Operator load random items by a defined warehouse route.

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Kari Payton asked May 4, '18 David Seo commented May 7, '18

Operator load random items by a defined warehouse route.

Is there a way to define operator travel based on a list of items that need to be picked up from racks? For example, a request comes in that require different items from different racks. The operator then travels down the isle and pick items from the shelves as in the image:

The problem I run into is that the picking lists change so its not the same pickup locations each time but the operator should follow the same "route" each time.

Can someone point me in the right direction for a good way to set this type of system up? Would it be better to do with AGV's instead of operators? warehouse-picking-example.fsm

Software Version:

FlexSim 18.1.0

warehouse

warehouse-example-image.png (111.3 KiB)

warehouseflow.png (1.0 MiB)

warehouse-picking-example.fsm (31.0 KiB)

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Answer 1 · 2018-05-05T12:19:03Z

David Seo answered May 5, '18 David Seo commented May 7, '18

@Kari Payton

You can solve your issue usning custome task sequence of picking the items.

You can make a reference of the demo model below question and answer.

https://answers.flexsim.com/questions/48213/how-to-control-the-load-sequence-when-the-operator.html

This model is unloading the items but you can use it for picking sequence. You only set the location accoring to the item type sequence. Above model use the custom task sequence with sub-task sequence. You can find them in the 'use transport' and operator's triggers.

It has a sort option but it is not needed. It can be deleted.

I hope this model will help you.

I solved my complicate model like yours using this demo model.

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Kari Payton commented · May 07, 2018 at 05:26 PM

Hi @david.seo thanks for the models. Can you explain what you mean by set the location according to the item type sequence. I tried making changes but it is confusing.

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David Seo Kari Payton commented · May 07, 2018 at 10:39 PM

@Kari Payton

The itemtype number is the location sequenced number of the depot queue. The unloading location is same with the itemtype and the operator should move along the route of the itemtype sequence. Several same type items loaded can be transpoted to the unloaded location at one time. The connected sequence to the depot queues means the unloading sequence of the operator.

The demo model is gotten from the warehouse project to show the operator's picking off the cart items to the roll-tainer by one route according to the itemtype of the roll-tainer number.

Yes. the depot queue is the roll-tainer and the business shop store get the items from his unique roll-tainer.

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Answer 2 · 2018-05-05T05:36:11Z

Joerg Vogel answered May 5, '18

I think there are to possible scenarios. 1. The list of items is set when the travel starts (static list). 2. The operator is able to update his list each time he picks an item from a shelf thus he can picks items along his unfinished path (dynamic list update).

If the operator picks from a static list, the tasksequences are ordered accordingly the path. A label on the item points to the shelf number in ascending or descending order along the path. Each shelf has its own unique number. If the operator hasn't got a pick job in an aisle, a simple travel tasksequence force the operator to travel in this aisle. A dispatcher or a pull from list activity will control the tasksequences, so the operator gets the next tasksequence in the order of the label value on the items. A dispatcher manipulates the order of the tasksequences in his tasksequencequeue by the priority parameter.

If the list is dynamic, then the dispatcher or the pull from list activity will choose only the next tasksequence that the label value fits to the unfinished path along the aisles.

3D-model: Each operator should use his own dispatcher. Thus the dispatcher stores all the tasksequences the operator has to do for a single run. The dispatcher gets the tasksequences by transferring them from a central dispatcher.

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