| Article ID: | iaor2017705 |
| Volume: | 51 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Start Page Number: | 3 |
| End Page Number: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | Feb 2017 |
| Journal: | Transportation Science |
| Authors: | Boysen Nils, Fedtke Stefan |
| Keywords: | optimization, planning, location, supply & supply chains, combinatorial optimization, simulation |
Fully automated sortation processes play a crucial role in modern distribution networks of the parcel service industry. In this context, this study systematically investigates different design alternatives of closed‐loop tilt tray sortation conveyors. In particular, the number of loading stations for feeding parcels into a conveyor system, and its relation to the subordinate decision problem of assigning inbound and outbound destinations to docking doors, is shown to considerably influence the throughput of a hub terminal. A novel destination assignment problem is formalized, appropriate solution procedures are presented, and, by means of simulation, the resulting throughput is quantified, so that an experienced terminal manager can weigh the operational gains against the investment cost of different conveyor layouts.