OPTIMISATION OF INSPECTION STRATEGY IN PICKING AND PACKAGING BY USING SIMULATION

Robert Refflinghaus

Abstract

Picking and packaging is the last step between the company and their customers. The returns succeeding the order cost up to the tenfold. In order to recognize the occurrence of non-conformities on time before delivery to the customers and to decrease the failure removal costs within the returns processing, quality inspections have to be integrated in the routing of picking and packaging. This leads to complex interactions between individual picking and inspection processes. Therefore, quality, costs and cycle time are difficult to estimate. The problem can be solved by using simulation, which has become a powerful tool. In fact good simulation systems are already available for the tasks of calculating manufacturing costs, analyzing cycle times or estimating quality. Unfortunately there are no such similar systems for the picking, packaging or return processes.<BR />The choice of a suitable inspection strategy concerning quality, costs and cycle time is supported by the designing of a comprehensive reference model for the picking and packaging. This model enables to estimate the optimal inspection extent and point of time of inspection in picking and packaging during the planning. With this purpose a differentiation between handling and inspection processes within the picking must be taken in consideration. <BR />By a determination of costs, cycle time and a probability of failure occurrence for every process, an evaluation of non-conformance costs will be possible. The simulation of different picking scenarios and their evaluation permit a selection of an optimal inspection strategy.

Keywords

inspection strategy, picking, packaging, simulation

Download

IMEKO-TC14-2013-47.pdf

DOI

-

IMEKO TC

TC14 - Measurement of Geometrical Quantities

Back to the proceedings