A Review Of Design And Control Of Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

This paper presents a review on design and control of automated guided vehicle systems. We address most key related issues including guide-path design, estimating the number of vehicles, vehicle scheduling, idle-vehicle positioning, battery management, vehicle routing, and conflict resolution. We discuss and classify important models and results from key publications in literature on automated guided vehicle systems, including often-neglected areas, such as idle-vehicle positioning and battery management. In addition, we propose a decision framework for design and implementation of automated guided vehicle systems, and suggest some fruitful research directions

Route planning of automated guided vehicles for container logistics

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are widely used in container terminals for the movement of material from shipping to the yard area and vice versa. Research in this area is directed toward the development of a path layout design and routing algorithms for container movement. The problem is to design a path layout and a routing algorithm that will route the AGVs along the bi-directional path so that the distance traveled will be minimized. This thesis presents a bi-directional path flow layout and a routing algorithm that guarantee conflict-free, shortest time routes for AGVs. Based on the path layout, a routing algorithm and sufficient, but necessary conditions, mathematical relationships are developed among certain key parameters of vehicle and path. A high degree of concurrency is achieved in the vehicle movement. The routing efficiency is analyzed in terms of the distance traveled and the time required for AGVs to complete all pickup and drop-off jobs. Numerical results are presented to compare performance of the proposed model. The research provides the foundation for a bi-directional path layout design and routing algorithms that will aid the designer to develop complicated path layouts

Integer linear programming formulation of the vehicle positioning problem in automated manufacturing systems

8 páginasThis paper addresses the problem of vehicle location (positioning) for automated transport in fully automated manufacturing systems. This study is motivated by the complexity of vehicle control found in modern integrated circuit semiconductor fabrication facilities where the material handling network path is composed of multiple loops interconnected. In order to contribute to decrease the manufacturing lead-time of semiconductor products, we propose an integer linear program that minimizes the maximum time needed to serve a transport request. Computation experiments are based on real-life data. We discuss the practical usefulness of the mathematical model by means of a simulation experiment used to analyze the factory operational behavio

Otomatikleştirilmiş rehberli araç sistemlerinin transport tekniğinde modellemesi

The study objectives are to 1) provide information regarding the use and benefits of Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems in manufacturing environments, and 2) review the literature related to design, modeling and simulation of AGV systems. We classify the tools utilized in design problems of AGV systems as analytical and simulation-based tools. Then, give examples of both categories from related literature.Çalışmanın amaçları; 1) Otomatikleştirilmiş Rehberli Araç (ORA, ingilizcesi, Automated Guided Vehicle, AGV) sistemlerinin kullanımı ve faydaları hakkında bilgiler vermek ve 2) ORA sistemlerinin tasarım, modellenme ve simulasyonu (benzetimi) ile ilgili kapsamlı bir literatür incelemesinin sonuçlarını sunmaktır. Öncelikle ORA sistemlerinin tasarım problemlerinde kullanılan yöntemleri analitik ve simülasyon yöntemler olarak ikiye ayrılıp, daha sonra, ilgili literatürden her iki gruba ait örnekler verilmektedir

Modeling Automated Guided Vehicle Systems in Material Handling

Çalışmanın amaçları; 1) Otomatikleştirilmiş Rehberli Araç (ORA, ingilizcesi, Automated Guided Vehicle, AGV) sistemlerinin kullanımı ve faydaları hakkında bilgiler vermek ve 2) ORA sistemlerinin tasarım, modellenme ve simulasyonu (benzetimi) ile ilgili kapsamlı bir literatür incelemesinin sonuçlarını sunmaktır. Öncelikle ORA sistemlerinin tasarım problemlerinde kullanılan yöntemleri analitik ve simülasyon yöntemler olarak ikiye ayrılıp, daha sonra, ilgili literatürden her iki gruba ait örnekler verilmektedir.The study objectives are to 1) provide information regarding the use and benefits of Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems in manufacturing environments, and 2) review the literature related to design, modeling and simulation of AGV systems. We classify the tools utilized in design problems of AGV systems as analytical and simulation-based tools. Then, give examples of both categories from related literature

Modeling Automated Guided Vehicle Systems in Material Handling

Çalışmanın amaçları; 1) Otomatikleştirilmiş Rehberli Araç (ORA, ingilizcesi, Automated Guided Vehicle, AGV) sistemlerinin kullanımı ve faydaları hakkında bilgiler vermek ve 2) ORA sistemlerinin tasarım, modellenme ve simulasyonu (benzetimi) ile ilgili kapsamlı bir literatür incelemesinin sonuçlarını sunmaktır. Öncelikle ORA sistemlerinin tasarım problemlerinde kullanılan yöntemleri analitik ve simülasyon yöntemler olarak ikiye ayrılıp, daha sonra, ilgili literatürden her iki gruba ait örnekler verilmektedir.The study objectives are to 1) provide information regarding the use and benefits of Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems in manufacturing environments, and 2) review the literature related to design, modeling and simulation of AGV systems. We classify the tools utilized in design problems of AGV systems as analytical and simulation-based tools. Then, give examples of both categories from related literature

A simple heuristic for linear sequencing of machines in layout design

This paper presents a simple heuristic to determine a common linear machine sequence for multiple products with different operation sequences and a limited number of duplicate machine types available for the job. The heuristic is based on minimisation of the total flow distance travelled by a product on the linear machine sequence. It is assumed that the flows of products are allowed only in the forward direction, either in-sequence or by-pass. It is also assumed that backtrack movements are not allowed. The effectiveness of the proposed heuristic is demonstrated through the solutions of two typical layout design problems taken from the literature. Subsequently, a number of additional problems are solved and their results are compared with the results applying existing methods. The results indicate that the proposed method can be an effective tool in solving layout design problems

Basic zone control performance determination in FTS design

U radu je izložena procedura za procenu vremena blokiranja vozila u kontrolnim zonama, koja predstavlja mali deo postupka za određivanje vrednosti promenljivih performansi sistema i elementarnih podsistema u projektovanju fleksibilnih transportnih sistema (FTS). Procedura je završni korak Integralnog analitičkog modela (IAM) za projektovanje i određivanje performansi FTS-a, čiji je generalni algoritam, takođe, predstavljen. Predložena strategija analitičkog modeliranja znatno poboljšava nivo tačnosti predviđanja performansi sistema i elementarnih podsistema FTS-a.This paper presents procedure for estimation of vehicle control zone blocking times as an only a small part of system and elementary subsystems performance variables calculation in a flexible transport system (FTS) design. Procedure is a final step of an Integral analytical model (IAM) for FTS design and performances determination, whose general algorithm is shown. Some results of sensitively analyses performed by IAM are also presented. Proposed analytical modeling strategy substantially increases the level of accuracy of system and elementary subsystem performance predicting

Alternative line delivery strategies support a forklift free transition in a high product variety environment

Forklift transport fails when it comes to efficiency. As a result, more and more attention is going to alternative transport systems that automate or further structure the material flow; such as line deliveries by train and conveyor technology. Only substituting the transport system itself is not cost-effective. The resulting improvements are rather low compared to the high investment cost. Therefore, in this paper alternative material flow and line delivery strategies are taken into consideration. Within a high product variety environment a combination of materials kitting and line stocking is proposed. This approach has some important benefits on top of the pure forklift free transition. A basic model is constructed to calculate the kitting area and transport system requirements. A truck assembly company is used as case study. A feasibility study is carried out, to give a rough indication of the cost-effectiveness of the model

Simulation in Automated Guided Vehicle System Design

The intense global competition that manufacturing companies face today results in an increase of product variety and shorter product life cycles. One response to this threat is agile manufacturing concepts. This requires materials handling systems that are agile and capable of reconfiguration. As competition in the world marketplace becomes increasingly customer-driven, manufacturing environments must be highly reconfigurable and responsive to accommodate product and process changes, with rigid, static automation systems giving way to more flexible types. Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS) have such capabilities and AGV functionality has been developed to improve flexibility and diminish the traditional disadvantages of AGV-systems. The AGV-system design is however a multi-faceted problem with a large number of design factors of which many are correlating and interdependent. Available methods and techniques exhibit problems in supporting the whole design process. A research review of the work reported on AGVS development in combination with simulation revealed that of 39 papers only four were industrially related. Most work was on the conceptual design phase, but little has been reported on the detailed simulation of AGVS. Semi-autonomous vehicles (SA V) are an innovative concept to overcome the problems of inflexible -systems and to improve materials handling functionality. The SA V concept introduces a higher degree of autonomy in industrial AGV -systems with the man-in-the-Ioop. The introduction of autonomy in industrial applications is approached by explicitly controlling the level of autonomy at different occasions. The SA V s are easy to program and easily reconfigurable regarding navigation systems and material handling equipment. Novel approaches to materials handling like the SA V -concept place new requirements on the AGVS development and the use of simulation as a part of the process. Traditional AGV -system simulation approaches do not fully meet these requirements and the improved functionality of AGVs is not used to its full power. There is a considerflble potential in shortening the AGV -system design-cycle, and thus the manufacturing system design-cycle, and still achieve more accurate solutions well suited for MRS tasks. Recent developments in simulation tools for manufacturing have improved production engineering development and the tools are being adopted more widely in industry. For the development of AGV -systems this has not fully been exploited. Previous research has focused on the conceptual part of the design process and many simulation approaches to AGV -system design lack in validity. In this thesis a methodology is proposed for the structured development of AGV -systems using simulation. Elements of this methodology address the development of novel functionality. The objective of the first research case of this research study was to identify factors for industrial AGV -system simulation. The second research case focuses on simulation in the design of Semi-autonomous vehicles, and the third case evaluates a simulation based design framework. This research study has advanced development by offering a framework for developing testing and evaluating AGV -systems, based on concurrent development using a virtual environment. The ability to exploit unique or novel features of AGVs based on a virtual environment improves the potential of AGV-systems considerably.University of Skovde. European Commission for funding the INCO/COPERNICUS Projec