Title: Decision support optimisation models for design of sustainable automated warehouses

Authors: Antonella Meneghetti; Eleonora Dal Borgo; Luca Monti

Addresses: DIEG – Dip. di Ingegneria Elettrica, Gestionale e Meccanica, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy ' DIEG – Dip. di Ingegneria Elettrica, Gestionale e Meccanica, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy ' DIEG – Dip. di Ingegneria Elettrica, Gestionale e Meccanica, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy

Abstract: A new decision support tool for design of automated storage and retrieval systems is proposed. With the aim of promoting sustainable solutions, both economical and environmental perspectives are taken into account by two separated models, that can so properly been used to identify effective compromises or to consider different objectives of involved stakeholders. In order to reduce the gap between design practice, market component availability and existing mathematical models, the presented tool relies on a more realistic description of the rack structure in terms of bay configurations and components. Moreover, for the first time energy consumption for crane movements is introduced, with related impacts on costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Constraint programming is adopted in order to manage non-linear objective as well as constraints functions.

Keywords: sustainable logistics; automated warehouses; design; carbon footprint; optimisation modelling; constraint programming; sustainability; sustainable development; decision support; automated storage and retrieval systems; AS/RS; design practice; market component availability; mathematical modelling; rack structure; bay configurations; bay components; energy consumption; crane movements; costs; carbon dioxide; CO2; carbon emissions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2015.069127

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2015 Vol.7 No.3, pp.266 - 294

Received: 16 Mar 2013
Accepted: 27 Mar 2014
Published online: 29 Apr 2015 *

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