Abstract

Accurate simulation of the behaviour of bridge and gantry cranes is essential to predict a crane system’s material flow performance. This paper presents an overview of crane system design methods, evaluates the state of the art of crane modelling in material flow simulation software, and introduces CraneFlow, an open-source Python framework specifically tailored for simulating material flows within bridge and gantry crane systems. We identify limitations in the modelling of jerk-limited motion, motion sequences, and multi-crane interactions in current simulation software. CraneFlow addresses these shortcomings while retaining computational efficiency. Through a case study of an automated coil storage yard, we demonstrate that increased motion modelling detail can significantly alter throughput estimates.