Describes a user‐friendly decision support tool to select near optimal containers for specific manufacturing scenarios relative to all the constraints associated with the use of the container. Guides the user through a dialogue to input constraints and scenario‐specific information. Shows how the decision support tool iterates between an expert system and a simulation model, to produce a near optimal container with respect to internal and external dimensional requirements. Explains the methods by which the system is tested and validated in a realistic environment. Discusses future research directions.

Automated material handling systems have become an integral part of handling and storage applications in many manufacturing and logistics sectors. The purported benefits of cost effectiveness and efiicient operation have resulted in widespread acceptance of this equipment in industry. A tremendous amount of research during the last decade has focused on studying the design and control problems associated with automated material handling systems. The research focus has been on problems of "manageable" size and complexity, while a large number of applications exist in which simulation is the only method for tackling the design and control issues. This discussion is motivated by applications which indicate the need for new methodologies for handling large scale problems. The design constraints imposed by large scale systems and possible solution approaches for choosing the type of material handling equipment are presented in this paper. Simulation is introduced as a feasible, inclusive, and cost-effective means of evaluating alternative solution approaches and equipment components.