Transfer Speed Optimization of Advanced Automated Material Handling Systems in Serial Production Lines

An automated material handling system (AMHS) is part of a production system that transports products from one machine to another for manufacturing processes. While conveyor belts have been commonly employed as AMHS, the increasing demand for enhanced performance has led to the emergence of advanced AMHS based on linear motors. A feature in these advanced AMHS is that they often allow non-uniform transfer speed setup, i.e., transfer speeds are allowed to be different by individual sections within the production system. This characteristic introduces an opportunity in determining the optimal transfer speed vector for the maximum productivity. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for optimizing the transfer speed vector using an analytical throughput evaluation method. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated through an example involving five machines.