Concurrent design and control of automated material handling systems

Lean and agile design and control of an automated material handling system are investigated in this paper. The demands for a minimal number of handling resources and their maximal utilization emphasize the importance of a concurrent structure and control design for a handling mechanism in the conceptual phase. To provide this concurrency, a universal model based on mathematical linear constraints is developed to define a set of part movements without concerning a specific handling technology. Furthermore, an objective characterizing optimal part movements, according to the lean and agile paradigms, is formulated in the conceptual design phase. Control measures, which are obtained by solving the mixed integer linear model including the objective and constraints, provide important keys for designers to conceptualize a proper design of an automated material handling system. To show the application of developed approach, a case study is presented and discussed.