Genetic Algorithm for Scheduling of Steelmaking and Continuous Casting Processes Considering Earliness/Tardiness Penalty^*

The production scheduling for steelmaking and continuous casting operations involves the allocation of each heat to specific equipment at various stages within the steelmaking process. Refinement and continuous casting are performed in accordance with the casting plans formulated by the planner and simultaneously determine the production sequence and start/finish time of heats on each equipment. The production scheduling for steel refining and continuous casting processes in this paper is modeled as a flexible job shop scheduling problem. Aiming at just-in-time production of orders, we formulate a mixed-integer programming model (MILP) and introduce a genetic algorithm to address the issue. The validity of the model and the efficiency of the algorithm are confirmed through real-world instances of production scheduling challenges.