INCONTROL Simulation Solutions in partnership with the Institute of Transport Logistics (ITL) built a simulation platform for transport and logistics, ED Transport, with two independent libraries: ED TransSim-Node and ED TransSim-Net.

ED TransSim-Node
ED TransSim-Node provides for modeling different kinds of yard processes and transporting chains within a depot, for example shunting area management, transferring swap bodies from rails to truck, detached trailer management as well as the entire loading and unloading process. The Yard Management atom manages the routing of all vehicles according to their function in the process chain. ED TransSim-Node has the ability to model forklift networks, loading and unloading buffers, gates, ramps, storage locations just to name a few objects. Furthermore, a railway siding with cranes is included to offer the modeling of different logistics nodes including terminals of bimodal traffic.

ED TransSim-Node - Objectives / Application

• Derivation of operational rules for internal and external logistics processes
• Peak performance rating of layouts and strategies
• Monitoring the utilization of yard areas, resources and staff intraday

ED TransSim-Node - Additional features

• Data-Generator for loading units and vehicle data based on user-defined parameters concerning the shipment and fleet structure
• 2D and 3D visualization

ED TransSim-Net

A network of several logistics nodes and their corresponding transports can be modeled. Each node has specific parameters like:

• number of gates
• handling times

• sorting performances
• arrival and cut-off times

A user-defined network can be set up by using realistic geographical data to locate depots and hubs.
Several different types of network structures can be modeled such as Hub-and-Spoke and direct traffic network.

ED TransSim-Net - Additional features

• Data-Generator for vehicles based on user-defined parameters concerning the shipment and the fleet structure
• 2D visualization of the network on a map to retrace the flow of goods

 

Transport

Strategic planning and operational decisions affect the efficiency of the business of a forwarding agency. ED Transport is one of the first simulation tools for the purposes of forwarding agencies. It permits reproduction of internal and external material and information flows in logistics nodes of road haulage in detail.

The modeling of logistics nodes with ED TransSim-Node is done on a microscopic scale by using several atoms which enable to simulate each individual shipment and thereby the connected internal and external processes such as vehicle movements and transports with fork-lifts. Every process on the yard area and within the terminal, starting and ending with the registration of vehicles at the doorman of the terminal, is modeled.

On macroscopic level – simulated with ED TransSim-Net - a forwarding agency is one node in a network with specific parameters (e.g. number of gates or handling times) and the whole route of consignments can be simulated for one country or even a continent.

Logistics

After the docking process of a truck the shipments are unloaded to an unloading buffer, serving only for temporary storage of unloaded consignments, by the freight carrier or personnel of the terminal. During this process, an alignment of the physical consignments with the specifications on the loading papers takes place. Additionally, the shipments are labeled with barcodes where required. The consignments are consolidated within the terminal. They are removed from the unloading buffer, usually by elevating fork lifts, and normally brought to the loading buffer for a specific route.

Due to the low level of automation, handling personnel is the main operating resource inside the terminal. The amount of the workers needed every day depends directly on the distances traveled to handle the shipments inside the terminal, e.g. by fork lift or on foot.

So, which possibilities help to lower the distances? Simulate different strategies with ED TransSim-Node! A good dispatching and / or planning of resources have large effects on the costs of a terminal, because an optimization of the terminal by the change of technology is often not possible.

Yard Management

The basic task in the operation of a forwarding agency consists of routing vehicles in the yard, unloading and loading shipments on the trucks as well as shunting vehicle types and their transport containers.

Inbound and outbound
When an empty or full truck arrives at the terminal, it has to be registered by the porter in most of the cases. Depending on its task (unloading / loading), a corresponding or free door is assigned to the vehicle or it is send to a waiting place. Furthermore the various vehicle combinations are separated or combined at shunting areas. In addition they serve as buffers for trailers, swap bodies or containers, which can be moved on the yard not only by vehicles but also by transfer cars or reach stackers. After the docking process of a truck, the shipments are unloaded to an unloading buffer. After having completed the unloading process, the truck leaves the strip door and the yard area as well.

 The process chain for outbound groupage freight is quite similar to the inbound processes. Following the load door allocation, the trucks are loaded with the related shipments and distribute them to the consignees.

With ED TransSim-Node questions can be answered:

• Terminal layout: How many doors are needed for the forwarding agency?
• How can they be used: as strip or load doors?
• How can the assignment of trailers to load doors be optimized?

Due to the complex fleet and the various permissible combinations (36 vehicle combinations are implemented in the standard library) in combination with the task of each vehicle (loading / unloading / both), the routing of vehicles on the yard is extraordinarily complex, although the model distinguishes mainly between three areas at the yard (waiting area, shunting area and loading area).

Network

The combination of several logistic nodes can be simulated with ED TransSim-Net. A logistic node is assembled in one atom, each atom with a specific input -, sorting - and output capacity. The nodes will be connected via roads to build a network; different types are possible: e.g. hub-spoke-systems.

With this library network-strategic decisions like:

• choice of location
• routing decisions

and consequences of economic developments can be evaluated; examples:

• road charge
• fuel prices