Planning a Material Replenishment Through Autonomous Mobile Robot in an Assembly Plant Using a Hybrid Simulation Approach

Abstract

This paper focuses on planning the implementation of an autonomous mobile robot in an existing material replenishment system of an assembly plant using a hybrid simulation approach. In this research, we aim to identify proper strategies for the number of containers or payloads the robot should carry per shift under different scenarios using Agent-Based Modeling and Discrete Event Simulation. Our primary objective is to minimize the number of shifts a mobile robot should travel for replenishment while keeping idle time low across all stations and ensuring timely material replenishment. The results show that choosing which strategy to use for the implementation of the autonomous navigating robot depends on the maximum number of containers it can carry and the utilization of payload space. While this paper focuses on Tiger Motors Assembly line at Auburn University, its applications could be extended to similar assembly plants equipped with a similar material replenishment system.