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Full-Text Articles in Business
Using Buffers And Work-Sharing For Minimizing Makespan Of Small Batches In Assembly Lines Under Learning Effects, Yossi Bukchin, Efrat Wexler
Using Buffers And Work-Sharing For Minimizing Makespan Of Small Batches In Assembly Lines Under Learning Effects, Yossi Bukchin, Efrat Wexler
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
The effect of workers’ learning curve on production rate in manual assembly lines is significant when producing relatively small batches of different products. This research analyzes this effect and suggests applying work-sharing among the workers in such an environment to improve the time to complete the batch, namely, the makespan. Work-sharing refers to a situation where adjacent workers help each other in order to reduce idle times caused by blockage and starvation. The effect of work-sharing and existence of buffers on the makespan is examined and compared to a baseline situation, with no work-sharing and buffers. We present mixedinteger linear-programing …
A Yard Crane Scheduling Problem With Practical Constraints, Amin Hossein Gharehgozli, Yugang Yu, Rene De Koster, Gilbert Laporte
A Yard Crane Scheduling Problem With Practical Constraints, Amin Hossein Gharehgozli, Yugang Yu, Rene De Koster, Gilbert Laporte
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
The problem considered in this paper is to locate storage containers while a set of container storage and retrieval requests are sequenced. Two automated cranes stack and retrieve containers in a single block of a yard. The cranes cannot pass each other and must be separated by a safety distance. Storage containers are initially located at the seaside and land side input/output (I/O) points of the block. Each must be stacked in a specific location of the block, selected from a set of open locations suitable for stacking the storage container. Retrieval containers are initially located in the block and …
Knowledge-Based Methods For Efficient Material Handling Equipment Development, Dirk Jodin, Christian Landschützer
Knowledge-Based Methods For Efficient Material Handling Equipment Development, Dirk Jodin, Christian Landschützer
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
This paper focuses on the Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) method and general Knowledge-based technologies for automated design of material handling products. As in vehicle and aerospace engineering this is a widespread technology, the authors try to introduce the main benefits of KBE for the material handling equipment design. The benefits of KBE, as faster and more accurate (safer) product development, customized products and knowledge of employees captured within a knowledge management system, let KBE hold many promising possibilities within, to deal with nowadays demands on engineering development, driven by cost reductions and time shortcuttings. The authors introduce the actual stage of …
Hybrid Heuristics For Infinite Period Inventory Routing Problem, Ronald Askin, Mingjun Xia
Hybrid Heuristics For Infinite Period Inventory Routing Problem, Ronald Askin, Mingjun Xia
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In this paper, we address a one-to-many distribution network inventory routing problem over an infinite planning horizon. Each retailer has an independent, random demand, and the distribution center uses capacitated vehicles for routing delivery. The demand at each retailer is relatively small compared to the vehicle capacity. A novel mathematical model is given to simultaneously decide the optimal routing tours to retailers and routing frequencies of each route. Several heuristics are developed to solve large scale instances of the problem.
A High-Density, Puzzle-Based Order Picking System, Kevin R. Gue, Onur Uludag
A High-Density, Puzzle-Based Order Picking System, Kevin R. Gue, Onur Uludag
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
We present a new semi-automated system for carton and piece picking operations in the distribution centers. The system features decentralized control based on a message-passing protocol in which cells communicate with their neighbors to determine action in each step. The result is a dynamically changing pick face that provides high sku density and reduced worker travel. We describe an example in which pickers are 20% to 50% more productive than they would be in an equivalent ow rack system.
Functional Design Of Physical Internet Facilities: A Road-Rail Hub, Eric Ballot, Benoit Montreuil, Collin Thivierge
Functional Design Of Physical Internet Facilities: A Road-Rail Hub, Eric Ballot, Benoit Montreuil, Collin Thivierge
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
As part of the 2010 IMHRC, Montreuil, Meller and Ballot enumerated the type of facilities that would be necessary to operate a Physical Internet (PI, π), which they termed, “π-nodes.” This paper is part of a three-paper series for the 2012 IMHRC where the authors provide functional designs of three PI facilities. This paper covers a PI road-rail hub. The purpose of a PI road-rail node is to enable the transfer of PI containers from their inbound to outbound destinations. Therefore, a road-rail π-hub provides a mechanism to transfer π-containers from a train to another one or a truck or …
Impact Of Rotated Aisles On Travel Distance In Manufacturing Facilities, Dale Masel, Samantha Hedges
Impact Of Rotated Aisles On Travel Distance In Manufacturing Facilities, Dale Masel, Samantha Hedges
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
To design a facility, expected flows between the resources is one of the most important input. Flows are usually calculated given some statistics of previous periods or from the expected demand and the process required. However, in a refurbishing and recycling facility, flows are very fluctuating and not trivial to predict. The quantity produced by such facility not only depends on the demand but also on the supplies which are returned products under guaranty or discarded products after their end-of-use. The uncertainty and the variability on these supplies are often higher than the one on the demand which makes it …
Performance Trade-Offs In Layouts For Relief Centers, Ananth Krishnamurthy, Sanket Bhat, Debjit Roy
Performance Trade-Offs In Layouts For Relief Centers, Ananth Krishnamurthy, Sanket Bhat, Debjit Roy
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
At a disaster affected region, relief centers distribute critical supplies and aid to the affected victims. Unlike traditional distribution centers, relief centers experience significant ‘crowd effects’ due to the sudden influx of victims in a confined space. Using knowledge from studies on pedestrian traffic flow, specialized state dependent queuing models are developed to model the flow of victims along the walkways setup at a relief center. The underlying queuing network model is analyzed to derive expressions for the average times that victims experience before they receive the service at the relief center. The research shows that crowd density effects lead …
A Multi-Objective Optimization Approach For Designing Automated Warehouses, Tone Lerher, Matej Borovinšek, Iztok Potrč, Matjaž Šraml
A Multi-Objective Optimization Approach For Designing Automated Warehouses, Tone Lerher, Matej Borovinšek, Iztok Potrč, Matjaž Šraml
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
A multi objective optimization of automated warehouses is discussed and evaluated in present paper. Since most of researchers in material handling community had performed optimization of decision variables with single objective function only (usually named with minimum travel time, maximum throughput capacity, minimum cost, etc.), the multi objective optimization (travel time – cost – quality) will be presented. For the optimization of decision variables in objective functions, the method with genetic algorithms is used. To find the Pareto optimal solutions, the NSGA II genetic algorithm was used. The main objective of our contribution is to determine the performance of the …
Design & Modeling Of A Single Machine Flow Rack As/Rs, Zaki Sari, Nadir Hakim Bessenouci
Design & Modeling Of A Single Machine Flow Rack As/Rs, Zaki Sari, Nadir Hakim Bessenouci
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In this paper, we aim to introduce a new variation of the flow rack automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) using a single machine for storage and retrieval operations instead of two machines. Also, analytical expressions are derived for expected single and dual cycle times of the storage and retrieval machine. For that, randomized storage assignment, and Tchebychev travel are assumed. Two dwell point positions are investigated and compared to determine the best one. Finally an experimental validation using simulation is conducted to verify the quality of the developed.
An Extended Double Row Layout Problem, Chase C. Murray, Xingquan Zuo, Alice E. Smith
An Extended Double Row Layout Problem, Chase C. Murray, Xingquan Zuo, Alice E. Smith
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
The double row layout problem (DRLP) seeks to determine optimal machine locations on either side of an aisle, where the objective has been defined as the minimization of material ow cost among ma- chines while meeting machine clearance constraints. In this paper, we extend existing DRLP formulations in two respects. First, we consider the minimization of layout area besides the usual material ow cost objective. Second, we present a mixed integer linear programming formulation that permits non-zero aisle widths. This new formulation also includes new constraints that eliminate layout \mirroring," thus reducing the solution space significantly and thus solution times. …
Functional Design Of Physical Internet Facilities: A Road-Based Transit Center, Russell D. Meller, Benoit Montreuil, Collin Thivierge, Zachary Montreuil
Functional Design Of Physical Internet Facilities: A Road-Based Transit Center, Russell D. Meller, Benoit Montreuil, Collin Thivierge, Zachary Montreuil
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In their 2010 IMHRC paper, Montreuil, Meller and Ballot proposed a set of facility types that would be necessary to operate a Physical Internet, which they termed “π-nodes.” This paper is part of a three-paper series for the 2012 IMHRC where the authors provide functional designs of three PI facilities. This paper covers a road-based transit center, or road-based π- transit. The mission of a π-transit node is to enable the transfer of π - carriers from their inbound to outbound destinations. Therefore, a road based π-transit provides a mechanism to transfer π-trailers from one truck to another. The objective …
Estimating Travel Distances And Optimizing Product Placement For Dedicated Warehouses With Manual Picking, Uday Venkatadri, Sachin Kubasad
Estimating Travel Distances And Optimizing Product Placement For Dedicated Warehouses With Manual Picking, Uday Venkatadri, Sachin Kubasad
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
This paper looks at the problem of estimating travel distances for rectangular warehouse sections with manual picking. This study was motivated by a real-life case in the food and beverage industry where case picking occurred in a rectangular section of the warehouse In particular, we are interested in estimating the distance travelled by an order picker whose picking route begins and ends at a single depot. One of the assumptions in many distance approximation papers is that any location is equally likely to be picked. However, this assumption is unrealistic in the case of dedicated warehouse layout, where products are …
Dynamic Slotting Optimization Based On Skus Correlations In A Zone-Based Wave-Picking System, Li Yingde, Jeffery S. Smith
Dynamic Slotting Optimization Based On Skus Correlations In A Zone-Based Wave-Picking System, Li Yingde, Jeffery S. Smith
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Many exiting slotting methods ignore the picking correlations between Stock Keeping Units (SKUs). In a previous paper, a mix integer program model for dynamic slotting to minimize the pick-wave makespan among all zones under some load balancing constraints was developed. In this paper, we develop an ant colony optimization with slot-exchange policy (ACO-SE) based on SKU correlation to assign the correlated SKUs to the adjacent slots in the same zone. The ACO-SE deposits pheromones between SKUs, uses local and global pheromone trail updates, and controls pheromone accumulation using the Max-Min rule. The main heuristic information is set to the correlation …
An Mip Approach To The U-Line Balancing Problem With Proportional Worker Throughput, Reyhan Erin, Andres L. Carrano, Moises Sudit
An Mip Approach To The U-Line Balancing Problem With Proportional Worker Throughput, Reyhan Erin, Andres L. Carrano, Moises Sudit
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
One of the major challenges faced by manufacturing companies is to remain competitive in dynamic environments, where fluctuations in customer demand and production rates require systems capable of adapting in a practical and economical way. A U-shaped production cell is considered one of the most flexible designs for adapting the workforce level to varying conditions. However, re-balancing efforts are time consuming and often require a new work allocation and line design. In this paper, a two-stage MIP model to determine the best cell design under varying workforce levels is proposed. The model seeks to maintain proportionality between throughput and the …
Refurburshing And Recycling Facilities Design Methodology, Suzanne Marcotte, Benoit Montreuil
Refurburshing And Recycling Facilities Design Methodology, Suzanne Marcotte, Benoit Montreuil
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
To design a facility, expected flows between the resources is one of the most important input. Flows are usually calculated given some statistics of previous periods or from the expected demand and the process required. However, in a refurbishing and recycling facility, flows are very fluctuating and not trivial to predict. The quantity produced by such facility not only depends on the demand but also on the supplies which are returned products under guaranty or discarded products after their end-of-use. The uncertainty and the variability on these supplies are often higher than the one on the demand which makes it …
Modeling The Inventory Requirement And Throughput Performance Of Picking Machine Order-Fulfillment Technology, Jennifer A. Pazour, Russell D. Meller
Modeling The Inventory Requirement And Throughput Performance Of Picking Machine Order-Fulfillment Technology, Jennifer A. Pazour, Russell D. Meller
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Picking machines, also known as remote-order-picking systems, are an example of a stock-to-picker piece-level order-fulfillment technology that consists of two or more pick stations and a common storage area. An integrated closed-loop conveyor decouples the pick stations from the storage area by transporting the needed totes to and from the storage area and the pick stations. We develop a probabilistic model capable of quantifying the inventory differences between order-fulfillment technologies that pool inventory with technologies that do not pool inventory. To determine the throughput of a picking machine, we develop a methodology that incorporates existing analytical models for the picking …
An Object Oriented And Axiomatic Theory Of Warehouse Design, Leon F. Mcginnis
An Object Oriented And Axiomatic Theory Of Warehouse Design, Leon F. Mcginnis
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Despite the conceptual simplicity of warehousing, the development of integrated computational tools for warehouse design has remained an elusive goal. In recent years, there has been some progress toward this goal, with a growing body of research addressing topics as diverse as the design process itself, decision support for specific design decisions, warehouse representation, integrating warehouse representation and analysis, and conceptual approaches for developing integrated warehouse design tool chains. Until now, however, there has not been a suitable warehouse design theory that would provide an integrating framework for all these disparate efforts. This paper presents an object-oriented and axiomatic warehouse …
Analysis Of Parameters Influencing In-Plant Milk Run Design For Production Supply, Eva Klenk, Stefan Galka, Willibald A. Günthner
Analysis Of Parameters Influencing In-Plant Milk Run Design For Production Supply, Eva Klenk, Stefan Galka, Willibald A. Günthner
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In-plant milk-run systems are a transport concept for in-plant material delivery which is becoming more and more applicable especially in the automotive industry. This is due to the system characteristic of providing materials in small lot sizes and with high frequency. As there is a number of different milk run concepts applied and there are several parameters influencing the efficiency and stability of these systems, this paper aims at presenting an overview of common concepts and their properties together with key figures based on an empirical study. The concepts are further analyzed and evaluated with respect to resulting lead times …
Safe Control Of Manufacturing Vehicles Research Towards Standard Test Methods, Roger Bostelman, Will Shackleford, Geraldine Cheok, Kamel Saidi
Safe Control Of Manufacturing Vehicles Research Towards Standard Test Methods, Roger Bostelman, Will Shackleford, Geraldine Cheok, Kamel Saidi
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology‟s Intelligent Systems Division has been researching several areas leading to safe control of manufacturing vehicles to improve automated guided vehicle (AGV) safety standards. The research areas include: AGV safety and control based on advanced two-dimensional (2D) sensors that detect moving standard test pieces representing humans; Ability of advanced 3D imaging sensors, when mounted to an AGV or forklift, to detect stationary or moving objects and test pieces on the ground or hanging over the work area; and Manned forklift safety based on advanced 3D imaging sensors that detect visible and …
A Comparison Of Priority Rules For Non-Passing Automated Stacking Cranes, Hector J. Carlo, Azaria Del Valle-Serrano, Fernando L. Martinez-Acevado, Yaritza M. Santiago-Correa, Iris F.A. Vis
A Comparison Of Priority Rules For Non-Passing Automated Stacking Cranes, Hector J. Carlo, Azaria Del Valle-Serrano, Fernando L. Martinez-Acevado, Yaritza M. Santiago-Correa, Iris F.A. Vis
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
A recent trend in container ports is to operate dual non-passing Automated Storage Cranes (ASCs) that collaborate to serve storage and retrieval requests from opposite ends of a storage block. Since the ASCs are unable to pass each other, there is an exchange zone that serves as a temporary storage location so that one crane can start a request and leave it to the other crane to complete it. In this study, twelve priority rules are introduced and evaluated to determine which rule minimizes the total makespan for serving all requests, given the sequence in which each ASC will serve …
Simulation-Based Performance Improvement Of A Defense Logistics Warehouse, Banu Y. Ekren, Gerald W. Evans, Sunderesh S. Heragu, John S. Usher
Simulation-Based Performance Improvement Of A Defense Logistics Warehouse, Banu Y. Ekren, Gerald W. Evans, Sunderesh S. Heragu, John S. Usher
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Warehouses play a critical role in supply chains. They serve as a vital link between manufacturers and customers. In this study, we investigate performance of the largest warehouse (Eastern Distribution Center - EDC) of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) located in New Cumberland, PA and propose a near optimum design for the receiving area of the warehouse to improve its performance. First, we develop a simulation model of the system. Second, we interface an optimization model with the simulation in order to optimize the number of people working at the induction stations. In the optimization model, our goal is to …
Cycle Time Models For Aisle Changing As/Rs Considering Acceleration/Deceleration, Jörg Oser
Cycle Time Models For Aisle Changing As/Rs Considering Acceleration/Deceleration, Jörg Oser
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In multi-aisle AS/RS systems one or more S/R machines serve several aisles with storage racks on both sides of the aisle. An important feature of multi-aisle configurations are aisle changing devices with transfer cars, curve guided aisle switching mechanisms or closed loop rail tracks with curved sections for a two-aisle layout. These systems offer an economic solution, when the number of storage and retrieval transactions is low and storage volume is high. One or several S/R machines each serving a specified number of aisles can be arranged in various layouts to meet the required storage capacity and throughput.
Understanding And Modeling Sustainability Issues In Facility Logistics, Brett A. Peters, Astrid Garcia Ramos
Understanding And Modeling Sustainability Issues In Facility Logistics, Brett A. Peters, Astrid Garcia Ramos
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Environmental issues have been the focus of much discussion and debate. In light of environmental concerns, many companies have focused on creating sustainable products and systems. While there is still much disagreement about what is “sustainable,” there is a lot of on-going activity cover a wide range of areas and topics. However, relatively speaking, there is much less attention and activity within a facility logistics context. In this paper, sustainability issues related to facility logistics are explored. An overview of existing related research across a range of areas is provided. Major issues of concern for facility logistics will be discussed …
A Mathematical Model For Driver Balance In Truckload Relay Networks, Sarah Root, Hector A. Vergara
A Mathematical Model For Driver Balance In Truckload Relay Networks, Sarah Root, Hector A. Vergara
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Driver retention has been cited as one of the primary motivating factors for the implementation of relay networks for full truckload transportation. The strategic design of such networks considering important operational factors such as limitations on load circuity and equipment balance has been previously studied in the literature, however driver scheduling has not been explicitly considered in routing decisions. We present a prescriptive modeling approach that uses mathematical programming in conjunction with a decomposition-based algorithm to select feasible duties that consider current hours-of-service regulations and assign them to drivers domiciled at relay points in the network to cover truckload demands …
Dock Assignment And Truck Scheduling Problems At Cross-Docking Terminals, Ching-Jung Ting, Amanda G. Rodríguez López
Dock Assignment And Truck Scheduling Problems At Cross-Docking Terminals, Ching-Jung Ting, Amanda G. Rodríguez López
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In this paper, we consider the integration of dock assignment and truck scheduling problem at cross-docking terminals. The problem is first formulated as a 0-1 integer programming model. Since both dock assignment and truck scheduling problems are NP-hard, its integration is more difficult to solve. Thus we propose reduced variable neighborhood search (RVNS) algorithms to solve the problem. Computational experiments are carried out on four set of instances. The results show that RVNS is capable of finding good solutions in a much shorter computation time when it is compared with optimization solver Gurobi’s solutions.
The Order Picking Problem In Fishbone Aisle Warehouses, Melih Celik, Haldun Sural
The Order Picking Problem In Fishbone Aisle Warehouses, Melih Celik, Haldun Sural
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
A recent trend in the layout design of unit load warehouses is the application of layouts without conventional parallel pick aisles and straight middle aisles. Two examples for such designs are flying- V and fish bone designs for single and dual command operations. In this study, we consider the same layout types under the case of multiple-item pick lists and show that, for both layout types, the routing problem can be solved in polynomial time. We also propose simple heuristics for this problem inspired by those put forward for parallel-aisle warehouses. Our computational results reveal that under certain cases, fish …
How To Choose An Order-Picking System, Marita Ellinger, Tim Geißen, Detlef Spee
How To Choose An Order-Picking System, Marita Ellinger, Tim Geißen, Detlef Spee
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
Order-Picking-Systems are the parts of material flow systems, which have the largest variance of deployment alternatives. Since a long time there have been many attempts to systematize the way of identification of the order-picking- ystem that the “correct” solution can be found. The previous methods could not be enforced universally. Thus nearly all the material handling system suppliers have their own approach to find the right system, as it turned out at a market analysis of Fraunhofer IML. With the presented concept of finding a solution, a structured, fast method for system identification shall be presented. A stepwise approach to …
Process Analysis For Material Flow Systems, Thorsten Schmidt, David Wustmann, Robert Schmaler
Process Analysis For Material Flow Systems, Thorsten Schmidt, David Wustmann, Robert Schmaler
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
This paper describes a generic approach for analysis of internal behavior of logistic systems based on event logs. The approach is demonstrated by an example of event data from the simulation model of an automated material handling system (MHS) in a manufacturing company. The purpose of the analysis is the identification of design and operation problems and their causes, prospectively. As a result, the simulation model developer obtains the condensed and ranked information on events. These events describe the internal system behavior with anomalies pointing at either possible problems or capacity reserves.
Evaluation Of Environmental Benefits Of Che Emerging Technologies By Using Lca, Nenad Zrnić, Andrija Vujičić
Evaluation Of Environmental Benefits Of Che Emerging Technologies By Using Lca, Nenad Zrnić, Andrija Vujičić
12th IMHRC Proceedings (Gardanne, France – 2012)
In the era of climate change combat transport industry is recognized as a sector with one of the largest environmental footprints. A part of transport industry is container shipping and handling division, which is currently growing with the fastest rate. This massive growth of container sector is due to containers pouring from Asia, mainly from China. Thus, container port operations are also experiencing significant increase in port emissions. This fact puts port authorities in position to find a way to reduce environmental impact of port operations and at the same time withhold increase in number containers being handled. In response …