AN OPTIMAL BOUNDARY FOR 2 CLASS-BASED STORAGE ASSIGNMENT POLICY IN CAROUSEL SYSTEM

This paper examines the effects of 2-class-based turnover assignment policy on the throughput performance of the carousel system in which a storage/retrieval machine performs pickup/discharge operations. Two alternative configurations in class boundary shape are considered. For each alternative, the expected cycle time is developed for single and dual command cycles based on the continuous analytical models. It is shown that with 2-class-based turnover assignment policy(C2) significant reductions in cycle time are obtainable over randomized storage assignment policy. The effects of the system parameters such as the skewness of the inventory distribution, the shape factor and the pickup/discharge time are studied on the optimal boundary.