A fully three-dimensional heuristic algorithm for container packing

• Main Author: Aspoas, Sean Graham
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Packaging; Containers; Algorithms
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21336

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 1996. Degree awarded with distinction on 4 December 1996. === We present a new three-dimensional container-packing algorithm. The algorithm is truly three-dimensional, thus, overcoming the limitations of layering algorithms, especially when a large number of parcel types is used. The algorithm sequentially places parcels into the container using localised heuristic information, and makes use of a balanced tree to store potential packing positions. The result is an algorithm with time complexity O(knlogn) where k is the number of parcel types, and n the maximum number of parcels that can be placed. Test results, including a comparative test, are very favourable, and show that the algorithms performance actually increases as the number of parcel types is increased.This is a direct result of the three-dimenslonal algorithm facilitating the utilisation of all useful packing positions using the variety of parcel sizes available. === GR 2016