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Vertical or Horizontal Transport? - Comparison of robotic storage and retrieval systems

Author

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  • Azadeh, K.
  • Roy, D.
  • de Koster, M.B.M.

Abstract

Autonomous vehicle-based storage and retrieval systems are commonly used in e-commerce fulfillment as they allow a high and flexible throughput capacity. In these systems, roaming robots transport loads between a storage location and a workstation. Two main variants exist: Horizontal, where the robots only move horizontally and use lifts for vertical transport and a new variant Vertical, where the robots can also travel vertically in the rack. This paper builds a framework to analyze the performance of the vertical system and to compare its throughput capacity with the horizontal system. We build closed-queueing network models for this that in turn are used to optimize the design. The results show that the optimal height-to-width ratio of a vertical system is around 1. As a large number of system robots may lead to blocking and delays, we compare the effect of two different robot blocking protocols on the system throughput: robot Recirculation and Wait-On-Spot. The Wait-On-Spot policy produces a higher system throughput when the number of robots in the system is small. However, for a large number of robots in the system, the Recirculation policy dominates the Wait-On-Spot policy. Finally, we compare the operational costs of the vertical and the horizontal transport system. For systems with one load/unload (L/U) point, the vertical system always produces a similar or higher system throughput, with a lower operating cost compared to the horizontal system with a discrete lift. It also outperforms the horizontal system with a continuous lift in systems with two L/U points.

Suggested Citation

  • Azadeh, K. & Roy, D. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2016. "Vertical or Horizontal Transport? - Comparison of robotic storage and retrieval systems," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2016-009-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    • Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:94838
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Debjit Roy & Ananth Krishnamurthy & Sunderesh S. Heragu & Charles J. Malmborg, 2016. "A simulation framework for studying blocking effects in warehouse systems with autonomous vehicles," European Journal of Industrial Engineering, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 51-80.
    2. Debjit Roy & Ananth Krishnamurthy & Sunderesh Heragu & Charles Malmborg, 2012. "Performance analysis and design trade-offs in warehouses with autonomous vehicle technology," IISE Transactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(12), pages 1045-1060.
    3. Dijk, N.M. van, 1988. "On Jackson's product form with 'jump-over' blocking," Serie Research Memoranda 0004, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    4. Fukunari, Miki & Malmborg, Charles J., 2009. "A network queuing approach for evaluation of performance measures in autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(1), pages 152-167, February.
    5. Lerher, Tone & Potrc, Iztok & Sraml, Matjaz & Tollazzi, Tomaz, 2010. "Travel time models for automated warehouses with aisle transferring storage and retrieval machine," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 205(3), pages 571-583, September.
    6. Li Zhang & Ananth Krishnamurthy & Charles J. Malmborg & Sunderesh S. Heragu, 2009. "Variance-based approximations of transaction waiting times in autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems," European Journal of Industrial Engineering, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(2), pages 146-169.
    7. Zou, Bipan & Xu, Xianhao & (Yale) Gong, Yeming & De Koster, René, 2016. "Modeling parallel movement of lifts and vehicles in tier-captive vehicle-based warehousing systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 254(1), pages 51-67.
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    Cited by:

    1. Azadeh, K. & de Koster, M.B.M. & Roy, D., 2017. "Robotized Warehouse Systems: Developments and Research Opportunities," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2017-009-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

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    Keywords

    internal transportation; robotic technology; queueing networks; performance analysis; blocking;
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