基于英式拍卖的RMFS货位指派研究

目的 构建英式拍卖模型，以待指派商品品项(SKU)群的最低周转率为媒介，通过逐步提升最低周转率来实现待指派SKU与待指派区域货位数量的匹配。方法 针对移动机器人拣货系统(RMFS)中的货位指派，提出基于英式拍卖机制的货位指派方法，提升仓库拣货效率。结果 与随机指派相比，在不同仓库规模、订单规模、订单偏度的RMFS中采用英式拍卖货位指派机制，机器人行走路程下降比率在大型仓库中达30.17%，中型仓库的下降比率为27.31%，小型仓库的下降比率为24.13%。结论 采用英式拍卖机制在RFMS中进行货位指派可大幅度提高工作效率。     

基于数据挖掘的动态货位指派系统

目的为提高需求快速变化、波动较大的在线零售企业的仓库货位优化效率。方法利用数据仓库和数据挖掘法,研究基于复合规则的动态货位指派策略。对该货位指派的数据集成分析、指标计算、规则生成和货位指派等4个模块进行分析,并设计库区标定算法和规则生成算法来生成货位指派规则集。结果基于复合规则动态货位指派不仅能够节约拣货距离,而且拣货效率受需求变化的影响非常小。结论数值实验表明,与传统的货位指派策略相比,基于复合规则动态货位的指派系统可以得到更好的结果,并且在平均订单规模较大和需求偏度大的情况下效果更加明显。     

固定路径下多阶段货位调整研究

提出固定路径下多阶段货位调整方法,它将传统的货位指派分割为多阶段、小规模的动态货位调整过程,并在拣货过程中进行调整。首先,扩展现有的路径策略,设计了前进和返回交替进行的启发式路径策略。然后,基于动态出货量轮盘赌算法来计算候选商品被选择的概率,在此基础上考虑工作量均衡得到最终货位调整方案。最后,与传统方法进行实证研究,结果表明,在平均订单规模较小和需求偏度较大时,该方法能够有效地提高仓库的拣货效率,并且在大多数情况下,巷道内调整优化效果明显,跨巷道调整适合返回型拣货路径策略。     

可变路径人工拣货系统动态货位调整研究

考虑在线零售企业的时变需求,基于逐步求精、渐进式优化的思路,通过实时、动态调整商品在仓库中的存储位置来响应需求的快速变化,并允许拣货员改变其行走路线,在订单拣货的同时进行货位调整。构建了可变路径下动态货位调整框架模型;提出前进和返回交替进行的回转路径策略,并对路径调整策略及商品选择策略两个关键进行研究;通过实验验证模型的有效性。结果表明,在订单规模中等,需求偏度较大时,动态货位调整可节约25%左右的拣货距离,货位优化效果明显,可为在线零售企业科学实施动态货位调整提供理论指导。     

双区型仓库动态拣货策略的设计及路径优化研究

目的 针对双区型仓库,以拣货时间最短为目标函数构建数学模型,进一步提高拣货效率。方法 提出并设计动态货位调整与人工拣货协同作业的动态拣货策略,分别采用GA算法和GASA算法进行最优化求解。结果 GASA算法优于GA算法,拣货单为1张情况下的拣货时间可减少4%;与静态拣货策略相比,拣货单为10张情况下,采用GASA算法时,文中设计动态拣货策略下的拣货时间可减少6%,且随着拣货单数量的增加,拣货时间节约占比越大。结论 GASA算法较GA算法其求解动态拣货路径优化问题更高效、优化结果更好。文中所提动态拣货策略更方便实施,在静态拣货路径优化基础上,可进一步提高拣货效率,且拣货单越多,效果就越显著。     

Auto Store仓储系统的运作与效率优化研究

目的 为缓解零售电商商品仓库占地面积广,拣选效率受限等问题。方法 文中就存储策略、指派策略以及路径策略方面对Auto Store仓储系统进行详尽的介绍,在此基础上流程化的分析Auto Store系统完成单次订单拣货作业的业务流程,并运用Anylogic软件对所提出的模型进行仿真和验证。结果 假定订单到达服从Erlang分布,在拣选车和工作站数量和拣选货物数量相同的情况下,对比了Auto Store仓储系统混存布局和传统布局的拣选效率,验证了混存布局的可行性。结论 同时对比基于2种任务指派策略,得出了以基于拣选时间最小化的指派策略下系统运作效率更优这一结论,对理论分析与仿真研究之间的结果进行分析比较,验证了模型的有效性。     

面向货到人拣货机器人系统的数字孪生系统

采用数字孪生技术对货到人拣货机器人系统RMFS(the robotic mobile fulfillment systems)进行研究,提出了针对RMFS系统的数字孪生模型构建方法并给出了数字孪生实例。实验数据表明,所构建的数字孪生系统可更好地描述RMFS系统AV(automatic vehicle)死锁和冲突的规律,可方便地随物理RMFS系统重构而重构,实现系统共生。数字孪生系统可为更好地理解RMFS系统内在规律,指导电商企业更好地使用RMFS系统提供帮助。     

基于“货到人”拣选系统的动态货位分配研究

目的 为了提高“货到人”拣选系统的订单拣选效率，研究了电商仓库货位初始存储状态为非空情况下的商品货位分配问题。方法 考虑货架上现存商品信息、仓库空余货位数、待补货商品和新收入商品信息，提出基于商品关联度的分散存储策略，以极大化货架上所有存储商品的关联度之和为目标构建商品上架与下架的动态货位分配数学模型，并设计贪婪算法，再采用改进粒子群算法对贪婪算法得到的结果进行优化。结果 基于商品关联度的分散存储策略可以减少货架平均搬运次数29.32%左右。结论 与随机分配策略相比，文中提出的货位分配策略能够有效提升整个电商仓储中心的拣选速度。     

基于鱼骨型仓库布局的多车拣选路径问题优化

为了推动鱼骨型仓库在实际场景下的应用,针对鱼骨型仓库布局下的拣货路径优化问题,构建待拣货点距离计算模型和以有载重、容积限制的多车拣货距离最短为总目标的拣选路径优化模型。考虑遗传算法(GA)全局搜索能力强、粒子群算法(GAPSO)收敛速度快以及蚁群算法(ACO)较强的局部寻优能力,提出一种解决拣选路径优化模型的混合算法(GA-PSO-ACO)。通过不同订单规模的仿真实验,得出该混合算法在适应度值、迭代次数、收敛速度等方面均优于GA算法和GAPSO算法,且在订单规模较大时,平均适应度值约降低8%,有效缩短了总拣选距离,验证了混合算法在解决鱼骨型仓库布局下的拣货路径问题的先进性和有效性,为解决此类仓库内部的拣货路径问题提供新的解决方法和思路。     

基于蚁群算法的双分区仓库拣货路径的优化

为提高现代仓库作业中拣货这一核心环节的效率,研究了仓库拣货路径的优化,提出了根据双分区仓库中拣货路径的特点,采用蚁群算法优化求解的拣货路径算法,并通过仿真将该算法的性能与传统穿越策略、S形启发式算法进行了比较。比较结果表明,以蚁群算法优化路径问题可以明显减少路径的距离,具有良好的实用性。     

Optimal Product Layout in an Order Picking Warehouse

The purpose of this paper is to provide a basis for locating product in an order picking warehouse such that average order picking time will be minimized. A stochastic model is developed to ensure that optimal, rather than just “good,” results are obtained. It is shown that, for a class of order picking warehouse, simple, but general, assignment algorithms may be used to optimally allocate product to locations. The results are then used to explore the effects of average order size and the shape of the inventory curve on order picking efficiency.     

基于改进遗传算法的自动拣选系统 拣选位分配建模与优化

针对某自动拣选系统建立了拣选位分配优化模型,以拣选时间模型作为适应度函数,并通过判断海明距离添加一个惩罚函数对遗传算法进行了改进,对算例进行仿真实验,可以得到货位排序优化后,总拣选时间明显降低了27.85%。结果表明,货物拣选位的分配对自动拣选系统的拣选效率有很大的影响。要想降低总拣选时间,提高自动拣选系统的拣选效率,不能只考虑个别种类货物的位置分配,要从全局的方向去考虑。该研究对配送中心如何提高自动拣选系统的效率提供了理论支持。     

Enhancing the order picking process through a new storage assignment strategy in forward-reserve area

This paper reexamines the order picking process in a warehouse facing the challenges that e-commerce brings about and which are characterised by a very large number of small sized orders and returns. Implementing effective storage assignment strategies combined with efficient batching, in this context, is very fundamental to keep the warehouse’s responsiveness and order completion times up to the standards. This paper investigates a new storage assignment strategy, initially implemented by a large shoes and footwear wholesaler, to enhance the performance of the order picking process in its warehouses. The impact of this new storage assignment strategy on the performance of the order picking process is analysed via simulation. The performance of the system, measured in terms of total picking time as well as order lead time while taking congestion into account, is compared to the cases where conventional storage assignment strategies are implemented. A full factorial design is set up and the simulation output is statistically analysed. The results of this analysis are reported and thoroughly discussed. Attending to the results, the proposed strategy presents a remarkable potential to shorten total picking travel distances and order completion time and consequently customer satisfaction.     

Optimal inventory control with sequential online auction in agriculture supply chain: an agent-based simulation optimisation approach

With the development of e-commerce, in agriculture supply chain, online auction is adopted as an inventory clearing tool. Comparing to mathematical models studying inventory control over online sequential auctions, our agent-based simulation model could systematically describe the complexities of bidders’ information interactions and behaviour preferences caused from financial and production perspectives, and by other supply chain members. In addition, we take into account the complex and dynamic market environment, which will impact the operation effect of auction policies. With identical auction items, the profit-maximising firm must decide auction lot-size, which is the number of units in each auction, minimum initial bid, and the time interval between auctions. To obtain the optimal solution, nested partitions framework and optimal expected opportunity cost algorithm are integrated to improve computation accuracy and efficiency. A case study based on real data is conducted to implement and validate the proposed approach. Furthermore, based on the model, the paper studies the sensitivities of the decision variables under different supply and demand scenarios.     

An integrated storage assignment method for manual order picking warehouses considering cost,workload and posture

This paper presents an integrated storage assignment method for low-level picker-to-parts order picking warehouses taking into account economic and ergonomic objectives. Three different pallet rack layouts are studied in this paper, namely (a) picking from full pallets on the floor, (b) picking from half-pallets on the floor, and (c) picking from half-pallets on the upper rank of the shelf. First, cost functions are developed to assess the total order picking performance impact of these different pallet rack layouts. Second, with regard to workload, the metabolic cost and energy expenditure rates for picking from the different rack layouts under study are derived. Third, for assessing the working posture during order picking, the Ovako Working Posture Analysing System index is used where the required data is collected using a motion capturing system. The developed models are combined to propose a heuristic storage assignment procedure that supports the decision of which item to store on which pallet. The developed storage assignment method is then applied to an industrial case study. The results of the paper support warehouse managers in assessing the order picking storage assignment from an ergonomics viewpoint and in estimating its impact on financial order picking performance.     

Mechanism to minimise the assembly time with feeder assignment for a multi-headed gantry and high-speed SMT machine

This paper proposes the development of a mechanism to minimise the assembly time for a multi-headed gantry and high-speed surface mounting technology machine by determining the component assignment to feeder slots. Since a gantry moves long distances in order to pick components, place them on the board and then return them to the feeder slots, we classified the overall assembly time according to the different movements of a gantry. The overall assembly time is then minimised by presenting a new heuristic for the feeder assignment, consisting of Nearest Component Allocation (NCA) and Globally Updated Assignment (GUA). NCA contains information about how each component type locates closely to others on the board. Using the solution from NCA, the component distance function calculates the most representative distance between component types. Then, GUA is applied to improve the NCA solution. The experiments consist of several printed circuit boards with numbers of component types and points to be placed. Highlights of this paper are that: a classification of the gantry movements is proposed based on the average speed; a heuristic NCA-GUA for feeder assignment is developed by considering the placements on the board; the computational time is greatly reduced by NCA-GUA without degrading the solution quality; and a decision process for nozzle assignment is proposed to minimise the overall assembly time. The results show how NCA and GUA affect the final results, and how this mechanism leads to better performance than a genetic algorithms or 2-opt swap search. This comparison proves that our method provides competitive and effective solutions in terms of minimising the overall assembly time.