We address the scheduling of operations in a robotic cell that produces multiple part-types. The objective is to obtain a cyclic schedule--a sequence of robot moves and an ordering of the parts--that minimizes the long-run average time to produce a part or, equivalently, maximizes the...

Interval robotic cells with several processing stages (chambers) have been increasingly used for diverse wafer fabrication processes in semi-conductor manufacturing. Processes such as low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, etching, cleaning and chemical-mechanical planarization, require strict...