Flexible Trailer Load Design With Center-of-Gravity Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery systems face inefficiencies in optimizing load and route design for delivery trailers, particularly in managing multiple destinations and ensuring optimal stack arrangements and route planning to minimize distance and transit time while adhering to weight and temperature constraints.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automatic generation of load and route design using simulated annealing to optimize stack building and route planning, incorporating constraints such as stack height, pallet stacking rules, and temperature ranges, while considering driver rest and minimizing distances and transit times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual load and route design is used, then flexibility in handling exceptions is maintained, but delivery efficiency and optimization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-optimization by automatically generating load designs and routes based on input data, eliminating the need for manual intervention in the optimization process while maintaining flexibility through configurable constraints and parameters
2Reliability
If more stacks are created to accommodate all items, then all order requirements are met, but floor space usage and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple order requirements into a single optimized load design by consolidating items that can be delivered together, reducing the total number of stacks while ensuring all order requirements are fulfilled through intelligent grouping and routing
3Loss of time
If route distance is minimized, then transit time is reduced, but driver rest requirements may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts route planning by incorporating driver rest requirements as flexible constraints rather than fixed rules, allowing optimization of transit time while ensuring compliance with rest regulations through adaptive route sequencing and timing
4Stability of the object's composition
If stack height and pallet stacking rules are strictly enforced, then safety and stability are improved, but loading flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameters of stacking configurations by automatically adjusting stack heights, pallet arrangements, and item placements within the constraints of stability rules, enabling flexible loading while maintaining safety through calculated parameter optimization
Data Source
AI summary
A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations: receiving a load design for loading a trailer to deliver orders; generating an initial grouping comprising stacks of pallets that are configured to be loaded interchangeably among respective floor spot assignments on the trailer; iteratively adjusting at least one of the stacks of pallets within the initial grouping to satisfy at least a center-of-gravity constraint in a final load design for the trailer; and outputting the final load design comprising the initial grouping to cause the stacks of pallets of the initial grouping to be loaded into the trailer according to the final load design. Other embodiments are described.