Applying spatial representation techniques to the container packing problem

Abstract

This paper describes an efficient method of packing boxes into a container using a unique spatial representation technique. Unlike other algorithms, the packing algorithm in this paper is not constrained by the physical packing sequence, that is, back to front, or bottom to top. This extra flexibility allows the program to pack the boxes more efficiently. The packing plan can be generated to suit the actual packing sequence. The program is implemented on an IBM PC and a comparison has been made with a similar software. The results, in terms of packing efficiency and packing time, are promising.