Modeling and Simulation of Generic Handling Operations in In-plant Milk-run Systems

The efficiency of in-plant milk-run systems greatly depends on the cycle time. Next to the driving, the scenarios at the depot and stops are its main influences. These operations are affected by process organization, technical design and infrastructure. However, variable as well as dynamic loading and clearing scenarios are rarely considered in simulation-oriented research. This paper therefore presents a generic modeling approach based on a finite state machine, which allows a rebuild of common scenarios influenced by a variety of parameters. In addition, the influence of parameter characteristics is analyzed through discrete-event simulation experiments using the developed modeling approach.