smaller shipment into full truck load and remove storage and order picking processes to save up logistics costs related to warehousing and transportation costs. This research considers the scheduling problem of trucks in the cross docking terminals with multi-door in an inbound and outbound dock, respectively. The trucks sequentially deal with the storage process at the one of inbound doors and the shipping process at the one of the outbound doors. A mathematical model for an optimal solution is derived, and genetic algorithms with two different chromosome representations are proposed. To verify performance of the GA algorithms, we compare the solutions of GAs with the optimal solutions and the best solution using randomly generated several examples.

• IE interfaces
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.471-478
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• 2000

One of the most important problems encountered by parcel transportation firms or LTL (Less-than-truckload) firms is the planning of daily linehaul operations. The transportation firm's goal is to determine the most efficient way to move all freight from its originating terminal to its destination terminal after each shipment is picked up from the shipping dock. The purpose of this study is to design a transportation system and develop an efficient scheduling algorithm for linehaul operations carrying small amount of shipment. This paper presents three approaches for efficient linehaul operations. The first approach examines drivers using the roundtrips which start from a terminal, visit several terminals, and return to the starting terminal. The second approach uses a freight assembly center where drivers take freight for a number of destination terminals which they then swap for freight for their starting terminal. The third approach is similar to the second approach in that it uses a transshipment point like a freight assembly terminal for shipment, but it has several transshipment points since each shipment may have a different transshipment point. In this study, we developed a mathematical formulation and algorithm for each approach. The experimental results using data of a LTL firm show that the third approach is more efficient than the other two. Mileage and overnight stays of the third approach are reduced by 10% and 30%, respectively.