A Three-Dimensional 463L Pallet Packing Model and Algorithm

As part of the Air Force Logistics Contingency Assessment Tool, Armstrong Laboratory determined the need for a software package to optimize the packing of 463L cargo pallets for deployments. In January 1998, TASC, Inc., to determine if optimizing the packing of 463L pallets was indeed possible, implemented a feasibility study. TASC, Inc. concluded that a linear program was infeasible due to time and size constraints. Therefore, this research focuses on the development of a nonlinear model. An extensive literature review is conducted to detail the pallet loading problem, define the current pallet process, establish necessary assumptions and constraints, and examine possible algorithms to be used for the solution of the model. Also, other packing models are examined for possible use in the development of the nonlinear 463L pallet packing model. The 463L pallet packing model consists of three sub-models. These are a hazardous constraints linear program, a knapsack model, and a pallet loading model. The complete model is solved using a knapsack heuristic and a tabu search.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH is the author of 'A Three-Dimensional 463L Pallet Packing Model and Algorithm' with ISBN 9781423558255 and ISBN 1423558251.