Innovative application of an integrated multi-level conveying device to a mobile storage system

摘要

Although the mobile storage system (MSS) makes better use of available space, it has the disadvantage of requiring complete manual operation. This leads to slow storage and retrieval speed, high costs, and frequent error. To overcome the problems inherent in manual operation in existing MSSs, this paper proposes an innovative mobile automated storage/retrieval system (M-AS/RS) using an integrated multi-level conveying device (IMCD) for automated item-picking operation. Through appropriate sequencing, the paper simulates the picking of items in batch orders. The paper then presents a comparative analysis of the proposed M-AS/RS model with existing MSS models concluding that the former has a better performance than the latter. The M-AS/RS model proposed by this paper can provide a practical solution to overcome the deficiencies in existing MSS models.