Automated storage and retrieval systems: A performances comparison between Free-fall-flow-rack and classic flow-rack

Since their introduction, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) give a better solution for the inventory management in industrial companies and distribution centres to improve theirs performances. The main objective of the paper is to offer a performance comparison between two kinds of AS/RS (Free-Fall flow-rack and classic flow-rack), to highlight the benefits of using FF-flow-rack AS/RS in warehousing systems. Three comparison parameters has been considered: the average retrieval-travel-time, the total retrieval-travel-time, and throughput of a customer request. For this, multiple simulations are performed for different rack configurations with the same characteristics of both systems. The obtained results show that using the FF-flow-rack in place of the classic flow-rack will greatly decrease the average retrieval-travel-time and the total retrieval-travel-time of customer request. Indeed, the improvement of the throughput in the FF-flow-rack AS/RS can reach around 90% compared to the throughput in the classic flow-rack AS/RS.