Video Transcript:
Proplanner's Tuggers module helps evaluate the use of tow train tuggers which are able to pull multiple carts of material along prescribed routes.
Flow Planner calculates the shortest path routing for each tugger using the Traveling Salesman algorithm for a tuggers study based on the necessary delivery specified by the estimated times of delivery and the aisles in the layout.
This video focuses on Tugger-specific features of Flow Planner. For additional features, please see the Flow Planner core application video.
The first step in performing a tuggers study is to create and load a set of delivery requirements
some of the information necessary is part ID, part container information, the origination staging, and delivery locations for each part, the estimated time of delivery, and the load and unload times for each part.
The methods tab lets you define the material handling devices in your facility. Including the areas in which they cover and their specific load and unload times. In the containers tab, you can define the containers that hold the parts as they are transported using the information you have provided Flow Planner can create tugger routings that minimize distance travel by each device while meeting all of your delivery requirements.
It can do this by either ignoring or taking into account path obstacles such as aisles. Your routings as you see here, are defined for each material handling device in each time period of the day. The routing shows the order in which the tugger should visit each location and which parts will be picked up or delivered at those locations.
Once your routings are created you can create a flow diagram to evaluate the impact of your tugger operations. You can view cost distance and time results by each individual route or by each individual device. Changing the thickness of the flow paths let you see the relative frequency in which each aisle is traveled.
Flow Planner also generates utilization results that help determine what further changes should be made to better use your drivers and devices. In the Flow Planners Tuggers module, you can evaluate the use of toe train tuggers in your facility and improve the utilization of your drivers and the efficiency of your material handling operations.
