Reconstruction and Discrete-Event Simulation Assessment of an Analytical

This article presents an analytical-DES benchmark for intra-aisle robotic picking in automated warehousing. The investigated cycle combines horizontal shuttle travel, tote handling and item picking at storage locations. Simulation results are compared with the analytical formulation of Lerher et al. under the same rack geometry, shuttle-motion, handling and picking conditions, and the same definitions of cycle time and derived item throughput. Reproducing the published analytical tables requires the distance interpretation dES = 1.5 m and dTB = 0 m. The analytical-DES benchmark comprises 180 scenarios formed from three rack lengths, two paired motion profiles and n = 1 to 30 visited picking locations, with ten simulation replications per scenario. The six n = 1 cases are reported separately because no travel-between component is present. Across the remaining 174 scenarios, the mean absolute relative cycle-time discrepancy is 0.8655%, the median is 0.6758%, and the maximum is 7.0370%. The mean absolute error is 2.411 s and the RMSE is 2.744 s. The simulated scenario-mean cycle time is below the analytical value in all 174 principal scenarios. The results therefore show close numerical correspondence under the tested conditions, but not exact agreement, formal statistical equivalence, or validation against an operating warehouse.