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Maryam H2 avatar image
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Maryam H2 asked Felix Möhlmann commented

Storage Model

Hello,

I'm attaching a model in which I'd like to create a simple initial inventory for my storage system.

I have three racks that I have painted with different colors based on their SKU type using the SKU Color Palette. My intention is to allocate each SKU type to the rack with the matching SKU color. However, there seems to be an issue with the racks not functioning properly.


Additionally, I would like to organize some of these SKUs into totes, as indicated in the global table. I want the capacity of each tote for a specific SKU type to be read from a column in the Global table called "Tote_capacity." Should I create a macro variable for this? what is the best way to model this?


storage_model.fsm

FlexSim 23.1.0
rack storagematch labeltote
storage-model.fsm (45.1 KiB)
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1 Answer

Felix Möhlmann avatar image
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Felix Möhlmann answered Felix Möhlmann commented

The row in the inventory table is already assigned to the tokens as a label, so you can just look up whether or not a tote is used and how many items should be placed inside it.

How do the quantity and tote_quantity values interact. Should the second row result in 50 totes with 25 items each or 2 totes with 25 items each?

capture1.png

In the first case, you can again just read the values from the table when creating the items. In the second case, you could batch the tokens before creating the tote and the items therein.

Current issues in your model:

- The Tote_Capacity column is formatted as string data (as indicated by the alignment to the left edge of the cell). Changing this to number data will make reading them easier since they won't have to be converted.
- You use token.slot as the destination in the Move Object activity. This field needs to reference an object, which the slot is not (it's a Storage.Slot class reference). You can get a reference to the rack the respective slot is part of via this value though (see attached model).
- When creating totes, you assign them to the label Tote on the token. However, to move the objects into the rack, you use token.item (which is correct for the case in which the items are not placed in tote. To use the same activity for both cases, the label names should match, so I assign the totes to the label item as well in the attached model. (A reference to the individual items is not necessarily needed, as you can always refer to them as subnodes of the tote).

storage-model-fm.fsm


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storage-model-fm.fsm (45.9 KiB)
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Maryam H2 avatar image Maryam H2 commented ·
Thanks for the answer @Felix Möhlmann

Yes each 25 tokens goes into one tote in the second row.

In the create object: Tote I wonder why we do not assign it to the token.Tote label?

Also, in Create Object: Initial Inventory, I think the tokens need to be Create In token.Tote not token.item, maybe that's why there is no items appear in the totes?

Also, since I do not see any items in the tote I can't see if the items assigned correctly in the matching rack. can you take a look again?


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Felix Möhlmann avatar image Felix Möhlmann Maryam H2 commented ·

I use token.item in both cases (single item and tote) so that there is no need to differentiate later on when moving them into the rack. Because the tote is assigned to token.item, that label is also used when creating the pill bottles.

capture.png

capture2.pngThere are items in the totes, they are just quite small.

capture3.png

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Maryam H2 avatar image Maryam H2 Felix Möhlmann commented ·

@Felix Möhlmann

I see, the only differentiation need between items and token later on is the color of items. I liked the SKU types appear with the colors I assigned in the SKU color palette (and the rack color) but in the model the items in the tote appear all in same colors.

Also, how the fit items to tote function works that items won't fit well in the tote even though there is buffer space in the tote (pic below). should I rotate the object in teh flow item tool?

1689084786343.png

Also, I was wondering when I use the Paint Slot Labels to assign a color to racks based on their SKU types, should I change Slot Assignment Strategy in the rack object and also create queries in Find Slot object so each items can goes to the matching rack? there is quite an overlap between these two steps (pics below).

1689084760038.png

1689084720065.png


Another issue is that even teh progression set to X+ on the racks and the query is defined to find next slot with space in teh first rack at least the items progression is toward Z+.

1689084646217.png

storage-model-fm_1.fsm

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