A cost based evaluation of a zones formation algorithm in tandem AGV systems

In tandem AGV systems, the shop floor is partitioned into a group of non-overlapping zones, where each is served by a single dedicated vehicle. In this paper, a two phase algorithm for partitioning tandem AGV systems is proposed. The proposed algorithm serves a number of objectives including minimiz...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of advanced manufacturing technology 2006-11, Vol.31 (1-2), p.175-187
Main Authors: Shalaby, M. A., Elmekkawy, T. Y., Fahmy, S. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Design of experiments
Enumeration
Materials handling
Mathematical analysis
Workload
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Summary:In tandem AGV systems, the shop floor is partitioned into a group of non-overlapping zones, where each is served by a single dedicated vehicle. In this paper, a two phase algorithm for partitioning tandem AGV systems is proposed. The proposed algorithm serves a number of objectives including minimizing the total handling cost, minimizing the maximum workload in the system and minimizing the number of between-zones trips. The algorithm is equipped with parameters to enable the user to select one of these objectives or to optimize a combination of them. The performance of the algorithm regarding the objective of minimizing the material handling cost is evaluated by experimental design. The experiment is based on comparing the solutions obtained by the proposed algorithm with best solutions obtained by a ‘rationalized exhaustive enumeration’ procedure for a group of randomly generated problems. The analytical results showed that the proposed algorithm obtains an average of 99.53% efficiency, and that none of the considered factors has a main significant effect on the performance of the algorithm in regards to the objective of minimizing the total material handling cost, however, a few of the interaction effects are significant.
ISSN:0268-3768
1433-3015
DOI:10.1007/s00170-005-0163-1