CSCE Capstone

Student Site for Individual and Collaborative Activities

CSCE Capstone

Student Site for Individual and Collaborative Activites

Team 5 – In-House Packing Engine for MARSHALLTOWN

Team Members:

Carey Lawrence

Akhila Parvathaneni

Evelyn Smith 

Description:

This packing engine will optimize packaging smaller items in the most appropriate larger box as well as the stacking of all items on a palette. This packing engine will take into account individual box dimensions, weight, space limitations from the client and shipping company and the vast array of potential solutions. In order to achieve this, we are starting with a space optimization program and test databases provided by MARSHALLTOWN.

We started with the front-end development to get the user interface working correctly. The next step was to take each of the additional limitations of packing. Moving this software in-house provides many benefits. The first benefit of our project is creating a palette optimization that will take into account weight instead of just box dimensions. Additionally, MARSHALLTOWN will now have the ability to adapt the program as needed and add new features as new limitations present themselves. Lastly, it helps pack the same amount of area more efficiently and therefore reduce overall shipping costs.

Tasks

Dates

1. Determine and create script for SQL Database creation

9/13-9/22

2. Learning new software and frameworks

3. Testing current project and determining any additional shortcomings

4. Adjusting database schema to fit requirements

5. Creating and inserting sample set(s)

9/13-9/22

9/22-10/1

10/1-10/4

10/4-10/8

6. Familiarization with algorithm

10/8-10/15

7. Adjusting the algorithm for heaviest at the bottom

10/15-10/22

8. Adjusting the algorithm to work with items that cannot be reoriented

9. Making packing algorithm work for both pallet packing, and box packing…

10. UI and visualization rework 

11. Edge case testing application/Catchup

12. Final deliverables (Paper, website, poster, etc.)

10/22-10/29

11/5-11/12

11/12-11/19

11/19-12/3

12/3-12/8

Future Work

Tasks

Container packing

Abnormal item packing

UI improvements

Porting packed container directly to pallet packing