[Mingli Lecture Hall 2021 Issue 6] Associate Professor Zou Bipan, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law: Performance Evaluation and Operational Strategy Analysis of Intelligent Robot Sorting System

Time: January 12 (Tuesday) 10:00 am-11:30 am

Tencent Conference Number: 535 671 483

Abstract: Logistics distribution centers usually use conveyor belt sorting system with high investment and large area. For distribution centers with limited site resources, intelligent robot sorting system provides new sorting operation solutions.Based on its advantages in flexible throughput capacity, such systems have been rapidly applied in the express delivery and e-commerce industries, including JD Logistics, Post Logistics, Deppon Express, etc.However, the analysis of the design and operation management strategy of such systems is difficult to complete with simulation in a limited time. Based on this study, the performance evaluation builds a queuing network for the intelligent robot sorting system that considers robot congestion, and builds a cost optimization model with throughput capacity constraints to analyze the system design and operation strategy.In terms of system structure, this study considers single and two-layer sorting systems and one-way and two-way walking roadway, and in terms of operation management strategy, this study considers the assignment strategy of the robot to the sorting platform.The results show that robot congestion only significantly affects system throughput in single-layer one-way walking roadway systems, and random assignment strategies outperforms recent assignment strategies when system robots are large.In addition, this paper use the demand data of Deppon express sorting system to compared the average annual input cost of the cross-belt sorting system with the intelligent robot sorting system. The results show that the latter is more suitable for scenarios with low throughput capacity.

Reporter profile:

Dr. Zou Bipan, Associate professor and master tutor of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.The research direction is the operation and management of intelligent storage system, and published more than 10 papers in well-known high-level academic journals at home and abroad, such as Transportation Science, European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Production Research, etc.He won the third prize of Hubei Natural Science Award, and his doctoral thesis was awarded the excellent doctoral thesis of Management Science and Engineering Society in 2018.He presided over the National Natural Science Foundation Youth Fund Project and the Hubei Natural Science Foundation Youth Foundation Project.Serving as anonymous reviewers for journals such as Transportation Science, European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Production Research.