The modular tool switching problem
This paper introduces the modular tool switching problem. The problem is an extension of the traditional tool switching problem. The property that tools can be swapped individually or in group makes the problem difficult to solve. We show that the MTS problem is NP-hard in the general case. We also show that with a fixed number of online modules and a fixed capacity, the problem can be solved in polynomial time.
complexity theory flexible manufacturing systems tool loading set-up optimization printed circuit board