Nowadays, industrial applications are showing an increasing interest toward the adoption of automated logistic handling systems, such as systems including Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). A logistic handling system represents the physical link between the production system (i.e. parallel production lines) and the shipment system (i.e. fleets of vehicles for goods delivery). The synchronization between these two processes is an important issue, especially for companies producing final goods and giving priority to direct shipments rather than to store products inside the plant. Nevertheless, the variability in the generation of production patterns and shipment arrivals may lead to an unacceptable loss of synchronization. In order to prevent this harmful situation, some control policies can be adopted: it could be necessary to review short-term plans acting on production patterns and/or on shipment priority.This paper deals with the design and management of a logistic handling system including AGVs by using a simulation model. Normally, the objective of the design phase is the identification of the optimal number of AGVs to include in the system. For this purpose, an effective simulative model has to consider what happens both in the upstream (i.e. production system) and in the downstream (i.e. shipment system) of the logistic system. Nevertheless, the modeling of a real complex system has also to include the control policies that assure the necessary synchronization between the production and shipment processes. A methodological approach is then proposed and an application to a design problem derived form an actual case study is presented and discussed.
Adoption of control policies in a simulative model for the design of AGV systems
GEBENNINI, Elisa;
2009-01-01
Abstract
Nowadays, industrial applications are showing an increasing interest toward the adoption of automated logistic handling systems, such as systems including Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). A logistic handling system represents the physical link between the production system (i.e. parallel production lines) and the shipment system (i.e. fleets of vehicles for goods delivery). The synchronization between these two processes is an important issue, especially for companies producing final goods and giving priority to direct shipments rather than to store products inside the plant. Nevertheless, the variability in the generation of production patterns and shipment arrivals may lead to an unacceptable loss of synchronization. In order to prevent this harmful situation, some control policies can be adopted: it could be necessary to review short-term plans acting on production patterns and/or on shipment priority.This paper deals with the design and management of a logistic handling system including AGVs by using a simulation model. Normally, the objective of the design phase is the identification of the optimal number of AGVs to include in the system. For this purpose, an effective simulative model has to consider what happens both in the upstream (i.e. production system) and in the downstream (i.e. shipment system) of the logistic system. Nevertheless, the modeling of a real complex system has also to include the control policies that assure the necessary synchronization between the production and shipment processes. A methodological approach is then proposed and an application to a design problem derived form an actual case study is presented and discussed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.