title: Active scheduling for hybrid flowshop with family setup time and inconsistent family formation

authors: Luo, Hao

subjects: hybrid flowshop scheduling

abstract: This research is motivated by a real-life hybrid flowshop scheduling problem where jobs are organized in families according to their machine settings and tools. This type of problem is common in the production process of standard metal components. The problem is complicated by the requirement of family setup time when a machine changes from processing one job family to another and the formation of job families varies in different stages. This problem has been previously solved with a non-delay scheduling heuristic in which no machine is kept idle. This research illustrates that inserting intentional idle time into a non-delay schedule can further reduce the total setup time as well as makespan. With the inserted idle time, the non-delay schedules are extended to active schedules. This paper presents a mechanism to determine the locations and lengths of intentional idle times in the efficient active schedules. Four active scheduling approaches are developed by integrating two types of waiting factor operators into two non-delay approaches. Computational experiments have been conducted to compare the proposed active scheduling approaches in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The results have shown that the proposed active scheduling approaches are superior to non-delay scheduling. The analysis of variance has been applied on the factors related to scheduling environment, problem size and scheduling approach. The analysis has identified factors that are most influential on the scheduling result.

text: Active scheduling for hybrid flowshop with family setup time and inconsistent family formation This research is motivated by a real-life hybrid flowshop scheduling problem where jobs are organized in families according to their machine settings and tools. This type of problem is common in the production process of standard metal components. The problem is complicated by the requirement of family setup time when a machine changes from processing one job family to another and the formation of job families varies in different stages. This problem has been previously solved with a non-delay scheduling heuristic in which no machine is kept idle. This research illustrates that inserting intentional idle time into a non-delay schedule can further reduce the total setup time as well as makespan. With the inserted idle time, the non-delay schedules are extended to active schedules. This paper presents a mechanism to determine the locations and lengths of intentional idle times in the efficient active schedules. Four active scheduling approaches are developed by integrating two types of waiting factor operators into two non-delay approaches. Computational experiments have been conducted to compare the proposed active scheduling approaches in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The results have shown that the proposed active scheduling approaches are superior to non-delay scheduling. The analysis of variance has been applied on the factors related to scheduling environment, problem size and scheduling approach. The analysis has identified factors that are most influential on the scheduling result.

year: 2013

title: Assemblage drawings as talking points: Deleuze, posthumans and climate-activist teachers

authors: Everth, Thomas

abstract: In this paper, we employ Deleuzian philosophy to explore the complex challenges confronting teachers and education systems posed by the climate emergency and the implications of the resulting posthumanist turn. Self-identified climate-activist teachers working in schools in Aotearoa New Zealand were asked to draw Deleuzian assemblages of their educational realities and of themselves while contemplating the climate emergency. Their thought-provoking drawings were used as semiotic artefacts during unstructured Zoom interviews, leading to rich conversations. Through this process, the drawings channel affect within the research assemblage, entangling the reader actively into the research process. Insights gained from the participants problematise the perspectives of teachers in response to the climate emergency and lead us to conceptualise the potential of teachers as Deleuze’s nomadic change makers toward posthuman futures.

text: Assemblage drawings as talking points: Deleuze, posthumans and climate-activist teachers In this paper, we employ Deleuzian philosophy to explore the complex challenges confronting teachers and education systems posed by the climate emergency and the implications of the resulting posthumanist turn. Self-identified climate-activist teachers working in schools in Aotearoa New Zealand were asked to draw Deleuzian assemblages of their educational realities and of themselves while contemplating the climate emergency. Their thought-provoking drawings were used as semiotic artefacts during unstructured Zoom interviews, leading to rich conversations. Through this process, the drawings channel affect within the research assemblage, entangling the reader actively into the research process. Insights gained from the participants problematise the perspectives of teachers in response to the climate emergency and lead us to conceptualise the potential of teachers as Deleuze’s nomadic change makers toward posthuman futures.

year: 2022-12-01

title: Māori beekeepers: Reframing New Zealand’s apiculture narratives

authors: Dimitrov, Dara

abstract: New Zealand’s historical apiculture narratives are dominated by the colonial settlers' experiences of beekeeping, which marginalised Māori experiences.  This has perpetuated the notion that historically, Maori had little to do with beekeeping.  However, this article contests this notion and demonstrates that after the introduction of the western honeybee, Māori were active participants in the apiculture industry, both as traders and beekeepers.  Moreover, this article explores the current contributions that Māori beekeepers make to New Zealand’s apiculture industry but continue to be ignored by the apiculture industry.  Despite this, this article shows that Māori beekeepers are making important contributions in the apiculture research space, working with researchers and research institutions to explore climate change impacts, floral honey diversity in the native forests and aspects of honeybee colony health.

text: Māori beekeepers: Reframing New Zealand’s apiculture narratives New Zealand’s historical apiculture narratives are dominated by the colonial settlers' experiences of beekeeping, which marginalised Māori experiences.  This has perpetuated the notion that historically, Maori had little to do with beekeeping.  However, this article contests this notion and demonstrates that after the introduction of the western honeybee, Māori were active participants in the apiculture industry, both as traders and beekeepers.  Moreover, this article explores the current contributions that Māori beekeepers make to New Zealand’s apiculture industry but continue to be ignored by the apiculture industry.  Despite this, this article shows that Māori beekeepers are making important contributions in the apiculture research space, working with researchers and research institutions to explore climate change impacts, floral honey diversity in the native forests and aspects of honeybee colony health.

year: 2024