Article ID: | iaor20091021 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 46 |
Issue: | 8 |
Start Page Number: | 2215 |
End Page Number: | 2228 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2008 |
Journal: | International Journal of Production Research |
Authors: | Malmborg C.J., Fukunari M. |
Keywords: | automated storage/retrieval systems |
A heuristic method is proposed for estimating travel times in unit load random storage systems where incoming loads are dispatched to the closest available storage positions. A queuing model representation is used where servers correspond to storage positions and the service rate is based on the turnover distribution of stored loads. The resultant state distribution is applied to approximate storage position occupancy probabilities useful for generating storage and retrieval travel time estimates. Computational results suggest that the heuristic procedure yields smaller errors in random storage travel time estimates than alternative models.