Product Warehouse Research Articles

Rapid evaluating caking tendency of nonspherical crystals by developing a shape-based crystal bridge growth model

Crystal caking is a decisive factor affecting the quality of high-end fine chemicals, whereas lack of shape-to-caking understanding results in considerable waste of time, severely delaying high-end fine chemical development. On this basis, a morphology-based caking evaluation model is developed with 74% and 96% time savings compared to previous modeling and non-modeling experiments, respectively, while guaranteeing superior accuracy. The crystal morphology is expressed as a function of the aspect ratio and the particle size distribution. The quantitative relationships between these parameters and the caking tendency are deduced, firstly achieving morphology anti-caking criterion establishment. For D-allulose crystals, considering humidity, and particle size, an aspect ratio is below 3 is the standard for combating caking, which has not been reported previously. Herein, the specific effect of crystal morphology on caking behavior is quantitatively described. The knowledge obtained can be applied to rapidly and quantitatively design anti-caking storage systems for products in warehouses.

Development of intelligent mechatronic motion module of mobile industrial robot

Modern industry is inextricably linked with mobile industrial robots, which plays a key role in production processes and warehouse logistics. The intensive introduction of mobile industrial robots has increased the need to improve the energy efficiency of robotic installations due to their significant impact on overall production costs. At the same time, there is a pressing need to reduce the time required to develop and implement mobile industrial robots. This leads to the need to improve and optimize the properties of all components that make up a mobile industrial robot. Currently, electric drives are most widely used in mobile industrial robots. Research shows that the use of modern high-tech solutions in the construction of electric drive control systems can improve the energy efficiency of mobile industrial robots. In turn, the introduction of an intelligent component into mechatronic motion modules allows to reduce the time required for their construction and integration into mobile industrial robots. The purpose of the study is to increase the energy efficiency of an intelligent mechatronic motion module by using a multi-motor electric drive in the movement system of a mobile industrial robot and to develop a stable and energy-efficient intelligent automatic control system based on a neural network, taking into account the nonlinear properties of the control object under conditions of uncertainty.

Integrating storage allocation with manual order picking and replenishment operations in a distribution centre

ABSTRACT This paper introduces a mathematical programming formulation and a simulation-based heuristic for the allocation of storage positions to products picked by human operators on man-aboard vehicles traveling through the warehouse of a wholesale company. In this problem, the tactical level of the assignment decisions affects the operational level of the picking process. We propose a simulation-optimisation framework that integrates the two. Our formulation of the storage location assignment problem also handles the constraint according to which a picking position should be paired with a (vertical) replenishment position for a given item. To solve realistic instances, we design an iterated local search (ILS) metaheuristic with an embedded discrete-event simulator (DES) that evaluates the most promising moves at each iteration. The DES allows reproducing the handling operations performed by multiple order pickers under uncertainty, mutual interferences and congestion-related phenomena. Overall, the flexible simulation-optimisation (SO) framework evaluates the operational times and daily productivity of the order picking organisation. Numerical results are presented for real data, under an S-shape picking policy with a skip-and-go rule to deal with lacking items. Under a proper tuning of the ILS parameters, the SO framework allows to achieve a nearly 17% improvement in warehouse productivity.

MODEL OF SPARE PARTS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IN THE SUPPLY SYSTEM: THE CASE OF THE ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ COMPANY

The article identifies the relevance of the problem of optimisation of material reserves of a company and their effective management, as the state of existing reserves has a decisive impact on the competitiveness of the company, its financial condition, and the corresponding performance results. It allows the formulation of the research objective in this development. It is a given that inventory management technology is an integral part of the management system of any manufacturing and trading company. The efficiency of these companies depends on such critical criteria as the number of costs incurred for inventory management. Traditional indicators, such as inventory volume, resource turnover, and continuity of supply, cannot be used in isolation to accurately measure the extent to which an inventory management system is improving since they are part of the overall cost criterion. The article examines scientific developments of theoretical foundations for implementing rational solutions in the supply chain, where the authors use modern research methods and approaches. After analysing these studies, we identify the main problematic issues: determining a rational way of servicing orders by the core production warehouse systems, organising an efficient product supply form, and developing rational inventory management technologies throughout the entire product supply chain. We create a structural model of interaction between the warehouse system of the ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’ company and suppliers and customers, formed with the participation of certain parties in all relevant operations. The structure of stocks accounts for the customer’s needs in a multi-nomenclature offer of spare parts for trucks, cars, and agricultural machinery supplied by ‘OLL TRAK PARTS’. The authors build a mathematical model of spare parts inventory management under limited demand conditions, which considers the following parameters of influence: the period for ordering spare parts, the cost of supplying ordered spare parts, and the cost of storing one unit of spare parts inventory. To achieve maximum measurement accuracy with a minimum number of trials and to maintain the statistical reliability of the results, we develop a full-factor experiment plan for three input parameters with three levels of values, consisting of 27 series of trials. The experiment allowed us to model the change in minimum costs with different order volumes of spare parts. Based on the results of the regression analysis of the obtained values of the estimated indicator, we determined the type of regression model – a linear form with a non-zero coefficient. Keywords: model, warehouse, system, logistics, interaction.

Direct Multi-Target Teaching Interface for Autonomous Handling of Multi-Stack Logistics in a Warehouse.

This study presents a framework for enabling autonomous pick-place operations, addressing the need for efficiency in complex logistics environments using a direct multi-target teaching interface. First, tag and segmentation information were combined to recognize products in a complex warehouse, and a camera was installed on the rack to allow workers to remotely see the work environment, allowing workers to view the work environment in real time through a tablet. Workers can access the camera view showing the rack containing the target product through a swiping action and select the target product through direct teaching action. When the target product is finally selected, an optimal path is created through task planning, and an autonomous pick-place operation is performed based on the generated path. As a result of conducting a usability evaluation using the SUS (System Usability Scale) with six users on the interface that enables these tasks, it was confirmed that high user satisfaction was achieved with an average of 77.5 points. In conclusion, the proposed interface enhances operational efficiency and provides a user-friendly solution for complex warehouse tasks.

A bay design problem in less-than-unit-load production warehouse

In this paper, we consider a bay design problem in a less-than-unit-load production warehouse, which is motivated by a real-world problem in a semiconductor company. The objective is to maximize the utilization of the vertical space in bays by considering several practical storage requirements. To solve the problem, a non-linear integer programming model is first formulated. Since the problem is similar to a two-stage cutting stock problem (CSP), a column-and-row generation (CRG) method is developed, in which the original problem is decomposed into a restricted master problem and three subproblems, including two classical column generation subproblems and a row generation subproblem. The two former subproblems are solved as unbounded knapsack problems and for the latter, a two-stage approach is applied. The results of computational experiments on randomly generated instances show that the proposed CRG method is more efficient than the classic column-generation-based method, solving the non-linear model directly and solving a cut model in the literature directly. The results of a case study show that our strategy can improve the utilization of the existing warehouse storage space significantly by about 24%. The CRG method is also tested on basic two-stage two-dimensional CSP benchmarks and its performance is compared to those of other pattern-based methods. The results show its potential for effectively solving the basic two-stage two-dimensional CSPs.

MULTI-ITEM PROBABILISTIC INVENTORY MODELS CONSIDERING DISCOUNT, EXPIRATION, WAREHOUSE CAPACITY, AND CAPITAL CONSTRAINTS

In general, companies have inventory stored in warehouses to be used or sold in the future. To optimize inventory, companies require a model to determine the appropriate order quantity and optimal reorder timing to minimize total inventory costs. To stay within the set capacity, several factors need to be considered in inventory management, such as a product's shelf life, warehouse capacity, and capital. On the other hand, suppliers may offer discounts, and companies tend to take advantage of them. However, they must consider the warehouse capacity and capital availability. This paper constructs two probabilistic multi-item inventory models, considering discounts, expiration, warehouse capacity, and capital constraint. The first model considers all-unit discounts, while the second deals with incremental discounts. We consider three items to be managed and examine three replenishment policies, namely individual order, joint order, and a combined policy of individual and joint order, to minimize the total inventory cost. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the joint order policy to determine the influence of parameter values' changes on the reorder time and total inventory cost.

Research on the dual source inventory system of perishable product warehouse using recurrent neural networks

Research on the dual source inventory system of perishable product warehouse using recurrent neural networks

Optimalisasi Infrastruktur Jaringan dengan Teknologi Fiber Optic di PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries

PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries is a manufacturing company that produces famous building materials. One of the important divisions in the company's operations is the Information Technology (IT) division that is responsible for network infrastructure. Currently, the company uses UTP cables for the network, but the distant inter-building distance leads to connectivity instability. To address this problem, the study proposes replacing the UTP cable with fiber optics from the server room to the finished product warehouse (GPJ) to improve the network infrastructure at PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries. This research uses the PPDIOO method (Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Operate, Optimize) to ensure each step is done in a structured manner. Research results show that the use of fiber optic cables increases network speeds from 100 Mbps to 300-500 Mbps and improves the stability and reliability of remote connections. The implementation also utilizes fast connectors to facilitate connectivity without splicing, making it more effective. Thus, this move is expected to improve network performance and security in PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries

Monitoring of climatic variables in the production of the mushroom fungus (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Mushrooms are sensitive to changes in temperature and relative humidity, keepingthese variables at optimal levels helps to generate better quality, higher yields, andcan also prevent pests and diseases. The objectives of this work were to present theproduction process of the mushroom fungus, monitor the temperature and relativehumidity that exists in the production warehouse. This research was carried out in aproduction unit located in Texcoco Mexico, where two different experiments werecarried out, in each experiment six bags were planted with a total of 20 kg of moistsubstrate. The highest production was obtained in experiment two with 12.89 kg,while in experiment one 10.93 kg was generated. Another important aspect in thiswork was enthalpy. The range of the calculated enthalpy for experiment one wasfrom 15 kJ kg⁻¹ to 95.73 kJ kg⁻¹ and for experiment two was from 22.27 kJ kg⁻¹ to88.97 kJ kg⁻¹ Another objective was to know the fixed and variable expenses that areincurred when producing the mushroom and to determine some economic indicatorsto know if the production of mushrooms on a small scale is profitable.

Factors Influencing Digital Warehousing and AI Utilization in Modern Supply Chains: Implications for Warehouse Maintenance Costs and Product Pricing

In order to improve operational efficiency and competitiveness, supply chains currently we have to combine digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The adoption of digital warehousing and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain management are examined in this study, with particular attention to how these developments may affect product pricing and warehouse maintenance expenses. Utilizing a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, this study identifies the primary factors driving the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital warehousing into supply chain processes. The results illustrate the tactical implications for supply chain professionals in terms of refining maintenance procedures, streamlining warehouse management procedures, and product pricing strategies. For any given business, a smoothly running supply chain is essential to success. Possessing a highly accurate inventory estimate gives you a significant competitive edge. The operation of the entire supply chain is affected by an extensive variety of external as well as internal variables, including the environment, excessive volatility, shifts in customer perception, and media coverage. Examples of internal elements that impact supply chain performance are product releases and distribution network expansion. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has demonstrated in recent years to be a brain extension, allowing us to operate at levels above our wildest expectations. Contrary to common perception, artificial intelligence (AI) will not replace individuals; rather, it will enable us to achieve our full innovative and tactical potential. [Yang, M., Fu, M., & Zhang, Z. et al 2021]

IoT-Based Barcode Scanning System for Production and Warehouse Management

This project aims to develop an IoT-based barcode scanning system using an ESP32 microcontroller and a GM-65 barcode reader for efficient production and warehouse management. The system facilitates automated and accurate barcode scanning, with the collected data transmitted to a web-based platform in real-time. The web interface provides users with comprehensive insights into production quantities and warehouse status, generating a detailed journal for traceability and accountability. This innovative solution offers businesses a streamlined approach to monitor and record production activities, ultimately optimizing the overall efficiency of production and warehouse management processes.

Supply Chain Visibility and Performance of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supply chain visibility on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya and to find out the moderating effect of supply chain technology on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya.
 Methodology: The exploratory research design was used in the study which utilized both qualitative and quantitative data. All 270 food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya registered by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (2022) were considered using the census approach. Target population for the research was one participant from logistics, supply chain or operations department at each of the registered food and beverage manufacturing firms. Primary and secondary data was used, the primary data was collected using semi structured questionnaire that was administered by the researcher and research assistants. Samples of the questionnaire were pilot tested to test the reliability and validity before full scale data collection. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while the inferential analysis was further carried out using structural equation modelling, ANOVA and regression coefficients to give effect of the explanatory variable.
 Findings: The study found out that supply chain visibility significantly influenced the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya at both when there was a moderator and without a moderating variable, supply chain technology. In the first model without moderator, it recorded a standardized estimate of 0.538 (p<0.000), indicating that as supply chain visibility increases, performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms also increases. Fit indices on structural equation modelling revealed a marginal fit with a chi-square test of 211.322 with 86 degrees of freedom (P-value =0.0492). The structural path for structural equation modelling from supply chain visibility to supply chain performance remains positive and significant. Standardized estimate of 1.347 and p-value was 0.001<0.05. Which indicates that the variability of supply chain visibility on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms could be explained by 53.8% when no moderator is included and increased to 134.7% when ,moderator, supply chain technology is incorporated thereby indicating a stronger relationship. The other fit indices that gave a satisfactory model fit when the moderator supply chain technology was used are RMR=.9196, GFI=.9263, NFI= .9473, RMSEA=.0184 and CFI=.9369 which implies that the model was fit to determine the relationship between supply chain visibility and performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya and therein make conclusions and recommendations. ANOVA, regression coefficient and model summary (R2) were also used and indicated significance for there use with all recording p-value of 0.000<0.05.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: System theory of management was adopted and validated. By incorporating supply chain enabling technologies in the management and planning of production in a manufacturing firm, it has the potential of revolutionizing the business environment hence increasing flow of raw materials and other items into the company’s production plant, warehouses or retail locations in an effort to create visibility and enhanced performance. The theory can assist Kenya and the manufacturing firms in developing policies and strategies to assist manufacturing sector while creating competitive advantages through supply chain visibility. The study found out that some of the important supply chain mapping strategies to enhance performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms is supply chain visibility and supply chain technology.

Load balancing of multi-AGV road network based on improved Q-learning algorithm and macroscopic fundamental diagram

To address the challenges of traffic congestion and suboptimal operational efficiency in the context of large-scale applications like production plants and warehouses that utilize multiple automatic guided vehicles (multi-AGVs), this article proposed using an Improved Q-learning (IQL) algorithm and Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) for the purposes of load balancing and congestion discrimination on road networks. Traditional Q-learning converges slowly, which is why we have proposed the use of an updated Q value of the previous iteration step as the maximum Q value of the next state to reduce the number of Q value comparisons and improve the algorithm’s convergence speed. When calculating the cost of AGV operation, the traditional Q-learning algorithm only considers the evaluation function of a single distance and introduces an improved reward and punishment mechanism to combine the operating distance of AGV and the road network load, which finally equalizes the road network load. MFD is the basic property of road networks and is based on MFD, which is combined with the Markov Chain (MC) model. Road network traffic congestion state discrimination method was proposed to classify the congestion state according to the detected number of vehicles on the road network. The MC model accurately discriminated the range near the critical point. Finally, the scale of the road network and the load factor were changed for several simulations. The findings indicated that the improved algorithm showed a notable ability to achieve equilibrium in the load distribution of the road network. This led to a substantial enhancement in AGV operational efficiency.

Price prediction of polyester yarn based on multiple linear regression model.

China's polyester textile industry is one of the notable contributors to national economy. This paper takes polyester yarn, core raw material in polyester textile industry chain, as research object, and deeply explores its price indicators and risk hedging mechanisms through multiple linear regression models and Holt-Winters approaches. It is worth mentioning that with continuous development of digital technology, digital transformation of production lines and warehouses has become an important development feature in various industries. This study also actively complies with this trend, and innovatively incorporates the upstream and downstream production line start-up rates into price prediction model. Through this initiative, we can more comprehensively consider the impact of supply and demand changes on price of polyester yarn, thus making prediction results more closely reflect the actual market situation. This quantitative analysis method undoubtedly provides new ideas for enterprises to better grasp market dynamics in digital era.

РЕШЕНИЕ ЛОГИСТИЧЕСКОЙ ЗАДАЧИ СКЛАДА С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ RFID-МЕТОК

Automation of warehouse processes at relatively low costs makes it possible to increase labor productivity and economic efficiency of the warehouse, which is relevant today in the warehouse business. The article describes the use of RFID technologies in the warehouse business in comparison with other technologies for identifying warehouse products. The composition of RFID systems and their method for estimating the coordinates of the movement of warehouse goods are shown. A method has been developed for solving the problem of dispatching goods with RFID tags based on Marskov processes. The use of RFID systems can reduce warehouse transport downtime from 35 to 65%.

Research on Repair Welding Method for Ground Rail of Stacker in Automated Cigarette Products Warehouse

As the most important equipment in the automated storage of cigarette product warehouses, the stacker is a machine used for automated operation of high-rise shelves in cigarette product automated warehouses. In order to ensure the safe operation of the stacker crane, it is necessary to promptly repair the ground rail when the local rail cracks. After completing general welding operations such as surfacing, the track cracks again after three days of operation, and the stacker crane makes a huge noise during operation. In order to quickly eliminate abnormal noise in the stacking function and prevent the track from cracking again in a short period of time, this article provides a repair welding method based on the ground rail of the cigarette finished product automated warehouse stacking machine. This method is a new method aimed at the rapid cracking of the track after general repair welding and the significant abnormal noise caused by the operation of the stacker crane.

Key features of product warehousing

Almost any business needs a warehouse to function. It all depends only on the scale: for some, a utility room is enough, while others will look for additional storage space even if they have areas measuring hundreds of thousands of square meters. Taking into account the specifics of the company’s activities and the need for warehouses, over the past 4 years, 5 of its own distribution centers have been built, and the rental of 6 warehouses in different regions continues. This article will discuss the main features of warehouse construction and its operation.

Proposed Solutions to Vaccine Storing and Distribution at PT. POS Logistik Indonesia, Bandung

This case study digs into the involvement of students in the logistic engineering curriculum at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in real-world logistics problems. The research is based on a consulting project carried out in partnership with PT. POS Logistik Indonesia, is a well-known logistics company specializing in health and vaccine product warehousing. The primary responsibility allocated to the students is to meticulously observe, thoroughly analyze, and provide solutions for material handling procedures within the boundaries of the company's warehouse facilities. While the main goal was to collect visual documentation of the warehouse, PT. POS Logistik Indonesia delivered Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents relevant to health and vaccine product management. This made it possible to approach the consultation assignment in a more collaborative and informed manner. The primary goal of this article is to identify relevant difficulties and formulate prescriptive solutions based on interviews and on-site visits, with a particular emphasis on the improvement of vaccine storage and handling techniques to avoid waste in future initiatives.

Bacillus subtilis YZ-1 surfactins are involved in effective toxicity against agricultural pests.

Insect pests negatively affect crop quality and yield. The excessive use of chemical pesticides has serious impacts on the environment and food safety. Therefore, development of effective management strategies in the form of bio-agents have important agricultural applications. Tenebrio molitor, a storage pest, causes losses of grains, medicinal materials, and various agricultural and related products in the warehouse. Bacillus subtilis YZ-1 isolated from naturally deceased Pieris rapae has been found to exhibit significant toxicity against T. molitor. Treatment with B. subtilis YZ-1 fermentation broth resulted in a 90-95% mortality rate of T. molitor within 36 h post-treatment, indicating some active substances may have insecticidal activity in the bacterial supernatant. A bioactivity-guided fractionation method was used to isolate the insecticidal compounds from YZ-1, which led to the identification of surfactins. Additionally, a surfactin deletion mutant YZ-1△srfAA was constructed and the surfactin production by the mutant YZ-1△srfAA was verified through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Further, YZ-1△srfAA exhibited loss of insecticidal activity against T. molitor, Plutella xylostella and Achelura yunnanensis. The insecticidal activity and surfactins contents of several strains of Bacillus sp. were also tested and correlation was found between varying surfactins yield and insecticidal activity exhibited by different strains. Conclusively, our results suggest that B. subtilis YZ-1 may provide a novel approach for plant protection against agricultural pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.