Intelligent Packing API

The Intelligent Packing API provides AI-enhanced 3D bin packing with advanced optimization algorithms, multi-objective optimization, and smart constraint handling.

Overview

The Intelligent Packing API extends the standard Packing API with:

• Hybrid AI + OR-Tools optimization engine
• Multi-dimensional constraint solving
• Loading sequence optimization
• Fragile item handling
• Center of gravity calculation
• Stability analysis

Endpoints

Calculate Intelligent Packing

Advanced AI-powered packing calculation with intelligent optimization.

Endpoint:

POST /intelligent-packing/calculate

Request Body:

{
  "items": [
    {
      "sku": "FRAGILE-001",
      "name": "Glass Product",
      "length": 30.0,
      "width": 25.0,
      "height": 20.0,
      "weight": 8.0,
      "quantity": 10,
      "can_rotate": true,
      "stackable": true,
      "max_stack_weight": 20.0,
      "fragile": true,
      "priority": "high",
      "load_sequence": "first",
      "group_id": "electronics"
    },
    {
      "sku": "HEAVY-001",
      "name": "Heavy Item",
      "length": 50.0,
      "width": 40.0,
      "height": 30.0,
      "weight": 45.0,
      "quantity": 5,
      "can_rotate": false,
      "stackable": true,
      "max_stack_weight": 100.0,
      "fragile": false,
      "priority": "normal",
      "load_sequence": "any"
    }
  ],
  "pallets": [
    {
      "id": "EUR-PALLET",
      "length": 120.0,
      "width": 80.0,
      "height": 200.0,
      "max_weight": 1500.0
    }
  ],
  "options": {
    "optimization_mode": "balanced",
    "enable_stability_analysis": true,
    "calculate_cog": true,
    "respect_load_sequence": true,
    "group_items": true,
    "max_iterations": 1000,
    "time_limit_ms": 5000
  }
}

Advanced Item Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
fragile	boolean	No	false	Mark item as fragile (no heavy items on top)
priority	string	No	"normal"	Packing priority: "low", "normal", "high"
load_sequence	string	No	"any"	Loading order preference
group_id	string	No	null	Group identifier for co-location

Advanced Options:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
optimization_mode	string	"balanced"	Optimization strategy
enable_stability_analysis	boolean	true	Calculate packing stability score
calculate_cog	boolean	true	Calculate Center of Gravity
respect_load_sequence	boolean	true	Honor loading/unloading sequence
group_items	boolean	false	Keep same group items together
max_iterations	integer	1000	Maximum algorithm iterations
time_limit_ms	integer	5000	Calculation time limit

Optimization Modes:

Mode	Description	Best For
space	Maximize space utilization	High-volume shipping
weight	Optimize weight distribution	Heavy cargo
balanced	Balance space + weight + stability	General purpose
speed	Fast calculation (near-optimal)	Real-time systems
stability	Maximum stack stability	Fragile/valuable goods

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "total_items": 15,
    "packed_items": 15,
    "unpacked_items": 0,
    "total_pallets_used": 1,
    "total_volume_utilization": 0.823,
    "total_weight_utilization": 0.203,
    "optimization_score": 0.947,
    "pallets": [
      {
        "pallet_id": "EUR-PALLET",
        "pallet_index": 1,
        "items_packed": 15,
        "items": [
          {
            "sku": "HEAVY-001",
            "placement": {
              "x": 0.0,
              "y": 0.0,
              "z": 0.0,
              "length": 50.0,
              "width": 40.0,
              "height": 30.0,
              "rotation": 0,
              "layer": 1
            },
            "position_in_load_sequence": 1
          },
          {
            "sku": "FRAGILE-001",
            "placement": {
              "x": 0.0,
              "y": 0.0,
              "z": 30.0,
              "length": 30.0,
              "width": 25.0,
              "height": 20.0,
              "rotation": 1,
              "layer": 2
            },
            "position_in_load_sequence": 6
          }
        ],
        "volume_utilization": 0.823,
        "weight_utilization": 0.203,
        "total_weight": 305.0,
        "stability_score": 0.912,
        "center_of_gravity": {
          "x": 58.5,
          "y": 37.2,
          "z": 42.8,
          "balanced": true
        },
        "layers": 5
      }
    ],
    "analysis": {
      "recommendations": [
        {
          "type": "optimization",
          "message": "Consider using smaller pallets for remaining space",
          "impact": "low"
        }
      ],
      "warnings": [
        {
          "type": "weight_distribution",
          "message": "Weight concentrated in center-left area",
          "severity": "medium"
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_intel_pack_xyz789",
    "processing_time_ms": 2341
  }
}

---

Get Packing Recommendations

Get AI-powered recommendations for optimal packing strategy.

Endpoint:

POST /intelligent-packing/recommend

Request Body:

{
  "items_summary": {
    "total_items": 150,
    "total_volume": 45000.0,
    "total_weight": 2250.0,
    "fragile_count": 25,
    "heavy_count": 10
  },
  "shipping_profile": "express",
  "available_pallets": ["EUR-PALLET", "STD-PALLET"]
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "recommended_pallets": [
      {
        "pallet_id": "EUR-PALLET",
        "quantity": 2,
        "estimated_utilization": 0.85
      }
    ],
    "estimated_total_pallets": 2,
    "strategy_recommendation": "Use heavy-items-first strategy",
    "estimated_calculation_time": "2.5s",
    "complexity_assessment": "medium"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_recommend_abc123",
    "processing_time_ms": 245
  }
}

---

Integration Guide

When to Use Intelligent Packing

Use this API when:

• Dealing with fragile/valuable items
• Need weight distribution optimization
• Require loading sequence management
• Have complex grouping requirements
• Need stability analysis for long-haul shipping

Performance Considerations

Complexity	Items	Typical Processing Time	Rate Limit
Simple	< 50	< 500ms	30/min
Medium	50-200	1-3 seconds	15/min
Complex	200-500	3-10 seconds	5/min
Enterprise	> 500	Contact us	Custom

Example Workflow

from alaikis import AlaikisClient

client = AlaikisClient(api_key="YOUR_API_TOKEN")

# Get packing strategy recommendation first
recommendation = client.intelligent_packing.recommend(
    items_summary={
        "total_items": 75,
        "total_volume": 125000.0,
        "total_weight": 850.0,
        "fragile_count": 15,
        "heavy_count": 8
    },
    shipping_profile="fragile",
    available_pallets=["EUR-PALLET", "STD-PALLET"]
)

print(f"Recommended Strategy: {recommendation.data.strategy_recommendation}")
print(f"Estimated Pallets: {recommendation.data.estimated_total_pallets}")

# Then run actual calculation
packing_result = client.intelligent_packing.calculate(
    items=order_items,
    pallets=[euro_pallet],
    options={
        "optimization_mode": "stability",
        "enable_stability_analysis": True,
        "calculate_cog": True,
        "group_items": True
    }
)

result = packing_result.data
print(f"\nPacking Results:")
print(f"  Optimization Score: {result.optimization_score:.1%}")
print(f"  Pallets Used: {result.total_pallets_used}")

for pallet in result.pallets:
    print(f"\nPallet {pallet.pallet_index}:")
    print(f"  Stability Score: {pallet.stability_score:.1%}")
    print(f"  Center of Gravity Balanced: {pallet.center_of_gravity.balanced}")
    print(f"  Layers: {pallet.layers}")

---

Enterprise Features

For Enterprise plan customers:

• Custom optimization algorithms
• Integration with WMS/ERP systems
• Batch processing API
• Historical packing analytics
• Custom constraint definitions
• Dedicated optimization models

Contact enterprise@alaikis.com for enterprise solutions.