Discrete lot streaming in three-machine flow shops

Abstract

<p>Lot streaming is the process of splitting a job or lot to allow overlapping between successive operations in a multistage production system. This use of transfer lots usually results in a substantially shorter makespan for the corresponding schedule. In this paper, we study the discrete version of schedules which minimize the makespan for a single job in a three-machine flow shop. We present new insights into the structure of optimal schedules, which lead to the first polynomial time solution of the problem.</p>