Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Gains In The Life-Cycle Of Adaptable, Self-Organizing Material Handling Systems, Jan R. Nopper, Guido Follert, Michael Ten Hompel

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Compared to conventional material flow controls, self-organized material handling systems and the Internet of Things in facility logistics promise several advantages during the life-cycle. Most important is the increased adaptability in case of expansions or modifications due to a consistent modular design; this also promotes an increased robustness due to clearly defined interfaces and a decreased complexity of each module. The use of RFID technology increases the availability of real-time data about the system and the transported units. However, the introduction of self-organized material handling systems also causes costs, e.g. for necessary RFID tags and readers. Against this background, it …

Determining Warehouse Storage Location Assignments Using Clustering Analysis, Carl Egas, Dale Masel

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

The methodology used to assign products to a storage location in a warehouse can have a significant impact on the amount of time required to retrieve all of the items needed to fill an order. This paper describes a methodology that uses a clustering approach to determine storage assignments, where the metric of the strength of the relationship between two stock-keeping units (SKUs) is the number of times that the SKUs appear in the same order. Clustering is performed to maximize the frequency with which SKUs in the same cluster are ordered together. In testing, the clustering assignments were compared …

Using Data Envelopment Analysis To Evaluate The Performance Of Third Party Distribution Centers, Ching-Jung Ting, Hsueh-Lin Fang

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

There has been considerable interest worldwide in last few years in the growth of third party logistics (3PL) providers. 3PL distribution center (DC) enables firms to achieve reduced operating costs, increased revenues, and to focus on their core competence. This research aims to find the key performance indicators through a survey of a set of DCs and then evaluate their efficiency over the period 2005-2007 using data envelopment analysis (DEA) models based on selected performance indicators as inputs and outputs. Three inputs and two outputs for all DCs from the surveyed performance indicators were selected in this study. DEA is …

Freight Sequencing To Improve Hub Operations In The Less-Than-Truckload Freight Transportation Industry, Xiangshang Tong, Kimberly Ellis, Amy Brown Greer

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

In less-than-truckload freight transportation, hub operations affect the service levels that carriers are able to provide their customers. This paper focuses on improving the efficiency of hub operations by reducing freight handling time and cost. Specifically, the freight sequencing problem (FSP) is investigated to determine the freight unloading and loading sequence that minimizes the time for dock workers to transfer shipments from origin trailers to destination trailers. The FSP is modeled as a Rural Postman Problem (RPP) and three algorithms are compared: trailer-at-atime, nearest neighbor, and balance-and-connect. Using five industrial data sets, the results demonstrate the effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages …

Analysis Of Picker Blocking In Narrow-Aisle Batch Picking, Soondo Hong, Andrew L. Johnson, Brett A. Peters

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

This study analyzes impacts by batch picking on picker blocking in narrow-aisle order picking, and determines appropriate batch formations for a better order picking throughput. We present multiple-pick analytical models to offer insights about picker blocking in batch picking. Several simulation studies over a variety of batching situations scrutinize order batching situations which give throughput benefits in narrow-aisle configurations by satisfying the analytical results. Our results highlight three findings for narrow-aisle batch picking processes: 1) variation of pick probability in batch picking is inevitable and is a primary driver of picker blocking; 2) a near-optimal distance-based batching algorithm can experience …

Towards A Physical Internet: The Impact On Logistics Facilities And Material Handling Systems Design And Innovation, Benoit Montreuil, Russell D. Meller, Eric Ballot

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Aiming for a radical sustainability improvement, the Physical Internet has the potential of revolutionizing the fields of material handling, logistics, transportation and facilities design. It exploits the enabling concept of standardized, modular and smart containers as well as the universal interconnectivity of logistics networks and services. Its underlying paradigm shift creates a tremendous breakthrough innovation opportunity for the material handling and facility logistics community in terms of equipment, systems and facility design and operation. This paper provides a primer overview of a key subset of the physical elements serving as the foundation of the Physical Internet infrastructure, classified in three …

Multiple-Grooved Magnetic Traction Sheaves, Thorsten Schmidt, Thomas Leonhardt, Martin Anders

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

This paper discusses a new and innovative form of traction sheaves, which can be used in many hoisting applications that are driven with wire ropes in material handling systems. By use of high performance permanent magnets, integrated in the periphery of traction sheaves, a significant increase of driving capacity is achieved. In this special case it concerns high energy magnets consisting of rare earth materials known as NdFeB magnets. These magnets provide a 20 times higher force than conventional magnets. The results of the research show that the driving capacity of traction sheaves with a round groove design can be …

Design Of Cross-Chain Internet Order Fulfillment Centres, Kees Jan Roodbergen, Iris F. A. Vis, Jaap Boter

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Many consumers have embraced the option of ordering via the Internet, which has resulted in an enormous increase in direct orders compared to the times when direct ordering was done by catalogue and phone. The fulfillment process in the supply chain is an important factor for these consumers impacting how long they must wait between ordering and delivery. This fact has significantly increased the importance of the back-end fulfillment process. We present a novel supply chain design to enable cross-chain coordination of order fulfillment operations for internet sales. Shared warehousing facilities are used more and more to achieve competitive advantage. …

Class-Based Storage With A Finite Number Of Items, Yugang Yu, René B.M. De Koster

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

ABC class-based storage is widely studied in literature and applied practice. It divides all stored items into a limited number of classes according to their demand rates (turnover per unit time). Classes of items with higher turnovers are stored in a region closer to the warehouse depot. In literature, it is commonly shown that the use of more storage classes leads to shorter travel time for storing and retrieving items. A basic assumption in this literature commonly is that the required storage space of items equals their average inventory levels, which is right if an infinite number of items are …

Designing Automated Warehouses By Minimising Investment Cost Using Genetic Algorithms, Tone Lerher, Iztok Potrc, Matjaz Sraml

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

The successful performance of the automated storage and retrieval systems is dependent upon the appropriate design and optimization process. In the present work a comprehensive model of designing automated storage and retrieval system for the single- and multi-aisle systems is presented. Because of the required conditions that the automated storage and retrieval systems should be technically highly efficient and that it should be designed on reasonable expenses, the objective function represents minimum total cost. The objective function combines elements of layout, time-dependent part, the initial investment and the operational costs. Due to the nonlinear, multi-variable and discrete shape of the …

Drive And Motion Design In Material Handling Equipment, Jorg Oser, Christian Landschutzer

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Drives account in many cases up to one third of the costs of material handling equipment. This fact justifies a closer look to important drive and motion issues. Typical design criteria for drives are energy and power consumption, wear, heat and noise generation. Engineering design activities start with the generation of the system configuration, that is to make appropriate topological decisions where to locate the drives in the equipment structure. These decisions define to a great extent the functional quality of the mechanical structure and the distribution of forces in the power train. For early design stages an elasto-kinetic model …

Determination Of Operational Parameters For An Efficient Container Service In The Port Of Guaymas, Cesar Meneses, J. René Villalobos

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

The port of Guaymas is located in Sea of Cortez in the Northern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Its hinterland is basically the Northwestern region of Mexico and the Southwestern United States. The Port currently focuses on bulk and liquid cargo and does not provide container services. In this paper, we explore some of the characteristics that a container service should have to be competitive in servicing the needs of the regional industry. Since the study deals with port selection decision from the industry’s point of view, we introduce a port selection model based on a Total Landed Cost (TLC) metric. …

Monitoring Inventory Accuracy With Statistical Process Control, Kyle Huschka, John R. English, Todd Easton, Andrew Huschka

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Inventory accuracy is critical in most industrial environments such as distribution, warehousing, and retail. Many companies use a technique called cycle counting and have realized outstanding results in monitoring and improving inventory accuracy. The time and resources to complete cycle counting are sometimes limited or not available. In this work, we promote statistical process control (SPC) to monitor inventory accuracy. Specifically, we model the complex underlying environments with mixture distributions to demonstrate sampling from a mixed but stationary process. For our particular application, we concern ourselves with data that result from inventory adjustments at the stock keeping unit (SKU) level …

A Real-Time Picking And Sorting System In E-Commerce Distribution Centers, Yeming Gong, Erik M. M. Winands, Rene B. M. De Koster

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Order fulfillment is the most expensive and critical operation for companies engaged in e-commerce. E-commerce distribution centers must rapidly organize the picking and sorting processes during and after the transaction has taken place, with the ongoing need to create greater responsiveness to customers. Sorting brings a relatively large setup time, which cannot be well admitted by existing polling models. We build a new stochastic polling model to describe and analyze such systems, and provide approximate explicit expressions for the complete distribution of order line waiting time for polling-based order picking systems and test their accuracy. These expressions lend themselves for …

Investigating Possible Synergies In Intermodal Operations With Truck And Rail, G. Don Taylor, Mia K. Burns, Gary L. Whicker

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

As the trucking industry continues to examine ways to provide better service at lower cost, many companies are more heavily utilizing intermodal (IM) strategies between truck and rail, especially for those loads that are relatively non-critical in terms of delivery time requirements and that have longer lengths of haul. As IM business grows, supporting dray infrastructure naturally develops around IM rail yards. What is unknown is whether it is best to have a dedicated set of drivers performing dray operations or if efficiency and cost savings can result when utilizing a joint driving fleet to concurrently support IM and traditionally …

The Influence Of Network Factors On Network Centric Operations, Mehmet Fidanci

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As Information Age changes the lifestyle of all humankinds, it also changes the way how to defense and secure the borders are secured and defended. The Information Age is about information superiority. It evolves the command and control concept, proactively, to optimize the size of the units and their connections within a combat force for effective mission accomplishment. The biggest issue is how big a unit will be and how they will arrange and connect it to the command and control structure in order for the unit to be effective on the battlefield. While some arrangements connect to each other …

Police Operations Simulation, Robert Mcgee

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In this report, the author explains the process of creating the Police Operations Simulation, shows step-by-step how it works, and statistically analyzes the results from SLOPD’s own proposed and current schedules. The data-gathering from the department and the simulation itself will receive the bulk of the coverage in this report, followed by sample results from SLOPD and a business plan for future sale to other departments.

Using the given numbers, it appears that the proposed schedule will result in significantly improved coverage for the city of San Luis Obispo. While any increase in the number officers on patrol tends to …

Cable Time Estimation Database, Joshua L. Okerman

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The use of time standards are the basis for a high efficiency system in the manufacturing environment. This project will investigate the process followed to design and develop a database used to calculate accurate cable assembly time standards used for scheduling at General Atomics. This project will then justify the use of the Cable Time Estimation Database, through an economic analysis compared to the current methods applied.

Preference Driven University Course Scheduling System, Heather A. Bellardo

Master's Theses

University course planning and scheduling is the process of determining what courses to offer, how many sections are needed, determining the best term to offer each section, assigning a faculty member to instruct each section, and scheduling each section to a timeslot to avoid conflicts. The result of this task has an impact on every student and faculty member in the department. The process is typically broken down into three major phases: course offering planning, faculty assignment to planned course sections, and course scheduling into timeslots.

This thesis looks at each of these phases for the Industrial and Manufacturing department …

Environmental Savings Tracking System For Cisco Systems, Inc., Lauren J. Herrera

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This paper illustrates the research, methodology and design used to create an environmental savings tracking system, also known as the Green Dashboard, for Cisco Systems Inc.’s Green Initiatives Group to quantify and capture an annualized summary of savings from projects initiated within its Customer Value Chain Management Organization. It articulately describes the

methodology behind the selection of metrics and the design of the process required to collect and track these quantitative direct savings. As well as describes the benefits associated with implementing this system, such as shifting Cisco towards more sustainable products and increased customer satisfaction and investor relations by …

Layout And Procedure Re-Design Of Dcpp Receiving Warehouse, Nicole Elizabeth Riegel

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The receiving warehouse at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, serves as a place to recognize the receiving of items into an ERP system, repackage and label items for long-term storage, and organize items for delivery inside the secured area. The warehouse managers would like to redesign the layout and procedures of the warehouse. Currently items are not received, scanned, or shipped in a timely manner. The flow of people and items in the receiving and shipping area is chaotic and space is limited especially during plant outages. The objective of this project is to: • …

Non-Profit Management System For Friends Of The Elephant Seal, Matthew Justus, Robert Macasi, Jeff Zinn

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES) are a non-profit organization based in San Simeon, California. Their current method of tracking and reporting information is inefficient. A project was proposed to develop a new information management system for FES, install it at their office and provide training including a user manual. The project was divided into three parts: Database Design and Implementation; User Interface Design and Ergonomics; and User Manual & Help System.

The objective of the project was to design a user-friendly interface specifically for the FES worker that allowed for easy access to data entry functions, reporting functions and …

Alleviation Of Spindle Transfer, Blake Ochs, Whitney Bone

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Haas Automation, Inc. is one of the largest CNC machine tool builders in the world. They produce an assortment of machines that come in many different sizes, however, all machines have in common the central tool that allows them to perform their surfacing and bore functions, the spindle. As with the machines themselves, the spindles can also range in size depending on the type of machine they are going into. These spindles are assembled step by step and as components are added to them, several models become so heavy that it is not feasible to have operators lift them by …

Accidents Will Happen. Do Safety Systems Improve Warehouse Safety Performance?, Rene B. M. De Koster, B. M. Balk, I Davelaar, M. Martens

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Safety is becoming more and more an issue in warehouses. In the literature, effective measures leading to increased occupational health and safety have hardly been researched. Most research focuses on the impact of perceived safety-related leadership of managers and worker safety consciousness on ‘safety climate’ and workers’ safe behavior. We have carried out exploratory research into which measures really improve the safety performance of a warehouse. We particularly focus on the effects of (1) safety-related work procedures, (2) safety leadership, and (3) workers’ safety consciousness. Based on a survey we show that safety leadership and safety-related work procedures significantly drive …

Optimizing The Rearrangement Process In A Dedicated Warehouse, Hector J. Carlo, German E. Giraldo

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Determining the optimal storage assignment for products in a dedicated warehouse has been addressed extensively in the Facility Logistics literature. However, the process of implementing a particular storage assignment given the current location of products has not received much attention in the existing literature. Typically, warehouses use downtime or overtime to remove products from their current location and move them to the suggested location. This work presents the Rearrange-While-Working (RWW) policy to optimize the process of rearranging a dedicated warehouse. The RWW policy seeks to relocate products in a warehouse from the initial arrangement to the optimal arrangement while serving …

A New Milp Approach For The Facility Layout Design Problem With Rectangular And L/T Shaped Departments, Yossi Bukchin, Michal Tzur

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

In this paper we propose a new approach for the facility layout problem (FLP) and suggest new mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulations. The proposed approach considers simultaneously the location of the departments within the facility and the internal arrangement of the machines. Two models are suggested, where the first addresses the rectangular department case and the second allows nonrectangular departments defined by an L/T shape. New regularity constraints are developed to avoid irregular department shapes.

Strategic Design Of A Robust Supply Chain, Marc Goetschalckx, Edward Huang

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

The strategic design of a robust supply chain has as goal the configuration of the supply chain structure so that the performance of the supply chain remains of a consistently high quality for all possible future scenarios. We model this goal with an objective function that trades off the central tendency of the supply chain profit with the dispersion of the profit as measured by the standard deviation for any value of the weights assigned to the two components. However, the standard deviation, used as the dispersion penalty for profit maximization, has a square root expression which makes standard maximization …

Evaluating The Effect Of Operational Conditions And Practices On Warehouse Performance, Andrew L. Johnson

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Analyzing warehouse performance across different environments is critical to improving overall productivity and reducing costs. Although two-stage DEA estimators have been shown to be statistically consistent, the finite sample bias of DEA in the first stage carries over to the secondstage regression, which causes bias in the estimated coefficients of the contextual variables. The bias is particularly severe when the contextual variables are correlated with inputs. To address this shortcoming, we apply insights from Johnson and Kuosmanen (2010), who demonstrate that DEA can be formulated as a constrained special case of the Convex Nonparametric Least Squares (CNLS) regression to develop …

Comparing Transport Policies In A Full-Scale 300mm Wafer Manufacturing Facility, J. E. Kiba, S. Dauz`Ere-P´Er`Es, C. Yugma, G. Lamiable

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

Research in semiconductor manufacturing ideally wants to determine the “best” transport policy to ensure continuous production. Determining such a policy is difficult because it depends on many factors such as the layout, the product types, the equipment, etc. Most of the transport policies found in the literature combine dispatching policies (scheduling of transport requests) and routing policies (selection of the path to move from one point to another). This paper investigates a policy called "minimum service" which consists in keeping a minimum number of available vehicles in bays, so that they can quickly answer transport requests and empty travel times …

The Human-Centric Warehouse, Kevin R. Gue

11th IMHRC Proceedings (Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA – 2010)

In theory and in practice, the objective of warehouse design has long been to meet operational requirements of throughput and service performance at minimum cost. A natural product of this “bottom line” approach has been warehouse buildings and operations ill-suited to the humans who spend their working lives interacting with them. We offer an explanation for the current approach, and argue that a new approach— a new paradigm —is needed. We then describe a comprehensive approach to warehouse design that includes human well-being as a primary goal.