An efficient approach for the multi-pallet loading problem

The distributor's or multi-pellet loading problem is considered in this paper. This problem is to load a set of distinct products with given quantities on pallets (or in containers) and to minimize the number of pallets needed. The theoretical objective of finding the best space utilization is restricted by a list of practical aspects (technological constraints, weight distribution over the pallet, stability aspects, etc.). Keeping in mind a general branch and bound framework an efficient heuristic for the considered multi-pallet loading problem is developed. In the kernel, the three-dimensional (3D) solution approach uses a layer-wise loading strategy with optimal two-dimensional (2D) loading patterns. Computational experiments show the efficiency of the proposed algorithms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.