A simulation study of warehouse loading and unloading systems using ARENA
In a warehouse, all the processes in the loading and unloading systems are run simultaneously. In this paper, animated ARENA simulation models for the loading and unloading systems in a warehouse are presented and discussed. The aim of the study is to find a strategy that will optimise the reside...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit ukm
2009
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/1933/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/1933/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/1933/1/jqma-5-2-04-liong.pdf |
| Summary: | In a warehouse, all the processes in the loading and unloading systems are run simultaneously.
In this paper, animated ARENA simulation models for the loading and unloading systems in a
warehouse are presented and discussed. The aim of the study is to find a strategy that will
optimise the residence time of any lorry in the warehouse. The warehouses of interest are
those that deal with already packed as well products that need sealing. The processes in the
unloading system are checking, unloading, arranging and sealing, and storage of products;
whereas for the loading system, the processes are processing the delivery order, picking and
sealing, loading, and checking the load on the lorry. A simulation model of the existing system
was developed and run to further understand the state of the operations. Utilisation of workers
and waiting times at the various processes were discussed and analysed to identify the
bottleneck in the system. It was identified that the interarrival time of customers’ lorries;
waiting time at the order picking, sealing and loading process; and the number of forklift are
the contributing factors towards the performance of the loading system. The unloading system,
which uses the company own lorry, has no bottleneck because the lorry is well scheduled.
Four improvement models were developed and compared. It was found that, when other
factors are relatively the same, by adding a forklift and a driver, the chosen model has not only
overcome the overtime problem but also reduces the waiting time of the customers by almost
two hours, i.e. by more than 65% |
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