Beyond Conventional Design: Enhancing the Reliability of Pouch Sorter Systems With Multi-Body Simulation

Due to changing markets, the logistics industry is in a state of constant transformation. A current trend, the increasing integration of retail and Direct-to-Consumer models, has heightened the significance of pouch sorter systems in intralogistics. A key challenge in integrating such systems lies in their mechanical design. This requires balancing the determination of necessary drive power and system loads with throughput requirements and spatial constraints. The complexity of the structural design arises particularly from the size of the systems and the high dynamics of the integral components. The design must not only meet the requirements for steady-state operation but also account for dynamic processes such as start-up operations, deviations from ideal operation, and emergency stop situations. Currently established calculation methods are based on quasi-static approaches and empirically derived coefficients, which inadequately represent or completely fail to capture these dynamics. Therefore, this paper presents an approach for determining the loads on the system using Multi-body Simulation. The outcome of this study is a comparison between established calculation methods and Multi-body Simulations. It highlights the existing gap between current calculation approaches and the computational capabilities enabled by Multi-body Simulation. Findings reveal that Multi-body Simulation not only enhances the accuracy of traditional calculations but also provides substantial additional benefits in various aspects. The approaches demonstrated in this paper for a simple conveyor segment are intended to be extended to more complex layouts to illustrate the benefits in various areas, which will be pursued in a Ph.D. thesis of the first author.