LIME worked together with a manufacturer of packaging machines for consumer products in boxes, like bottles of detergent, ice cream cones and bags of crisps. These machines have 5 or 6 robot arms that fill a box simultaneously. Mixed packaging with several types or flavors are the trend. It is also important that both product and box move through the machine in the same direction in order to save floor area in factories. The old packaging algorithm could not meet these requirements.
Through a simulation of the packaging process, LIME created insight in the underlying scheduling problem. The simulation could be used immediately to compare the quality of different heuristics.
In the end this resulted in the implementation of a custom made scheduling algorithm that runs real-time on the packaging line.
The new packaging algorithm has a threefold effect.
The usability of the machine is improved, the client can more thoroughly cater to the wishes of his customers and the machines have an increased output. With Mathware you’re ahead of the rest.