Energy-based optimization of dwell point location in automated storage and retrieval systems

A typical decision of automated storage and retrieval systems planning is the dwell point location, which is the position where the idle crane should wait for the next operation. This problem has been traditionally studied in literature by optimizing picking time, traditionally considered as the main performance in warehouse management. The new paradigm of sustainable manufacturing claims for a change of perspective by fostering energy efficiency. In this paper the dwell point location is studied not only from the traditional time based point of view, but also from the energy-based one. The optimal time-based dwell point location is compared to the optimal energy-based one in terms of both time and energy performances when adopting a dedicated storage policy. A factorial design of experiments is applied in order to analyze how the demand ABC distribution of items, shape of the rack, and the allocation strategy could affect energy and time performances.