A Hybrid Model of Complex Automated Warehouse Systems—Part I: Modeling and Simulation

摘要

An automated warehouse system has two main components: an automated storage and retrieval subsystem consisting of a number of aisles, each one served by a crane, and a picking area which is formed by bays where stock units coming from the aisles are partially emptied by human operators. These two components are connected via an interface area consisting of carousels, conveyors, and buffers. This area is usually modeled as a discrete event system, while the overall system performance depends also on continuous time phenomena.