Introducing Combi-Stations in Robotic Mobile Fulfilment Systems: A Queueing-Theory-Based Efficiency Analysis

Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2024-09-08
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Xie, Lin  
Otten, Sonja  
Mathematik E-10  
Herausgeber*innen
Garrido, A.
Tecnológico de Monterrey  
Paternina-Arboleda, C. D.
San Diego State University  
Voß, S.
Universität Hamburg  
TORE-URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11420/54380
First published in
Lecture notes in computer science  
Number in series
vol 15168
Volume
15168 LNCS
Start Page
3
End Page
17
Citation
15th International Conference on Computational Logistics, ICCL 2024
Contribution to Conference
15th International Conference on Computational Logistics, ICCL 2024  
Publisher DOI
10.1007/978-3-031-71993-6_1
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85205098459
ArXiv ID
2403.12798
Publisher
Springer
ISSN
03029743
ISBN
9783031719929
In the era of digital commerce, the surge in online shopping and the expectation for rapid delivery have placed unprecedented demands on warehouse operations. The traditional method of order fulfilment, where human order pickers traverse large storage areas to pick items, has become a bottleneck, consuming valuable time and resources. Robotic Mobile Fulfilment Systems (RMFS) offer a solution by using robots to transport storage racks directly to human-operated picking stations, eliminating the need for pickers to travel. This paper introduces ‘combi-stations’-a novel type of station that enables both item picking and replenishment, as opposed to traditional separate stations. We analyse the efficiency of combi-stations using queueing theory and demonstrate their potential to streamline warehouse operations. Our results suggest that combi-stations can reduce the number of robots required for stability and significantly reduce order turnover time, indicating a promising direction for future warehouse automation.
Subjects
Combi-Station | Queueing theory | Robotic mobile fulfilment systems | Warehouse layout
DDC Class
004: Computer Sciences