This paper deals with the permutation flow shop scheduling problem with separated machine setup times. As a result of an investigation on the problem characteristics a structural property is introduced. Such a property provides an upper bound on the idle time of the machines between the setup task and the job processing. As an application of this property, the original scheduling problem with the makespan criterion can be heuristically solved by an analogy with the asymmetric traveling salesman problem.
production scheduling; permutation flow shop; setup times
