Energy and Cycle Time Efficient Warehouse Design for Autonomous Vehicle-based Storage and Retrieval System

This study explores the best warehouse design for an autonomous vehicle based storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS) minimizing average energy consumption per transaction and average cycle time per transaction, simultaneously. In the design concept, we consider, rack design in terms of number of bays, number of tiers, number of aisles; number of resources, namely number of autonomous vehicles and lifts and; velocity profiles of lifts and autonomous vehicles in the AVS/RS. We completed 1,296 number of experiments in simulation to obtain Pareto solutions representing the “average energy consumption per transaction” and “average cycle time per transaction” trade-offs based on designs which is a very useful visual tool in decision making. Different from the existing studies, we approach to the warehouse design problem of AVS/RSs from a multi-objective view as well as energy efficient view minimizing both electricity consumption and cycle time per transaction in the system

Throughput Analysis of S/r Shuttle Systems

Shuttle systems are used in high performance automated storage/retrieval unit load systems. Each storage level is serviced by one transfer car travelling in dual command operation. One buffer slot is located at both ends of each level. This decouples horizontal travel from vertical input/output moves, which in this case requires two independent vertical reciprocating lifts at each end of the aisle. Other systems work with only one lift used in lower throughput applications. The content of this paper is treated in the following sections starting with a problem definition and a literature survey. This is followed by a detailed functional description of the system investigated here. A predictive model with analytical equations is derived for simplified calculations and a comparison with simulation results. A summary, conclusions and an outlook finalize the paper

A Review on Automated Storage/ Retrieval Systems and Shuttle Based Storage/Retrieval Systems

Automated storage and retrieval systems are warehousing systems that are used for the storage and retrieval of products in both distribution and production environments. Shuttle based storage/retrieval systems are composed of elevators with lifting tables that are attached on a mast, shuttle carriers, buffer positions and the storage racks. It is observed that the shuttle based storage/retrieval systems increases the throughput capacity of the systems compared to automated storage/retrieval systems. Shuttle based storage/retrieval systems is relatively a new technology in automated storage and retrieval systems and usually works with aisle and tier captive shuttles. This new technology is mostly used for mini-load warehouses. The main body of the paper consists of an overview of literature discussing automated storage/retrieval systems and shuttle based storage/retrieval systems

Energy regeneration in automated high bay warehouse with stacker cranes

Najčešći transportni uređaji koji se koriste u automatiziranim visokoregalnim skladištima su električne regalne dizalice. Kod dostizanja visokih pretovarnih kapaciteta dolazi do velike potrošnje električne energije. Uzimajući ovo u obzir, a imajući u vidu i relativno visoke regale, regeneracija potencijalne energije tijekom spuštanja uskladištene robe može biti dobro rješenje za uštedu energije. Za analize u radu su upotrebljeni realni podaci vezani za radne operacije četiri dizalice u visokoregalnom skladištu velike mljekare. Određeni su radni ciklusi dizalica i procjenjena je njihova potrošnja energije. Konačno, određene su vjerojatne uštede energije i troškova, uzimajući u obzir regeneriranu energiju i smanjeni utrošak energije za hlađenje skladišta.Fully automated electrically powered stacker cranes are the most common transportation devices used in automated high bay warehouses. When high throughputs are attained, the amount of the electric energy used is high. Taking this into account, together with relatively high rack configuration the energy saving by employing the regeneration of potential energy during the lowering of the stored goods seems to be a promising choice. In the paper real life data for deployment of four stacker cranes in high bay warehouse of bigger dairy is introduced and analysed. The cranes’ working cycles are determined and their energy consumption is estimated. Finally, the probable energy and costs savings are determined taking into account the regenerated energy for crane operations and lower energy consumption for refrigeration purposes

Method for evaluating the throughput performance of shuttle based storage and retrieval systems

U ovom radu prezentira se metoda proračuna protočne performanse skladišnih sustava sa shuttle-ovima/vozilima (eng. SBS/RS). SBS/RS zastupaju novu tehnologiju automatiziranih skladišnih sustava. S obzirom na važnost ispravnog oblikovanja (projektiranja) SBS/RS sustava "od prve" zbog relativne nefleksibilnosti fizičke izvedbe, prezentira se predložena metoda proračuna protočne performanse takvih sustava. Performansa sustava razmatra se kao protočni kapacitet SBS/RS kao cjeline.In this paper a method for throughput performance calculation of shuttle based storage and retrieval systems (SBS/RS) is presented. SBS/RS represent a new technology in automated storage and retrieval systems. Since it is important to design SBS/RS right the first time due to the relative inflexibility of the physical layout, we provide a proposed method for the throughput performance calculation of these systems. The performance of the system is considered as a throughput capacity of the SBS/RS as a whole

Analytical model to estimate performances of autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems for product totes

In today’s competitive scenario of increasingly faster deliveries and smaller order sizes, material-handling providers are progressively developing new solutions. A recent, automated material-handling technology for unit load storage and retrieval consists of an autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS). The present paper presents an analytical model to estimate the performances (the transaction cycle time and waiting times) of AVS/RS for product tote movement. The model is based on an open queuing network approach. The model effectiveness in performance estimation is validated through simulation

Robotized Warehouse Systems: Developments and Research Opportunities

Robotized handling systems are increasingly applied in distribution centers. They require little space, provide flexibility in managing varying demand requirements, and are able to work 24/7. This makes them particularly fit for e-commerce operations. This paper reviews new categories of robotized handling systems, such as the shuttle-based storage and retrieval systems, shuttle-based compact storage systems, and robotic mobile fulfillment systems. For each system, we categorize the literature in three groups: system analysis, design optimization, and operations planning and control. Our focus is to identify the research issue and OR modeling methodology adopted to analyze the problem. We find that many new robotic systems and applications have hardly been studied in academic literature, despite their increasing use in practice. Due to unique system features (such as autonomous control, networked and dynamic operation), new models and methods are needed to address the design and operational control challenges for such systems, in particular, for the integration of subsystems. Integrated robotized warehouse systems will form the next category of warehouses. All vital warehouse design, planning and control logic such as methods to design layout, storage and order picking system selection, storage slotting, order batching, picker routing, and picker to order assignment will have to be revisited for new robotized warehouses

Mind the Gap: Developments in Autonomous Driving Research and the Sustainability Challenge

Scientific knowledge on autonomous-driving technology is expanding at a faster-than-ever pace. As a result, the likelihood of incurring information overload is particularly notable for researchers, who can struggle to overcome the gap between information processing requirements and information processing capacity. We address this issue by adopting a multi-granulation approach to latent knowledge discovery and synthesis in large-scale research domains. The proposed methodology combines citation-based community detection methods and topic modeling techniques to give a concise but comprehensive overview of how the autonomous vehicle (AV) research field is conceptually structured. Thirteen core thematic areas are extracted and presented by mining the large data-rich environments resulting from 50 years of AV research. The analysis demonstrates that this research field is strongly oriented towards examining the technological developments needed to enable the widespread rollout of AVs, whereas it largely overlooks the wide-ranging sustainability implications of this sociotechnical transition. On account of these findings, we call for a broader engagement of AV researchers with the sustainability concept and we invite them to increase their commitment to conducting systematic investigations into the sustainability of AV deployment. Sustainability research is urgently required to produce an evidence-based understanding of what new sociotechnical arrangements are needed to ensure that the systemic technological change introduced by AV-based transport systems can fulfill societal functions while meeting the urgent need for more sustainable transport solutions

Probabilistic Models for Order-Picking Operations with Multiple in-the-Aisle Pick Positions

The development of probability density functions (pdfs) for travel time of a narrow aisle lift truck (NALT) and an automated storage and retrieval (AS/R) machine is the focus of the dissertation. The multiple in-the-aisle pick positions (MIAPP) order picking system can be modeled as an M/G/1 queueing problem in which storage and retrieval requests are the customers and the vehicle (NALT or AS/R machine) is the server. Service time is the sum of travel time and the deterministic time to pick up and deposit a pallet (TPD). Our first contribution is the development of travel time pdfs for retrieval operations in an MIAPP order picking system supported by a narrow aisle lift truck (MIAPP-NALT); storage operations are assumed to occur when order picking is not being performed. A rectilinear travel metric is used for the NALT; pdfs are derived and finite population queueing and infinite population queueing models are used to analyze the retrieval operations under stochastic conditions. Our second contribution is the development of travel time pdfs for retrieval operations in an MIAPP order picking system supported by an AS/R machine (MIAPP-AS/RS); storage operations are assumed to occur when order picking is not being performed. A Chebyshev travel metric is used for the AS/R machine. For the MIAPP-AS/RS operation, pick positions are located at floor level and on a mezzanine. The pdfs for four scenarios are derived and finite population and infinite population queueing models are used to analyze the retrieval operation under stochastic conditions. Our final contribution is the development of travel time pdfs for storage and retrieval operations in an MIAPP-NALT system with two classes of stock keeping units (skus): fast movers and slow movers. A rectilinear travel metric is used and two levels of pick positions are considered. Non-preemptive priority queueing and non-priority queueing models are used to analyze storage and retrieval requests in the MIAPP-NALT system. Retrieval requests are given a higher priority than storage requests; alternately, storage and retrieval requests are served using a first come, first serve (FCFS) discipline