Generation of analytic throughput models for storage systems

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Kai Furmans
• Subject Area: Production Systems, Operations Management, Quality Management and Factory Planning
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 529219715

Research context: Together with the costs per storage location, throughput and storage capacity considerations are important requirements in the planning and selection of a storage system. Travel times and throughput are helpful during the early conceptualization, design and planning phases of new storage systems, where different systems have to be compared based on these performance parameters. It seems to be possible to derive the approaches for determining the throughput and the travel times of storage systems by modularly capturing and combining the basic functions of a storage system - handling of a tote, movement of a tote in three-dimensional space, storing and restoring of a tote - and the relationships between these functions. Besides the deterministic time components for movement, the stochastic components resulting from the distribution of goods in the storage system and waiting times at the transitions between different basic functions, have to be considered. Hypotheses The working hypothesis of this research project is to find a method to map all currently existing storage systems from a valid morphological box, to derive all conceivable possible storage systems and configurations. Additionally, the generation of analytical models for all derived systems to calculate the predefined system parameters (throughput, travel times, etc.), and to derive a new, quantifiable understanding of the relationships in storage systems, should be possible. The modularity of the models and methods provides the possibility of deriving new storage system types with their corresponding approaches. Approach: For this purpose, the different work packages include the creation of a morphological box and the development of a method of automatic travel time model derivation. To validate the travel times and the automatic method, a simulation model will be built in addition. Level of originality: Over the last 60 years, material handling providers have repeatedly developed new storage systems, for which science subsequently developed the corresponding analytical approaches for determining the travel times and throughputs. These were put into easily accessible industry guidelines in the course of the following years. A critical analysis would find that the scientific progress has been driven by technical developments and has lagged behind in providing analytical modeling to existing systems. Showing, that it is possible to develop travel time models at the same time or before the first technical realizations is one objective of this proposal.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Partner Organisation: Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Georg Kartnig