TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation1 Tray allocation for a sortation system TI-VDM1 Project by José Antonio Esparza and Kim Bjerge

TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation2 Contents of presentation Sortation System Introduction Cross-Belt Sorter Example of sortation systems - video’s Essential sorter concepts/terminology Customer requirements Scope of project – Tray allocation Induction group – Tray allocation Tray allocation requirements (R1-R15)

Sortation System Introduction TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation3 Post and parcel sortation Airport baggage sortation

Cross-Belt Sorter TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation4

Example of sortation systems - video’s Crossorter re=relatedhttp:// re=related Crossorter for Taxipost (Belgian post) TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation5

Essential sorter concepts/terminology Sorter The complete sorter system that consist of trays, inductions and discharges (Machine and control) Trays Transports and sorts items (Parcels, baggage, post…) Sorter-ring Ring of trays that transports items from the induction group to the discharges Induction Inducting items on the sorter-ring Induction group A group of inductions capable filling the sorter-ring with items Card reader Reading the unique identifier of the trays located at the induction group TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation6

TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation7 Customer requirements A sorter system is able to sort items with different size within a minimum and maximum limit The sorter must have a maximum throughput of e.g parcels an hour These parameters are important for the customer, so they should be able to be customized in the model

TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation8 Scope of project – Tray allocation The sorter system consist of a number of trays on where a number of inductions are feeding items The inductions are grouped being able to overfill the trays and therefore the tray allocation algorithm must be optimize so the maximum throughput is reached without starvation of any inductions in the group

Induction group – Tray allocation TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation9 Sorter ring Induction group Inductions Tray Id. Reader A simplified sorter model

Induction group – Tray allocation TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation10 Sorter ring The sorter in action t0t0 t1t1 t2t2 t3t3 Waiting!

TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation11 Tray allocation requirements (R1-R6) R1. The sorter-ring moves at a constant speed R2. The sorter-ring consist of a number of trays with a certain size R3. Trays are consecutively located at the sorter-ring R4. All trays has an unique identifier R5. Each tray can be occupied at a maximum by one item R6. It is possible that the tray is already occupied

Tray allocation requirements (R7-R12) R7. Items may present different sizes, from a minimum to maximum size R8. The inductions are able to feed the sorter with items at a maximum speed R9. The items arrives at the inductions at inconstant frequency R10. An item can only be inducted on one or two trays R11. There are several inductions per induction group R12. There is a card reader for each induction group TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation12

Tray allocation requirements (R12-R15) R13. The system should be able to handle sorter capacity based on throughput and item size, in order to compute the tray allocation algorithm R14. The tray allocation algorithm may not cause starvation of the inductions R15. The tray allocation algorithm must allocate empty trays for the inductions R16. It is assumed that all discharges can empty the sorter-ring at any given parameters TIVDM1Sortation System, Tray Allocation13