Simulation of an automated stacker storage system
WSC '77 Proceedings of the 9th conference on Winter simulation - Volume 2
Interactive simulation modeling of automated storage retrieval systems
WSC '86 Proceedings of the 18th conference on Winter simulation
| Hi-index | 0.00 |
Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (AS/RS's) automatically perform storage and retrieval functions in a manufacturing facility. They have assured themselves a place of value in the factory of the present, as well as in the factory of the future. This paper presents an evaluation of different control algorithms of a single-aisle single-stacker AS/RS, using computer simulation, in order to identify an optimum (or very efficient) control algorithm. Storage location assignment rules, zoning procedures, stacker movement, incoming and outgoing queue priority and sequencing rules were evaluated by grouping control variables and testing the significance of these variables on system performance. Some of the results of this simulation study confirmed some of the literature. Other results provided an interesting contrast for effects of alternate control variables on system performance. The study also provides some guidelines for designing an AS/RS control strategy.