PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Agárdi, Anita AU - Kovács, László AU - Bányai, Tamás TI - Ant Colony Algorithms For The Vehicle Routing Problem With Time Window, Period And Multiple Depots DP - 2021 Sep 18 TA - Manufacturing Technology Journal PG - 422--433 VI - 21 IP - 4 AID - 10.21062/mft.2021.054 IS - 12132489 AB - Vehicle Routing Problem is a common problem in logistics, which can simulate in-plant and out-plant material handling. In the article, we demonstrate a Vehicle Routing Problem, which contains period, time window and multiple depots. In this case, customers must be served from several depots. The position of the nodes (depots and customers), the demand and time window of the customers are known in advance. The number and capacity constraint of vehicles are predefined. The vehicles leave from one depot, visit some customers and then return to the depot. The above-described vehicle routing is solved with construction algorithms and Ant Colony algorithms. The Ant Colony algorithms are used to improve random solutions and solutions generated with construction algorithms. According to the test results the Elitist Strategy Ant System and the Rank-Based Version of Ant System algorithms gave the best solutions.