A COMBINATION OF DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION AND MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS TO CONFIGURE SUGARCANE DROP AND HOOK DELIVERY SYSTEMS

摘要

This article explores decision analysis regarding Drop and Hook (DH) transportation operations at sugarcane mills. By means of a case study, a combination of a discrete event simulation model and multi-attribute utility theory was used to evaluate different configurations for sugarcane delivery systems using internal, external, or no DH systems. A DH strategy maximises truck utilisation, as semi-trailers can be handled independently of the traction unit of the trucks, which makes the transport system more agile. For internal DH systems the semi-trailer detaching/attaching point is located inside the mill site while for external DH systems it is located outside, before the trucks' weighbridge. Each configuration requires different infrastructure which affects the supply of sugarcane for milling. The case study was applied to a sugarcane mill of a corporation located in Sao Paulo State. By means of discrete simulation, we determined that eighteen DH configurations were feasible. By using the swing weighting multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method, we identified fleet cost as the most important factor, while configurations with external DH systems showed the best utility values. For this case study, the best configuration is to use the external DH strategy with 28 road trains (truck and two semi-trailers), 12 additional semi-trailer sets, and 6 tractor units.