Novel methodology for optimising the design, operation and maintenance of a multi-AGV system
Novel methodology for optimising the design, operation and maintenance of a multi-AGV system
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DOI：
10.1016/j.ress.2018.06.003
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发表时间：
2018-10
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
R. Yan;S. Dunnett;L. Jackson
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R. Yan;S. Dunnett;L. Jackson
自动导引车（AGV）长期以来一直被认为是提高系统效率和降低物料搬运系统劳动力成本的潜在驱动力。因此，AGV系统的可靠性和可用性对于确保这些系统的稳定性和效率至关重要。然而，AGV的可靠性问题和维护策略以前没有得到充分的研究。这在由AGV车队组成的多AGV系统的情况下更加明显。为了填补这一知识空白，进行研究，考虑多AGV系统，包括三个AGV，以制定一个科学的方法，优化布局设计，操作和维护的多AGV系统。一旦自动导引车出现故障，就会被回收车拖到维护现场进行维修，以防止出现僵局和冲突。在多AGV系统中，故障AGV的回收过程的效率，相对于维护站点的位置的变化，分析了有色Petri网（CPNs）的方法。为了研究不同的AGV维护策略对多AGV系统运行效率的影响，还建立了一个CPN模型，用于模拟故障AGV的纠正性维护和定期预防性维护过程。仿真结果表明，维护站点的位置和维护策略对多AGV系统的性能有显著影响，而正确维护是保持系统长期可靠性和稳定性的有效措施。
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have long been identified as a potential driver to improve system efficiency and lower labour costs in material handling systems. Accordingly, the reliability and availability of AGV systems is crucial to assure the stability and efficiency of these systems. However, the reliability issues and maintenance strategies of AGVs have not previously been studied sufficiently. This is even more marked in the case of multi-AGV systems that consist of fleets of AGVs. To fill this knowledge gap, research is conducted considering a multi-AGV system, consisting of three AGVs, in order to develop a scientific methodology for optimising the layout design, operation and maintenance of a multi-AGV system. Once an AGV is failed, it will be towed to the maintenance site for repair by a recycle vehicle to prevent deadlock and conflict. The efficiency of the recycling process of failed AGVs in a multi-AGV system, with respect to the change of location of the maintenance site, is analysed by the approach of coloured Petri nets (CPNs). A CPN model simulating the corrective and periodic preventive maintenance processes of failed AGVs is also developed in order to investigate the impact of different AGV maintenance strategies on the operation efficiency of the multi-AGV system. The simulation results obtained clearly show that the location of maintenance sites and maintenance strategies do have significant influence on the performance of a multi-AGV system, where corrective maintenance is an effective measure to maintain the long-term reliability and stability of the system.