topic Re: Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets? in FlexSim Forum

Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets?

jamesriebau — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 18:40:19 GMT

[ FlexSim 21.2.1 ]

I'm trying to find a way to stack boxes on pallets that will not always have the same total amount. We always store product with only one part # per pallet but the case sizes vary by part, so each pallet will have a different amount of cases stacked on it.

I've tried doing this by sending boxes through a specific port on a combiner with a global table. I got the correct quantity to stack but pallet never releases because the combiner thinks the other boxes are still coming through the other ports.

Now I'm attempting to create a combiner from scratch with a list in process flow, and I still am having trouble. I can't get the request amount to match the "PltQty" label I have on the token. This model is attached.

Can anyone help me figure this out on either the combiner or in process flow?

Pallet Stacker.fsm

Re: Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets?

joerg_vogel_HsH — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 06:40:25 GMT

There are triggers in 3D Objects. There is a picklist option for an On Entry trigger of a combiner object to update the component list by a labeled item entering the combiner through input port one. This property option works with a special formatted global table. Please try it on your own. If you have still problems with this approach come back here and describe what this method does not do right in your opinion. Many Thanks ! Joerg.

Re: Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets?

jamesriebau — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:04:20 GMT

So I need to assign the label to the pallet (container) before going to the combiner? I have the labels on the boxes. I don't know how to get the labels from the box to the pallet prior to entering the combiner. I was able to assign labels to the pallet using on the process finish of the combiner, but not before it enters the combiner.

Pallet Stacker2.fsm

Re: Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets?

joerg_vogel_HsH — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 19:07:07 GMT

May I suggest that all you items are pallets looking like boxes. Then a box entering a combiner first can be evaluated and decide how many boxes must be combined. If this first box must look different you can exchange its shape on Entry again and take care to combine a box more.

If you don’t know how many boxes must be combined at the beginning and you decide this while you pack them, you start with an incredible high number of items to pack and you set the label controlling the total amount of collected items later on.
here is question which is related to this later decision approach

update components list by process flow

Re: Stacking variable amounts of cases on pallets?

jamesriebau — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 02:52:48 GMT

OK, I was finally able to make this work. I split the the tokens to create pallets in a queue with all the same labels as the boxes. I was able to use the on entry trigger to update the target quantity. The pallets go to the combiner as needed the rest get sent directly to a sink. It works exactly how I want now.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.