An approach in the design of a unit-load automated carousel storage system

This paper deals with the design problem of a unit-load automated carousel storage system in which each carousel conveyor is served individually by a single storage/retrieval (S/R) device. The authors first derive an expected travel time per operation cycle and estimate the number of unit loads processed per unit time of the system. Then, a mathematical model is proposed in a nonlinear integer form from which a set of design variables can be determined optimally. The objective of the model is to minimize initial investment and operating costs over a planning horizon, whilst satisfying a set of constraints imposed upon the system. A solution methodology is developed based on search techniques. The validity of the model is illustrated through an example problem and the sensitivity of the system parameters are also evaluated.