Autor: Katja Windt

Today’s standard information technologies in production logistics allow the storage of large data sets that have a huge variety of different parameters. The also increased complexity of production processes leads to complex dependencies between different decisions variables. Therefore, this paper deals with the application of computer-based methods of analysis for the efficient evaluation of multi-criteria dependencies.

The complexity of nowadays logistics processes calls for new approaches to improve the logistics performance. The concept of autonomous logistics processes has proven to be a promising way to cope with these challenges. In this paper the idea of autonomous product manufacturing will be presented with a special focus on the development of locked flexibility potentials. In particular we introduce a new way to let products decide by themselves what to become and how.

This article deals with flexibility of production and distribution processes within global production networks. It introduces the concept of autonomous products, classifies different types of flexibility and develops according object models. The decision alternatives resulting from the increased flexibility are modelled as a mathematical function. Different decision methods are proposed for decision rendering and selecting between these alternatives. Exemplary applications in some scenarios are proposed.

Production logistics has seen the introduction of autonomous control strategies, which had been implemented with different modelling methods. Additionally a standardising body of tools for the evaluation of autonomous control strategies has been set up. This article presents a framework, which helps to identify the appropriate autonomous control strategy together with the corresponding modelling approach for given production logistics scenarios.

In 2020 production and logistics are faced by a changed periphery of manufacturing. New manufacturing technologies, machine concepts and groundbreaking manufacturing control will be the main fields of innovation in the range of production and logistics. Starting from a scenario of production in 2020 the following concept identifies the drivers of innovation for industrial engineering and in particular for production logistics, that reflect the increasing dynamics and complexity of the changing environment, and points out the resulting fields of innovation.

Logistic systems of automobile terminals are characterised these days by central planning and control processes, which do not allow fast and flexible adaptation of order processing to changing environmental influences caused by the dynamic and complexity in logistics. Process flows of cars on an automobile terminal such as delivery, storage and technical treatment are supported by a conventional, centralised logistic system. By establishing autonomous cooperating logistics processes, the automobiles will be enabled to act independently according to their own objectives and navigate through the logistics network themselves. This paper introduces first approaches of autonomous cooperation in the context of logistics and investigates potential applications in automobile logistics on the example of E. H. Harms Auto-Terminal-Hamburg GmbH & Co. KG.