The distributor's three-dimensional pallet-packing problem: a human intelligence-based heuristic approach

Erhan Baltacioglu, James T. Moore and Raymond R. Hill Jr.

International Journal of Operational Research, 2006, vol. 1, issue 3, 249-266

Abstract: The distributor's pallet-packing problem requires the loading of a pallet or container that has a fixed length, width and height with the objective to maximise utilisation of the pallet's volume. We develop a new heuristic algorithm using novel heuristic rules and a dynamic data structure to mimic human intelligence, thus providing a new solution approach to 3-D pallet packing. Comprehensive empirical testing, to include new methods for generating problems with known optimal solutions, demonstrate that our algorithm achieves pallet volume utilisations comparable or better than the best-known solutions, while finding these solutions very quickly. Computer-independent complexity results are provided.

Keywords: heuristics; 3-D pallet packing; pallet loading; operational research; human intelligence. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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