Despite a clear trend towards increasing goods turnover, the warehouse cannot be eliminated. The warehouse is an indispensable element of the logistics system.
The main reason for this state of affairs is the duration of transport processes, which can lead to stockout costs, for example, related to production downtime. A warehouse is not merely a facility intended for storing material goods in a designated space; it is responsible for a range of activities such as: temporary receiving, storage, keeping, picking, moving, maintenance, recording, controlling, and issuing material goods. Therefore, in addition to storing materials/goods, the warehouse’s tasks also include handling operations. These are responsible for receiving and issuing materials, moving materials within the warehouse, and activities that change the form of the load. The execution of handling processes is possible thanks to the existence of appropriate infrastructure, transport means, and auxiliary equipment. In the case of an automated warehouse, controlling storage and handling processes plays a significant role, particularly the processes responsible for material flow, which occur in every warehouse facility.
The article presents a proposal for improving the control process by modeling material flow using Petri nets. Petri nets are a good tool for modeling discrete processes and algorithms controlling such processes. In scientific literature, one can find a number of publications discussing various types of Petri nets and their applications. Depending on the nature and properties of the modeled process, an appropriate type of network can be selected for modeling control algorithms. Hierarchical Petri nets are useful in modeling algorithms for complex control systems. For control objects where stochastic events occur, fuzzy nets can be used. Before implementation, the Petri net model can be subjected to formal analysis, which makes it possible to identify and eliminate logical and formal errors at the design stage. The created structure allows for the improvement of the control process due to the ease of evaluating a simple, visual record of conditions and actions. Publications contain descriptions of the use of Petri nets for modeling transport processes. The article discusses examples of using Petri nets to control task allocation for transport trucks and the implementation of supervisory control of material flow in a warehouse.
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Source: Logistyka Magazine
Franczok_Rudnik_Usprawnienie_procesu_sterowania_przeplywem.pdf