Warehouse Simulator for Optimal Work Entity Count

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies lack a method to accurately determine the number of appropriate work entities, such as robots or people, required for efficient warehouse operations, which is crucial for estimating capital investment for new or extended warehouse installations.

Innovation Solution

A simulator and control device are proposed, which include various modules for determining the number of work entities. These modules acquire and analyze delivery plans, map information, load information, transport capacities, and work entity situations to calculate the optimal number of work entities needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of work entities is increased to improve productivity, then the transport capacity and speed are improved, but the capital investment and total expenses increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransport capacityVSAvoidnumber of work entities

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The simulator performs preliminary calculation and simulation before actual warehouse installation or expansion to determine the optimal number of work entities. By simulating various scenarios in advance, the system identifies the minimum number of work entities needed to achieve required productivity levels, avoiding both under-provisioning and over-provisioning of resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system varies key parameters such as work entity speed, transport capacity, and operational patterns in simulations to find the optimal configuration. By changing these parameters and observing their impact on overall system performance, the simulator determines the most cost-effective number of work entities required to meet productivity targets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If the number of work entities is decreased to reduce expenses, then capital investment is reduced, but the required time for load transport increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of work entitiesVSAvoidtransport time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The simulator calculates and simulates transport scenarios in advance to identify the optimal number of work entities that meets both time and cost requirements. By performing preliminary analysis, the system determines the minimum number of work entities needed to achieve acceptable transport times without unnecessary overspending.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If existing technologies are used for determining work entity numbers, then implementation is simpler, but accuracy in determining appropriate number of work entities is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidaccuracy of work entity number determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The simulator acts as an intermediary tool between warehouse requirements and work entity procurement decisions. It provides accurate, data-driven recommendations for the optimal number of work entities by simulating various scenarios, thereby improving decision-making accuracy without requiring complex manual calculations or trial-and-error approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3663995B1Simulation device, control device, and simulation program

Publication Date: 2025.06.04 OMRON CORP

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Figure 3a~3b

AI summary

A technique for determining the number of appropriate work entities is implemented. A simulator (1) includes: a transport capacity acquisition portion (6) for acquiring the transport capacity of work entities; a load information acquisition portion (5); a map information acquisition portion (4); a work entity situation acquisition portion (7); and a number-of-work entities determination portion (200) for determining the number of work entities.