Research on scheduling optimization of finished product area of food production lines based on multi-player cooperative game theory

To address the issues of semi-finished products remaining in or leaving the buffer zone during the production process in the finished product area of branch-convergence food production lines, which leads to spoilage and low production line efficiency, we propose a scheduling optimization method for the finished product area of food production lines based on multi-player cooperative game theory. In view of the multi-process, multi-equipment, and multi-task characteristics of the food production line, a workshop mathematical model is established. Based on the game elements such as game players, game strategies, and game information set for the processing of work-in-progress between the ligation-sterilization process, the simulation results validated the method's effectiveness and its impact on improving the evaluation indicators, namely, the game players. The approach not only reduces the spoiled quantity of semi-finished products but also shortens the total completion time, thereby improving equipment utilization and the production efficiency of the entire production line.