Development of a decision support system to select in-plant part-load conveyors

Conveyor systems are commonly used to transport, collect, and store materialswithin manufacturing systems. In this study, selection of proper conveyorsystems is performed to handle part (unit) loads in industrial facilities. Theconveyor selection problem is complex because of the wide range of conveyortypes (10 different types in this study) and models in each type available today.In this study, a decision support system (Conveyor Selection Program(CONSPRO)) is developed to help the user in the selection of the mostappropriate conveyor system type and model in two separate stages. Twentyone questions are provided to determine the most appropriate conveyor type.A total of twelve questions are available in selection of models in a conveyortype. The program lists and ranks the feasible models according to their initialpurchase costs. Two examples are also provided in the thesis to illustrate theapplication of the developed program.Science Code : 914Key Words : Conveyor systems, Conveyor selection, Decision supportsystem, Material handling system (MHS) selectionPage Number : 127Adviser : Asst. Prof. Mustafa YURDAKUL