Abstract Multi-load Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) has been proposed for a while, but the advantage of its application is still not fully understood today. In order to fill this knowledge gap, a novel integrated model of a multi-load AGV system is developed in this paper by using an advanced form of Petri Nets, namely Coloured Petri Nets (CPNs), to simulate the operation of the AGV system in various scenarios. The study reported in this paper is focused to answer a few key questions, i.e. whether system performance can be continuously improved by increasing the load capacity of the multi-load AGVs; if not, whether there is an optimal load capacity of the multi-load AGV for a particular system; and whether the multi-load AGVs can still work well in a system with flexible loading and unloading points. The research results have shown that the efficiency of the AGV system can be improved by increasing the load capacity at the beginning, but the effectiveness of such an approach will decrease when the load capacity increases above a certain value. In other words, an AGV system may not perform better after using a larger capacity of multi-load AGV and there must be an optimal load capacity of the multi-load AGV for a specific AGV system. In addition, it is found that a system with flexible loading and unloading points can perform better after using a multi-load AGV.

中文翻译：

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进一步探索使用多载荷自动导引车的优势的研究

摘要 多载自动导引车（AGV）的提出已经有一段时间了，但其应用的优势在今天仍未被完全理解。为了填补这一知识空白，本文通过使用一种先进的 Petri 网，即彩色 Petri 网 (CPNs)，开发了一种多负载 AGV 系统的新型集成模型，以模拟 AGV 系统在各种场景。本文报告的研究重点回答了几个关键问题，即是否可以通过增加多负载 AGV 的负载能力来持续提高系统性能？如果没有，针对特定系统的多负载AGV是否存在最佳负载能力；多载AGV在装卸点灵活的系统中是否还能正常工作。研究结果表明，AGV系统的效率在开始时可以通过增加负载能力来提高，但是当负载能力增加到一定值以上时，这种方法的有效性会下降。换句话说，AGV系统在使用更大容量的多负载AGV后可能不会表现得更好，并且必须有针对特定AGV系统的多负载AGV的最佳负载能力。此外，发现具有灵活装卸点的系统在使用多载AGV后性能更佳。AGV系统在使用更大容量的多负载AGV后可能不会表现得更好，并且必须有针对特定AGV系统的多负载AGV的最佳负载能力。此外，发现具有灵活装卸点的系统在使用多载AGV后性能更佳。AGV系统在使用更大容量的多负载AGV后可能不会表现得更好，并且必须有针对特定AGV系统的多负载AGV的最佳负载能力。此外，发现具有灵活装卸点的系统在使用多载AGV后性能更佳。