Drone Optimization in Factory: Exploring the Minimal Level Vehicle Routing Problem for Efficient Material Distribution

The efficient movement of raw materials within organizations is fundamental to maintaining the seamless progression of production processes. However, these logistical operations can inadvertently compromise overall company efficiency, primarily due to the substantial time invested in transporting materials. This paper introduces an innovative mathematical model specifically designed to optimize the transport of raw materials via drones across multiple workstations. This model employs a novel modification of the traditional multi-level Vehicle Routing Problem by incorporating an additional index and accounting for the drone’s energy consumption. We employ a widely-recognized solver for practical resolution and compare it with a heuristic algorithm. The resultant strategies offer promising prospects for the organization studied, introducing robust solutions for elevating the efficiency of raw material transportation. © 2023 by the authors.