S.W.A. Haneyah

Generic planning and control of automated material handling systems

This paper discusses the problem to design a generic planning and control architecture for automated material handling systems (AMHSs). We illustrate the relevance of this research direction, and then address three different market sectors where AMHSs are used, i.e., baggage handling, distribution, and parcel & postal. The research in this paper is heavily motivated by a collaboration between the authors and a major global company supplying AMHSs. We analyze requirements from practice for a generic control architecture, and then review the literature to investigate whether these practical requirements have been met. From this confrontation of theory with practice, we conclude that many practical issues are not yet covered in the current literature. We take the initiative to define a research direction in concrete terms, pinpoint problems to work on, and propose an agenda for future research. Moreover, we take a step to propose a concept control architecture.

Throughput maximization of parcel sorter systems by scheduling inbound containers

This paper addresses the inbound container scheduling problem for automated sorter systems in express parcel sorting. The purpose is to analyze which container scheduling approaches maximize the throughput of sorter systems. We build on existing literature, particularly on the dynamic load balancing algorithm designed for the parcel hub scheduling problem, and adapt the existing algorithm to include travel times on sorters. Then, we conduct computational experiments to analyze the performance of different scheduling approaches for different operational scenarios and system layouts.

A generic material flow control model applied in two industrial sectors

This paper addresses the problem of generic planning and control of automated material handling systems (AMHSs). We build upon previous work to provide a proof of concept for generic control of AMHSs in different domains. We present a generic control architecture for AMHSs, and apply this architecture to a material flow model with storage and sorter systems. We set up our model to be applicable to AMHSs in two different industrial sectors: Baggage Handling and Distribution. We report on performance indicators and analyze how far we can control the two industries generically in terms of software implementation. To this end, we present an impressive degree of 84% commonality in the control software code. Moreover, we highlight deviations from the generic control and give insight to control procedures that deviate from the generic code. A generic architecture that optimally exploits synergy between the different market sectors may reduce design time and costs considerably for system suppliers acting in both industries, while finding a common ground to model AMHSs in these different sectors also forms a scientific challenge.