Solving the paintshop scheduling problem with memetic algorithms

Abstract

Finding efficient production schedules for automotive paint shops is a challenging task and several paint shop problem variants have been investigated in the past. In this work we focus on a recently introduced real-life paint shop scheduling problem appearing in the automotive supply industry where car parts, which need to be painted, are placed upon carrier devices. These carriers are placed on a conveyor belt and moved into painting cabins, where robots apply the paint. The aim is to find an optimized production schedule for the painting of car parts.