HARARE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS III ASSIGNMENT 1

BY
Josphat Muchatuta
REG. NUMBER: H1312170c

1. An automated storage and retrieval system is another form of carousel system. Discuss?
(25)
2. With reference to a case study of a Zimbabwean company of your choice, discuss on
possibilities of automating material handling systems? (25)
QUESTION 1
Automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) can be defined as the storage system that is
capable of performing the storage and retrieval operations with minimum human interference
sometimes the only human interference are input values to be entered into the computer. AS/RS
has the advantage of speed and accuracy during operations. Carousel system can be defined as
the same as the AS/RS way of operations therefore there application is the same in the sense that
in both systems there is automation of material handling. However their biggest different is the
construction set up of equipment in each operation. The AS/RS stores loads on a rack structure
and the method of retrieving the loads in the linear motion in 3 Dimensions i.e x,y and z motions
whilst a carousel system consists of bins or baskets suspended from an overhead chain conveyor
that revolves around a long oval rail system, and carousal system can be classified as either
vertical or horizontal (Groover, 2002).
An AS/RS is made up of a single or several aisles that contains racks for the sole purpose of
holding stored material and each aisle is serviced by storage or retrieval (S/R) machine or
sometimes known as cranes. The S/R machines are used for delivering to the storage racks and
for the retrieving process from the same location. In carousel system the structure can either be
overhead system sometimes known as top driven unit where a motorized pulley system will be
mounted on the top frame and drives an overhead trolley system or a floor mounted system
where the pulley system will be on the base of the frame and the trolley system rides on a rail in
the base of the frame this is also known as bottom driven system.

The differences between AS/RS and carousel system can be simplified as below:
Feature
Storage structure

Basic AS/RS
Rack system to support pallets.

Basic Carousel system

Bins or baskets suspended

Motions

Linear motions of S/R machines.

from overhead conveyor.

Revolution of overhead
conveyor trolleys around oval

Storage/retrieval operation

S/R machines travel to

truck.
Conveyor revolves to bring

Replication of storage

compartments in rack structure

Multiple aisles, each consisting of

baskets or bins to load/unload

Multiple carousels each

capacity

rack structure and S/R machine

consisting of oval truck and

suspended bins or buckets

It can be said that carousel are a variety of AS/RS since both system contain automation of
materials handling in both storing and retrieving. Carousels are mainly used for storage and
retrieval of small and medium sized items such as health and beauty products and repair parts of
boilers (N. Litvak, 2010). AS/RS is a flexible system since it has a range of weights but mostly
used to store and retrieve heavy loads such as those on pallets (Vasili et al, 2012).

References
1. Groover (2002), Automated Storage Retrieval System Production Section of the Material
Handling Industry of America.
2. M.R. Vasili, S.H. Tang and M. Vasili (2012), Automated Storage and Retrieval System: A
Review on Travel Time Models and Control Policies.
3. Litvak, N, & Vlasiou, M 2010, 'A survey on performance analysis of warehouse carousel
systems', Statistica Neerlandica, 64, 4, pp. 401-447, Business Source Premier,
EBSCOhost, viewed 9 September 2016.

QUESTION 2
Automated material handling is the major material handling system in automated production
environments it is also widely used in distribution centers. An automated material handling
system is an alternative to traditional warehouses, it can play essential roles such as work in
progress storage, improved inventory control, cost effective utilization of time, space and
equipment (Vasili et al, 2012).
The typical company that can use the automation in material handling is MegaPak Zimbabwe.
The main location for the automation will be at central stores and in production factories. Due to
the volumes of plastic material used per day and also the level of produce demand full
automation to avoid workers fatigue through overtime to forklift drivers and also there will be
traceability to explain material variances. The automation can also be applied to truck loading
products. The following is the material flow in a MegaPak material flow in a production set up in
fig 2 it can be seen that there is excessive use of forklifts in material handling from receiving of
material into the central store up to the point of loading of products into a truck, which is manual
material handling and it is time consuming. Due to the intensive use of forklifts sometimes this
will result in the unavailability of them due to other assignments since there are many factories
around the premises.
At the central stores there are many trips or to and fro that the forklift driver went through and
sometimes depending on the period/ current demand the driver can spend the whole shift
offloading trucks, this can be eliminated with automated storage system that will be able to
offload the ton bags from the trucks since the bags will be on the pallets. Only what will be
required is to create space/aisles to install Storage or Retrieval (S/R) machines since the
offloading bay is already there where the truck will be offloaded. Automation is an advantage in
the central stores since it has a high efficiency of inventory control than human material handling
and also it easy stock take since there is no need to count stocks but they will be stock
verification since there is limited risk of material theft due to limited human interference in
material handling.

Fig 2 material flow

The distance between the central stores and the factories is long which makes it expensive to
install automation therefore the existing method is better than automated material handling.
Therefore automation isnt feasible due to costs associated with the distance to be travelled and
also the source of energy that will be used by the S/R machine.
The other area where there can be an automated material handling system is the stacking of
finished products packaged in a card boxes in a marketing warehouse, since marketing
warehouse is in the production factory that is in close proximity with machines therefore which
makes it an effective method to implement since it lowers stacking time and utilizes the available
as compared to a forklift which has a limited height it can stack boxes. Sometimes machines are
stopped due to the lack of space in the warehouse so this will result in high volumes of
production and hence higher profits realization at the end of the month.
The company is losing money due to breaks that can be taken i.e. breakfast and tea time where
almost where every movement will come to a standstill. For example during tea time, loading
finished products into a truck comes to a halt because the forklift is on tea. Therefore automating
the truck loading will be a step towards customer satisfying since products will be required in
time.

References
1. M.R. Vasili, S.H. Tang and M. Vasili (2012), Automated Storage and Retrieval System: A
Review on Travel Time Models and Control Policies.