Comparison of carrier parking location in shuttle-based storage and retrieval system to determine optimal retrieval transaction performance

Shuttle-based storage and retrieval systems (SBS/RS) are one of the automated warehouse system family that has recently been developed to increase throughput capacity. SBS/RS consists of computer-controlled systems that automatically store and retrieve loads from fixed storage locations with precision, accuracy, and speed. The purpose of this paper is to identify the optimal location for an idle carrier to park, as the common aim of the warehouse manager is to minimize the retrieval transaction time. In this study, two parking locations were designed for the carrier. The first point will be at the pick-up and drop-off station, and the second point will be in the middle of an aisle. Two single tier storage with a carrier model was developed in a simulation environment, each model for each carrier parking parameter. The models run for 24 hours, and then the travel time of retrieval transaction is collected for both models. The transaction time was then analyzed statistically using the T-test Method. It is found that the middle of an aisle dwell point outperformed in terms of minimal travel time compared to dwell on the input/output point.