Question: A carousel storage system is to be designed to serve a mechanical assembly plant. The specifications on the system are that it must have a total of 400 storage bins and a throughput of at least 125 S/R transactions/hr. Two alternative configurations are being considered:
(1) a one-carousel system and
(2) a two-carousel system.
In both cases, the width of the carousel is to be 4.0 ft and the spacing between carriers = 2.5 ft. One picker-operator will be required for the one-carousel system and two picker-operators will be required for the two-carousel system. In either system vc = 75 ft/min. For the convenience of the picker-operator, the height of the carousel will be limited to five bins. The standard time for a pick-and-deposit operation at the load/unload station = 0.4 min if one part is picked or stored per bin and 0.6 min if more than one part is picked or stored. Assume that 50% of the transactions will involve more than one component. Determine:
(a) the required length and
(b) corresponding throughput rate of the one-carousel system and
(c) the required length and
(d) corresponding throughput rate of the two-carousel system.
(e) Which system better satisfies the design specifications?