Integrated Scheduling in Automated Warehouses with Multi-Tier Racks

This research investigates the coordinated scheduling of pallets and various transport systems within an automated warehouse featuring multi-level storage racks and dual storage location types. The transport equipment examined includes automated guided vehicles, unit-loaders, pallet lifts, and shuttles. The study employs a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model to handle inbound logistics operations, specifically pallet assignment, transportation, storage procedures, and vehicle scheduling. To support and verify this model, researchers developed a three-phase heuristic approach. Comprehensive numerical testing conducted with Cplex Optimization Studio evaluates the algorithm’s performance, showing its capacity to efficiently resolve complex, large-scale scenarios that exceed the capabilities of the standard MIP model. The comparative analysis also yields valuable operational insights that can be implemented to improve automated warehouse efficiency.