Improving a Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm Applied to Batch Scheduling in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEA’s) have been developed for optimization problems involving conflicting objectives. Real-world Batch Sequencing (BS) in pharmaceutical manufacturing presents a multiobjective optimization challenge, compounded by constraints and uncertain demands. This complexity often leads to low convergence of feasible solutions. In this study, we evaluate population initialization strategies, propose an optimized mutation operator, and explore various crossover types to enhance solution quality, measured by metrics including the number of non-dominated feasible solutions (NFS), hypervolume (HV), Inverted Generational Distance Plus (IGD+), Error Rate (E), and Coverage of Two Sets (CS).