Optimization of RGV dispatching and packaging buffer line replenishment strategies for a cut tobacco warehouse logistics system based on simulations

To improve the operational performance of a cut tobacco warehouse logistics system, rail guided vehicle (RGV) dispatching and packaging buffer line replenishment strategies were optimized based on simulation experiments. In response to the complex operation process of the cut tobacco logistics system that was difficult to describe using mathematical models alone, a simulation model of the warehouse logistics system was established based on the principle of discrete event simulation, and remote-priority dispatching strategy and batch-wise replenishment strategy were proposed to identify the optimal parameters for the batch-wise replenishment strategy, a surrogate mathematical model was constructed based on an orthogonal experimental design and polynomial regression analysis. In addition, a mixed integer programming approach was employed to derive the optimal value of each variate. Simulation results indicated that the proposed two strategies reduced the average RGV load, the average task waiting time and the variance of warehouse entry time interval by approximately 2.6%, 26.8% and 3.6%. Moreover, when one RGV (out of a total of 21 RGVs in the logistics system) was malfunctioning, the dual-strategy cut tobacco warehouse logistics system was still able to meet production requirements. This technology provides support for improving the operation efficiency of logistics systems for cigarette manufacturing factories.