Analytical Method to Determine the Test Positions for Validation of a Two-Dimensional Shuttle System Model

Test positions are necessary to efficiently validate that the simulation and physical implementation of a warehouse are in agreement. Test positions denote the retrieval and storage positions that give values representative for the average performance. In this paper, we develop an analytical method to determine these test positions for the shuttle base tier of a highly-dynamic, hybrid pallet storage and retrieval system or dynamic hybrid pallet warehouse (DHPW). The analytical method developed is also valid for any other shuttle system, regardless of the layout or the load carriers. Moreover, the analytical method developed does not require the hypothesis of uniform filling of the warehouse. In this paper, first, we briefly describe the system under consideration. Next, we review the relevant existing methods to determine test positions for shuttle-based warehouses. Afterwards, we develop our concept for the analytical method to determine the test positions. In conclusion, we verify the concept developed through discrete event simulation experiments.