Order picking by using inter arrival time

Hi Friends,
I am doing a project on warehouse order picking which has more than 10 racks containing same item type . Order pick-list is generated on specific time interval using source, source is connected to queue. On the given time queue refers to the global table containing information such as rack number, bay, level. By using this information the items are brought down to queue.
I have used pull option in queue to get flow items from rack.
My doubts are
1. How to trigger the queue on specified time (from source) to get the items?
2. How to refer the different racks as given in global table (now i am getting items from first rack alone based on bay and level position)?
I have gone through picking examples provided in forum but unsuccessful.
Help me out.

If you want to specify certain times to pull items to the queue, you could have the source send a message to the queue at the desired time that will open the input port of the queue. This will cause the queue to begin pulling. Then close the input port when you're done.

For sending items to a specific rack, you could store the port number of the associated rack in your global table.

Hi Matt,
Could you please upload a sample model for the first part of the solution explained by you. I have tried but not able to obtain the desired result.Thanks in advance.

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for. It's hard to know from your explanation without seeing your model. But in this example model the source creations some number of items on a given schedule. The items are sent to then sent to the rack. The last queue's input port is closed when the model resets, so it doesn't automatically open start pulling items from the rack.

Once the source creations a batch of items, it tells the queue to open it's input port, and then sends a delayed message to the queue to stop pulling items.
If you want something more specific, or this isn't what you're wanting, attach your model and I can take a look at it.

Hello Manoj,

here is another model without messages, but with the same approach:
control input of the queue.
ChangePullRequirement.fsm

Jörg

Hi Jorg,
Thanks for your model, this was the model which i was looking for.
In your model you have set the labels in "source1 releasing time" which is used in pull requirement of the queue.
What i was trying is to refer a global table (having rack, bay, level number) in pull requirement for every arrival time provided in source.
I have attached a model in which there is problem in referring to the global table. Help me out.

Hello Manor,

to change the row I use the input of the pulling queue.
The Pull Requirement function is executed over every available item to receive. Therefore the return value is 1 or 0. The return value 1 will pull the flowitem referenced by item in the function. Therefore I use a logical comparision of the item I want to receive from the rack and the item, which is checked currently at the Pull Requirement.

Jörg

Hi Jorg,
Thanks for the model. Is there anyway that reference to global table can be provided in the "pull requirement", because what i am trying to achieve is during each arrival time some quantity of flow items has to be pulled to the queue by referring the global table positions (which i intended to do using loops).

Hello Manoj,

sure, there is a way. Important is still the comparison of the item you want to receive and the item which is checked in the Pull Requirement. Also you have to stop the pulling method at some time. Therefore close the input of the queue.

Jörg

here is an example in Version 6.
Jörg

Hi Jorg,
Thanks for the model. When i added task executor to the model, the flow item does not wait for the next arrival time instead they empty the whole rack at single stretch. Is this the problem associated with the pull function in the queue?

Hello Manoj,

that is another runtime problem. The input of the queue is closed, when the two flowitems have entered the queue. But all tasksequences have been already dispatched when this happens. If you want to control the number of dispatched tasksequences, close the input of the queue, where the tasksequences are dispatched - in the rack of the model > Flow > Output > Use Transport. See my model.

Jörg