Development of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System 
              in a Dynamic Knowledge Environment 
                           
                           
                           
            
         
                   Liam O’ Shea BEng (Mech.)  
                           
                           
                           
                           
                        MSc 
                           
         
                           
                 Waterford Institute of Technology 
                           
         
         
                Internal Supervisor: Mr. David Walsh 
                           
         
         
         
           Submitted to Waterford Institute of Technology, June 2007. 
         
             
                                 Declaration 
             
            Development of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System in a Dynamic 
            Knowledge Environment. 
                                       
             
                            Presented to:   Mr. David Walsh 
                                       
                                       
                          Department of Engineering Technology 
             
             
                           Waterford Institute of Technology 
             
                                       
                                       
            This Thesis is presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of 
            Science. It is entirely of my own work and has not been submitted to any other college 
            or higher institution, or for any other academic award in this College. Where use has 
            been made of the work of other people it has been fully acknowledged and fully 
            referenced. 
             
             
            Signed:  _______________ 
             
            Liam O’ Shea 
             
            Date:    ______________ 
             
             
             
             
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                            Abstract 
           
          This thesis summarises the development of an Automatic Storage and Retrieval 
          System (ASRS) test-bed at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) within a 
          dynamic knowledge environment. 
          The ASRS developed consists of control hardware and software communicating over 
          a Fieldbus network. A simulation model of the WIT ASRS (capable of modelling any 
          similar hi-bay storage system) and an order generator were also developed and these 
          are linked to a database and a results spreadsheet. 
          This ASRS allows for a range of control strategies and order types to be investigated 
          utilising the order generator and the database. There was also a facility developed 
          which allows this mathematical model to run the actual requirements that the ASRS 
          physical model works with, this allows for complete correlation between both models. 
          The development of a mathematical model plus a physical model ensures better 
          understanding of ASRS making the sequence of operations obvious and helping to 
          clarify the broad range of strategies to interested parties. 
          The best recorded performance was with current dwell point, simultaneous travel, 
          dual control, free-nearest storage and nearest retrieval strategies selected in 
          combination. In general, dual control improved performance (in terms of throughput), 
          simultaneous travel was found to be better than rectilinear travel, dwell point at origin 
          gave very poor results, and a dwell point at current, pick point or deposit point 
          appears best.  
          Within the Knowledge environment a number of findings were made including: the 
          development of a physical model is hugely beneficial to the acquisition of tacit 
          knowledge by the chief researcher and supervisor and greatly benefits the 
          development of undergraduate students (3 groups). The greater the volume of tacit 
          and explicit knowledge available the faster the up-take for the students in a structured 
          knowledge environment. There are great benefits to the college research centre by 
          having a full time researcher in this area especially when the subject matter becomes 
          complex, the learning curve for students can then be very steep.
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                                             Acknowledgements 
                   
                  I would like to thank those who gave help and advice during the course of this project. 
                  Their help proved invaluable. 
                   
                  I would like, in particular, to thank my supervisor, David Walsh for his continuous 
                  help, encouragement and guidance and also the following people whose help I greatly 
                  appreciated: 
                   
                  Mr. Joseph Phelan   Lecturer 
                  Mr. Ned Cullinan                   Lecturer 
                  Mr. Paul Allen    Lecturer 
                  Mr. Albert Byrne                   Head of Department of Engineering Technology 
                  Mr. Denis Moran   Head of School of Engineering 
                  Mr. Mark Maher   Manufacturing Technician 
                  Mr. Billy Walsh                    Electronic Technician 
                  Mr. Alan Nagle                     Manufacturing Technician 
                  Mr. Paul O’ Mahoney 
                   
                  I would especially like to thank my wife, Kay, for all her love and on-going life 
                  support and our 3 great daughters, Niamh, Roisin and Grainne for everything they 
                  have brought to my life. I would also like to acknowledge the help, encouragement 
                  and support I got from my parents, brothers and sisters. 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
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