Simulation-based optimisation of logistics distribution system for an assembly line with path constraints

The design of logistics distribution system for an assembly line with given layout is usually constrained by various factors such as the vehicles for the distribution of assembly components and the paths on the shop floor for the vehicle movement. Since design optimisation of these production systems with such constraints is hard to solve by mathematic approaches, simulation-based approach is mostly used. In this paper, simulation-based analysis and optimisation of a logistic distribution system is performed combined with a heuristic algorithm to obtain a solution that most suits the practical requirements of an assembly line. The proposed simulation-based method builds a model that satisfied various complicated real-world problems at the work site of an investigated factory. Meanwhile, a dynamic dispatching method for vehicle movement is also presented which can adjust the control strategy and decision parameters dynamically in the process of simulation and contributes significantly to form a more fruitful design scheme. Experimental results show that proposed method performs better than the analytical model-based approach and some other methods, and the dynamic vehicle dispatching method presented performs better than some existing common strategies used in literature.