An AS/RS with four aisles is 80 m long and 18 m high. The S/R machine has a maximum speed of 1.6 m/s in the horizontal direction. It accelerates from zero to 1.6 m/s in a distance of 2.0 m. On approaching its target position (where the S/R machine will transfer a load onto or off of its platform), it decelerates from 1.6 m/s to a full stop in 2.0 m. The maximum vertical speed is 0.5 m/s, and the acceleration and deceleration distances are each 0.3 m. Rates of acceleration and deceleration are constant in both directions. Pick and deposit time = 12 s. Utilization of the AS/RS is assumed to be 90%, and the number of dual command cycles = the number of single command cycles.
(a) Calculate the single command and dual command cycle times, including considerations for acceleration and deceleration.
(b) Determine the throughput rate for the system.