Systems for order fulfillment

Abstract

A system for order fulfillment, comprising stacking mixed case parcels on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case parcels according to an order, the system comprising: at least one preferably linear sorting unit for receiving all pallets from each palletizing unit; a buffer storage unit for temporarily storing pallets originating from a diverter; and more than one palletizing unit for stacking mixed case parcels on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case parcels according to an order originating from parcels from at least one pallet unloading unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for order fulfillment that includes automated stacking of mixed case packages on a support in a predetermined spatial arrangement. Background Art

[0002] Automated stacking includes automatic stacking without human intervention and machine-assisted manual stacking.

[0003] In both cases, stacking the parcels according to the order onto a support or carrier, in particular a pallet or trolley, to form a stack for later transport is known as "palletizing." The process of loading parcels of different sizes onto such a load support to form a stack is known as "mixed case" palletizing.

[0004] In current distribution logistics, ever-increasing demands are placed on the picking, throughput, and processing of large numbers of different products.

[0005] Such systems must handle thousands of different products (or packages) with extremely diverse specifications (size, shape, weight, dimensions, surface, solidity, etc.).

[0006] In this case, there are many aspects to consider that significantly increase the complexity compared to "simple" stacking of simple regular geometric figures. Therefore, a package can only be correctly stacked or placed on top of a previous package if the previous package has a flat or planar surface (which should also be oriented approximately horizontally) and can withstand the weight of another package placed on it without being damaged.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to develop processing and picking systems that can handle orders with such demands at high speed and in a reliable manner.

[0008] EP 1 462 394 B1 to Witron discloses a device for automatically loading a load support with packaging units forming a load stack, i.e., a palletizing device. The device operates within a warehouse having a shelf storage facility designed as a pallet storage facility, i.e., items or goods delivered to a delivery station are stored on delivery pallets in the pallet storage facility. In a known manner, a storage / retrieval machine mounted on the shelves can move in the aisles formed between the rows of shelves and store the delivered storage pallets in the shelf storage facility. Connected to the shelf storage facility by an automated conveyor system is a pallet storage facility, which in turn includes storage racks separated by aisles and in which the items to be stored are stored on pallets. Pallets generally have a shallow, tablet-like design and preferably have a circumferential edge. A depalletizing device is provided between the pallet storage facility and the pallet storage facility, which automatically separates the stored pallet stacks into package units and loads them onto pallets. Adjacent to the pallet storage facility is a loading area, which includes one or more palletizing devices. Pallets are temporarily stored or buffered in the pallet storage facility using a conveyor system. As soon as one or more orders are recorded, the items and / or parcel units required for the order are taken from the pallet storage facility by an automatic conveyor system and delivered in a specific sequence to the palletizing equipment in the loading area. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In contrast, the present invention aims to provide a system for order fulfillment that includes automated stacking of mixed case parcels on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement that flexibly allows high throughput and scalability and is reliable.

[0010] This object is achieved by the system described in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are apparent from the dependent claims and the description.

[0011] The system according to the present invention comprises

[0012] - an optional receiving unit for receiving pallets with packages for replenishment;

[0013] - Optional storage unit for storing received pallets;

[0014] One or more of the following Group A and / or Group B

[0015] Group A:

[0016] - one or more depalletizing units for depalletizing packages from received pallets (optionally originating from said storage unit);

[0017] - one or more palletizing units for loading the individually separated depalletized packages onto pallets, each pallet carrying one or more packages;

[0018] Group B:

[0019] - one or more combined depalletizing and palletizing units for manually depalletizing the packages from received pallets (optionally originating from said storage unit) with the assistance of a machine and for loading the individually separated packages onto pallets, each carrying one or more packages;

[0020] and

[0021] - a preferably linear sorting unit for receiving all the pallets from each palletizing unit, having

[0022] -High-speed main conveyor / conveyor belt;

[0023] - a plurality of guides leading from the loading unit to the main conveyor;

[0024] - Multiple diverters for unloading pallets from the main conveyor to individual buffer storage units;

[0025] - Buffer storage unit for temporary storage of pallets coming from the diverter and having

[0026] - at least two multi-level longitudinally extending storage racks separated laterally by aisles;

[0027] - at least two load lifting devices, each having a liftable transport platform for lifting a pallet;

[0028] - guide rails extending along the rack length of the aisle in at least some rack levels, such that one or more storage and retrieval vehicles can be displaced along the guide rails for transporting pallets between the storage racks and the load lifting device in the corresponding rack level;

[0029] - the guide rails are arranged in each such level so that storage and retrieval vehicles can fully access / operate the storage racks and each load lifting device by arranging the guide rails to extend along the aisles and past the load lifting devices; and

[0030] - at least one conveyor for transporting pallets from the diverter to the load lifting device and from the load lifting device to the palletizer feed device;

[0031] - more than one palletizer infeed device, originating from a load lifting device of at least one buffer aisle, and each palletizer infeed device having at least one pallet unloading unit for unloading one or more packages from a pallet;

[0032] - one or more palletizing units for stacking mixed case parcels in a predetermined spatial arrangement on a support to form a stack of mixed case parcels according to an order, wherein the source of the order is parcels from at least one pallet unloading unit.

[0033] The system of the present invention is beneficial because the use of (linear) sorting units allows any point-to-point material flow within the system, which means that packages from any depalletizing unit can be transported to any palletizing unit via any buffer storage aisle. This allows for flexible, high-speed order fulfillment.

[0034] The buffer storage unit is designed to provide a buffer and supply function for the palletizing unit, and also allows for the consolidation of order packages (storing the required packages in a designated aisle for later palletizing of a specific order) and sorting. This allows all of these functions to be integrated into a single unit, eliminating the need for separate sorting towers, etc.

[0035] The system may also include a warehouse management and control system for recording orders and controlling the system and its components. Such a warehouse management and control system will also track packages and their storage levels within the buffer storage unit, as well as incoming pallets in the receiving unit and downstream warehouses, in order to manage the number of packages in the buffer storage unit, thereby allowing a continuous flow of packages to the palletizing unit for order fulfillment. The warehouse management and control system may also include an interface with the supplier / manufacturer of the incoming pallets to allow for timely replenishment.

[0036] The receiving unit is used to receive pallets with packages for replenishment from suppliers and / or manufacturers, vendors, etc. It will have a loading device for introducing such pallets into the system.

[0037] The pallet with the replenishment package is then transferred to a storage unit to store the received pallets. This will typically be a high-bay warehouse serviced by conveyors and an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). Depending on the size and needs, other forms of storage may be implemented, such as stacking pallets on the floor.

[0038] If the number of packages in the buffer unit (i.e. the inventory level, which enables order fulfillment via palletizers) falls below a certain predetermined level, the warehouse management system will request the storage unit to supply the packages.

[0039] The packages are automatically picked up and unloaded from the storage unit and conveyed to the depalletizing unit.

[0040] Received pallets can also be taken directly to the depalletizing area.

[0041] In the depalletizing unit, the incoming pallets are de-stackered / de-palletized. The depalletizing unit can be fully automatic or machine-assisted manual, depending on the throughput requirements and the type of goods.

[0042] The emptied pallets are sent via an appropriate conveyor system to a receiving unit for reuse.

[0043] Since the interfaces with the upstream storage units and downstream palletizing units are standardized, the number of depalletizers used can be varied depending on the rate of destacking (pallet and package flow) to achieve perfect sizing, and / or the depalletizers of the depalletizing units can be interchangeably switched from manual to automatic.

[0044] For depalletizing and palletizing, the system will include at least one or more of the following Group A and / or Group B

[0045] Group A:

[0046] - one or more depalletizing units for depalletizing packages from received pallets (optionally originating from a storage unit);

[0047] - one or more palletizing units for loading the individually separated depalletized packages onto pallets, each pallet carrying one or more packages;

[0048] Group B:

[0049] - one or more combined depalletizing and palletizing units for manually depalletizing the packages from received pallets (optionally originating from a storage unit) with the assistance of a machine and for loading the individually separated packages onto pallets, each carrying one or more packages;

[0050] In other words, Group A includes the processes of separate / individual depalletizing (de-stacking), individual separation (wrapping), and palletizing, whether fully automatic or automated in the sense of manual and machine-assisted, while Group B includes the combined processes of individual depalletizing and direct placement on pallets.

[0051] The system may include one or both groups (or more) depending on throughput needs.

[0052] In automated operation, packages are removed from the pallet layer by layer and placed onto a dedicated conveyor. The de-stacked packages are then separated individually. Afterwards, the packages are loaded individually or in groups onto pallets in the palletizing unit.

[0053] Prior to palletizing, the package orientation is checked and, if necessary, changed by turning / tipping, and the identity of the package is verified.

[0054] The automated palletizing unit itself can be similar to the palletizing unit of FIG. 6 of WO 99 / 30993 A2 to Crisplant and involve dropping packages from upper, parallel, aligned conveyors onto pallets on synchronized, parallel, aligned lower conveyors. If more than one size of pallet is used, such a palletizing unit can have staggered pallet-carrying conveyors below the package conveyor, allowing packages to be dropped onto pallets of appropriate size. For example, if full-size and half-size pallets are used, a conveyor for each pallet size is provided, and the smaller pallets can be conveyed either short-side first or long-side first, depending on the orientation of the packages and the space available on the conveyor. It is generally preferred that all pallets be conveyed short-side first, with the packages oriented accordingly, i.e., also short-side first.

[0055] In manual operation, packages are picked up one by one from the product pallet and placed in a single manner on a dedicated conveyor and then placed individually or in multiples / batches on a pallet, or alternatively directly onto a pallet.

[0056] A pallet can carry one or more packages, depending on their size.

[0057] The dimensions may be further checked before leaving the palletising unit and if rejected the corresponding pallet may be sent to a reject unit / station (see below).

[0058] By using pallets in subsequent parts of the overall system, high throughput can be achieved reliably. The pallets used are a two-piece design that allows for safe transport and easy unloading. They consist of a frame and a removable base within the frame, as detailed in DE 10 2008 026 326 A1.

[0059] The use of trays therefore increases process safety and reduces errors in the system, particularly in high-speed sorting and buffering units. Potential limitations on the rigidity of the parcel bottom caused by the use of multiple holes and pins as known from EP 1 462 394 B1 do not apply.

[0060] It also allows for future-proof design, as changing the parcel and its packaging type does not require changing system parts (holding the parcel on a flat surface without holes or grooves, etc. is the most universal way, unlike the vast majority of prior art applications).

[0061] It is particularly preferred that the system uses two pallet sizes, full-size pallets and half-size pallets, thereby allowing high-density transport and storage while reducing complexity. Thus, half-size pallets can be stored in the buffer storage unit with the long side first and then use the same storage slot width as large full-size pallets.

[0062] The sorting unit is essential to the present invention. It allows thousands of pallets / parcels to be processed per hour while allowing the flexible flow of materials in the system from any point to any point.

[0063] The use of sortation cells allows for any point-to-point material flow within the system, meaning that packages from any depalletizing cell can be transported to any buffer storage aisle. This allows for flexible, high-speed order fulfillment, as any palletizing cell can now retrieve packages from any depalletizing cell.

[0064] It is particularly preferred that the sorting unit is a high-rate or high-speed sorting unit.

[0065] A plurality of guides lead to the main conveyor from the tray loading units of group A and / or group B. These guide lines can be dedicated guide lines or zipper-type merged guide lines.

[0066] Preferably, the sorting unit is connected to each depalletizing unit or the depalletizer itself and downstream of the respective palletizing unit via a dedicated guide line.

[0067] Alternatively, two or more loading units can use a joint / common guide line, which is fed from the respective loading units in a zipper-merged manner. This reduces the number of guides entering the main conveyor, which is beneficial for saving space.

[0068] This guide line can be realized in many ways, in particular, a gathering / convergence guide line incorporated into the main conveyor. This guide line will, under the control of the warehouse management control system, preferably release all packages to be grouped in batches.

[0069] The sorting unit for receiving all pallets from each palletizing unit will preferably further have a high-speed main conveyor and a plurality of diverters for unloading the pallets from the main conveyor to a single buffer storage unit.

[0070] The sorting unit includes a main conveyor and a sorter with multiple diverters. This sorter with multiple diverters is preferably implemented as a linear sorter, with slat and slider diverters being more preferred. Alternatively, right-angle diverters (RATs), 45-degree diverters, roller and strand conveyors, pop-up diverters, steerable wheel diverters, etc. can be used as diverters.

[0071] The main conveyor will be a high-speed roller or belt conveyor. Such a high-speed main conveyor preferably has a processing rate of 3,000–30,000 items per pallet per hour; more preferably, a processing rate of 6,000–24,000 items per pallet per hour. A processing rate of 9,000–20,000 items per pallet per hour is particularly preferred. Each diverter has the same processing capacity. The most preferred slat and slider type diverters have the advantage of higher processing rates than the other diverters described above, allowing a given rate of 3,000 to 30,000 items per pallet per hour to be achieved.

[0072] Upstream of the diverter (after the guide) a gap-forming section can be arranged to standardize the gaps between the pallets, which facilitates the diverting.

[0073] The diverter will supply the lines to the buffer storage unit. Preferably, each aisle is fed by a dedicated discharge line from a diverter. More preferably, each line will supply two incoming elevators in the same aisle of the buffer storage unit. In other words, each aisle has at least two incoming elevators, which are fed by a dedicated discharge line from a diverter with a switch or turnout (for splitting the pallet flow) leading to either elevator.

[0074] Preferably, there is a single sorting unit in the system. However, in very large systems, there can also be two parallel sorting units. These sorting units can originate in parallel from the depalletizing unit and discharge into a single buffer storage unit or each into a separate buffer storage unit.

[0075] Downstream of the diverter, a recirculation section can be arranged to allow the reintroduction of pallets that were not diverted due to excessive load, errors, etc.

[0076] This recycling section can include a conveyor for the return guide line. To control the delivery of pallets to this section, i.e., the pallets passing through the diverter, a detection unit for detecting packages of incorrect dimensions (especially height) can be installed upstream of the diverter (especially in the loading unit). It is also possible to store such "defective" pallets in a buffer storage before unloading them to the rejection unit at a later time.

[0077] The recycling unit may also include a reject unit for handling packages that are rejected (e.g., due to failing a size check) and require manual rework or verification before being introduced.

[0078] Therefore, the reject unit can also be directly connected to the palletizing unit and process the parcels that are rejected during the palletizing process.After the reject unit, a further inspection unit can be installed to check the size of the reworked parcels on the pallet before they re-enter the guide.

[0079] Normally, all pallets will be diverted and introduced into the buffer storage unit. The buffer storage unit is used to temporarily store pallets from the diverter to provide the corresponding packages to the palletizer.

[0080] The buffer storage unit will include at least

[0081] - at least two multi-level longitudinally extending storage racks separated laterally by aisles;

[0082] - at least two load lifting devices, each having a liftable transport platform for lifting a pallet;

[0083] - guide rails extending along the length of the racks of the aisle in at least some rack levels, such that one or more storage and retrieval vehicles can be displaced along the guide rails to transport pallets between the storage racks and the corresponding load lifting devices in the corresponding rack level;

[0084] - the guide rails are arranged in each such level so that storage and retrieval vehicles can fully access the storage racks and each load lifting device by arranging the guide rails to extend along the aisles and past the load lifting devices; and

[0085] - at least one conveyor for transporting pallets from the diverter to the load lifting device and from the load lifting device to the palletizer feed device;

[0086] The conveyor for transporting the pallets from the diverter to the load lifting device will preferably be implemented as two inbound lifts connecting each subsequent part of the sorter (the line after the diverter) to an aisle of the buffer storage unit. At the same time, this will allow large pallets to be turned from short side first to long side first, in order to save storage space. The conveyor for transporting pallets can also include detection means to detect whether the pallet is occupied by a package, since the buffer storage unit will functionally also serve as a storage for stacks of empty pallets and thus allow the storage of stacks of empty pallets and their unloading and supply to the loading unit. On the conveyor after the diverter, a further detection unit can be installed to once again check the size / orientation of the parcels and the loading of the pallets, since the parcels may move due to the very high speeds and the very high forces associated therewith.

[0087] If the conveyor used to transport pallets to a particular aisle is overloaded, the warehouse management and control system can redirect the pallet to an alternative aisle, such as an adjacent storage aisle, as described in EP 3 330 201 A1. If necessary, such pallets can then be rerouted to the target aisle using the inter-aisle transfer technology described in EP 2 741 977 A1. In general, pallets can be distributed and transported along with the storage buffer using the inter-aisle transfer technology described in EP 2 741 977 A1.

[0088] The storage buffer unit features inbound and outbound conveyor connections on different levels, as well as between levels, for different functions. One level will contain the inbound flow from the diverter of the sorting unit. Depending on the number of palletizing units, one or two levels will contain the outbound consolidation and sequencing flow to the palletizing unit. A third level will handle outbound flow independent of the palletizer, namely, empty pallet stack handling.

[0089] In a preferred version, the buffer storage unit will have three load lifting devices with separate conveyors on different levels on one side of an aisle and another load lifting device with a separate linear conveyor on the other side of said aisle.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the rack storage system will include multiple layers of double-depth storage racks extending longitudinally and separated laterally by aisles. In each layer, guide rails for shuttle vehicles (serving as storage and retrieval vehicles) extend the length of the aisle and pass through at least two load lifting devices, each of which has a liftable transport platform for lifting pallets. The guide rails are arranged in each such layer so that by arranging the guide rails to extend along the aisle and pass through the load lifting devices, the shuttle vehicles can fully access the storage racks and each load lifting device. The shuttle vehicles are designed to transfer pallets between the storage locations of the storage racks and the load lifting devices. In order to decouple / exempt this exchange, a buffer conveyor is arranged on one side of each load lifting device. The other side of each load lifting device is connected to a conveyor for transporting pallets to and from the load lifting devices.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, each aisle will have four load-lifting devices or elevators. Two will be inbound elevators, and two will be outbound elevators. The two inbound elevators will be located on opposite sides of the aisle, while the two outbound elevators will be located on the same side of the aisle. Therefore, conveyors connected to outbound elevators on the same side of the aisle will bypass the corresponding outbound elevator and the inbound elevator. Conveyors can be arranged at different levels of storage racks.

[0092] Storage and retrieval vehicles or shuttles can be single-level service shuttles or multi-level service shuttles, meaning they can access two or more levels, typically no more than five. Depending on the shuttle type, guide rails are only present on the corresponding levels. Standard ASRS machines (for small loads) can also be used as automated storage and retrieval vehicles, including single-level and multi-level rack service units.

[0093] Storage and retrieval vehicles have a load handling area served by load handling equipment, typically in the form of telescopic arms that extend to either side of the aisle and include a plurality of fingers that can be driven between engaged and disengaged positions to contact a pallet in order to push or pull it. The telescopic arms typically have a working range of double depth or greater. Corresponding guide rails not only provide a running surface for the storage and retrieval vehicle but also provide energy transfer (e.g., electrical power via a collector) and / or control and information signal transfer (e.g., signal modulation onto an electrical current via a collector, see EP 2 591 559 A1).

[0094] The load handling area of ​​the storage and retrieval vehicle is preferably sized to accept / carry one large full-size pallet or two small half-size pallets.

[0095] The load handling equipment allows for the simultaneous handling of two pallets. In other words, the shuttle can transport and / or move (e.g., unload / store) one or more pallets at the same time.

[0096] Therefore, the cache unit can expand performance and capacity by adding shuttles and / or space.

[0097] In addition to buffering, the design also allows for order consolidation and sequencing. This means that all packages for a particular order can be consolidated and stored in dedicated aisles so they can be unloaded to the palletizer in a predetermined sequence for optimal stack build. Sequencing is achieved by using shuttles and elevators to sequence the packages on the unloading line leading to the palletizer infeed.

[0098] Preferably, one or both aisles will be connected to each palletizer by a palletizer infeed which originates from the load lifting device of at least one buffer storage aisle and each palletizer infeed has at least one pallet unloading unit for unloading packages from pallets.

[0099] This reduces handling errors caused by using pallets and one package per pallet.

[0100] The pallet unloading unit further comprises an alignment and orientation section for aligning and orienting (rotating) the pallet before unloading of the pallet itself takes place, thereby allowing pre-orientation of the packages on the pallet.

[0101] For unloading the pallet itself (unloading the packages from the pallet), the pallet unloader lifts the loose bottom of the pallet and then pushes the packages off.

[0102] Since this takes place outside the palletizer cell, empty pallet handling is simplified and is not restricted by available space.

[0103] The parcels unloaded from the pallet can be grouped in pairs - side by side and / or one after the other in the direction of travel - and can be formed at the pallet unloader itself or on a subsequent conveyor. This allows the palletizing of these groups to be processed jointly, thereby increasing throughput.

[0104] The tray unloading unit further comprises empty tray handling. This will comprise forming empty tray stacks and sending these empty tray stacks to the tray loading unit or storing them in a buffer storage unit as described above.

[0105] Downstream of the pallet unloading unit, the unloaded packages are transferred to the palletizers of one or more palletizing units for stacking the mixed case packages on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case packages according to the order.

[0106] The palletizer itself can be fully automatic or manually assisted. Such a fully automatic palletizer can be implemented as described in WO2014 / 005895A1.

[0107] The sequence of packages delivered at the palletizer is predetermined based on order information and preferences (store layout, etc.) and calculated by the warehouse management software module (palletizer).

[0108] Since the interfaces to the upstream pallet unloading unit and the downstream unloading device are standardized, the number of depalletizers used can be varied to achieve perfect sizing depending on the order fulfillment rate (pallet and package flow), and / or the depalletizers of the depalletizing unit can be interchangeably switched from manual to automatic.

[0109] To increase scalability, an aisle of the buffer storage unit can be connected to one or two palletizer units. Alternatively or additionally, two aisles of the buffer storage unit can be connected to one or two palletizer units.

[0110] Palletizers may include a wrapping unit to secure completed pallets for shipping.

[0111] The completed pallets are unloaded to the dispatch and loading area or buffer area via conveyor or AGV.

[0112] In other words, the present invention combines several aspects together to achieve an overall benefit in terms of reliability and throughput:

[0113] Use pallets to route and sort parcels to buffer units, enabling integrated consolidation and sequencing;

[0114] Use high-speed sortation to send and sort pallets to achieve complete inbound control of each aisle of the buffer storage unit (all depalletizers to all aisles of the buffer storage unit);

[0115] Full flexibility in using automatic and / or manual depalletizers;

[0116] Full flexibility in using automatic and / or manual palletizers;

[0117] In-buffer consolidation via inter-aisle transfers (see above), transporting sorted packages directly from the buffer unit to the palletizer;

[0118] Scalability to use one or two palletizers per buffer / sequencer aisle;

[0119] This can also be achieved through the use of standardized interfaces between modular units. In particular, these interfaces can be used to connect one, several, or all of the receiving unit, storage unit, depalletizing unit, palletizing unit, high-speed sorting unit, buffer storage unit, palletizing unit, and palletizing unit. Particularly preferably, these interfaces allow for scalability by adding additional units to the depalletizing unit, palletizing unit, palletizing unit, and / or palletizing unit. Standardized interfaces also allow for the exchange of manual units with automated or fully automated units, in particular the depalletizing unit and / or palletizing unit.

[0120] It is also possible to replicate / expand the cells using the buffer storage unit as a central shared element, with inbound and outbound connections on both sides / ends of the aisles, so that the system has multiple receiving and storage cells as well as depalletizing and palletizing cells as well as sorting cells and palletizing cells, all connected by the buffer storage unit bridging the two halves of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0121] Further features and details of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which

[0122] Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system according to the present invention;

[0123] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Schematic perspective view of a sorting unit of a system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0124] In the drawings, a system according to the invention is indicated as a whole by 1 .

[0125] The system 1 is for order fulfillment and comprises automatically stacking mixed case packages on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement according to an order to form a stack of mixed case packages.

[0126] The system includes

[0127] - a receiving unit 2 for receiving a pallet with packages for replenishment;

[0128] - Storage unit 3 for storing received pallets;

[0129] - one or more depalletizing units 4 for depalletizing packages from received pallets from storage units;

[0130] - one or more palletizing units 5 for loading individual depalletized packages onto pallets, each pallet carrying a single package;

[0131] - at least one linear sorting unit 6 for receiving all the trays from each loading unit, having

[0132] - Main conveyor / conveyor belt 8;

[0133] - a plurality of guides 7, one for each loading unit 5, leading to the main conveyor 8;

[0134] - a plurality of diverters 9 for unloading pallets from the main conveyor 8 to a buffer storage unit 10;

[0135] a buffer storage unit 10 for temporarily storing pallets coming from the diverter 9 and having at least two multi-layered longitudinally extending storage racks separated in the transverse direction by an aisle 11;

[0136] more than one palletizer infeed device 12 , originating from a load lifting device of at least one buffer storage aisle 11 , and each palletizer infeed device 12 having at least one pallet unloading unit 13 for unloading parcels from a pallet;

[0137] One or more palletizing units 14 for stacking mixed case parcels on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement according to orders originating from parcels from at least one pallet unloading unit 13 to form a stack of mixed case parcels.

[0138] The completed order pallets are transferred to the dispatch pallet order sequence buffer area 15 and then transferred to the pallet dispatch area 16.

[0139] The storage unit 3 for storing received pallets will be a high bay warehouse served by a conveyor from the receiving unit and having automatic storage and retrieval machines running in the aisles to store and retrieve pallets based on warehouse control instructions.

[0140] The retrieved pallets – which contain the required packages – are conveyed to a designated depalletizing unit, where they are either de-stacking fully automatically with the assistance of a machine and then individually separated, or depalletized manually and placed individually on a conveyor or directly on a pallet located on the conveyor.

[0141] After the packages have been individually separated, their identity and orientation can be checked and, if necessary, reoriented by turning and / or tilting means before entering the respective palletising unit 5 .

[0142] This can be accomplished by at least one or more of the following Group A and / or Group B.

[0143] Group A may include

[0144] - Fully automatic depalletizing device 4A for destacking and individually separating packages from incoming pallets

[0145] or

[0146] - an automated manual (machine-assisted) depalletizing unit 4A, which separates the packages individually from the incoming pallets;

[0147] and

[0148] - one or more palletizing units 5 for loading the individually separated depalletized packages onto pallets, in which

[0149] In this embodiment, each pallet carries a single package;

[0150] Group B may include one or more combined depalletizing and palletizing units 4C for manually depalletizing packages from incoming pallets with the aid of a machine and loading the individually separated packages onto pallets, so that each pallet carries only a single package (in this embodiment). It is also possible to place two or more packages on a single pallet.

[0151] In the palletizing unit 5, packages are dropped from upper parallel and aligned conveyors onto pallets and onto pallets on synchronized, parallel and aligned lower conveyors.

[0152] Since two sizes of pallets are used, this palletizing unit has two staggered pallet carrying conveyors below the package conveyor, which allow packages to be dropped onto the corresponding pallets according to size. Since full-size and half-size pallets are used, one conveyor is used for each pallet size as mentioned above.

[0153] By using pallets in all subsequent parts of the system, high throughput can be achieved in a reliable manner.

[0154] The pallets used are of two-part design, allowing for safe transport and easy unloading of the pallet. They consist of a frame and a removable bottom located within the frame, as described in detail in DE 10 2008 026 326 A1.

[0155] From the palletizing unit 5, the pallets with the individual packages are sent to an accumulation guide line 7, which is used for zipper merging the pallets onto the main conveying line 8 of the (linear) sorting unit 6. The guide line 7 can be dedicated to each palletizing unit (or combined depalletizing and palletizing unit) or shared by pre-merging the lines from the palletizing units (or combined depalletizing and palletizing units).

[0156] After being guided, the pallets will enter a gap forming section 8A arranged to standardise the gaps between pallets, which facilitates turning in a turning section 8B.

[0157] The diverter 9 in the diverting section 8B of the high-speed linear sorting unit will be of the slat and slide type, essentially as described in EP 0 484 150 A1.

[0158] Downstream of the diverter 9 a recirculation section 17 is arranged to allow the reintroduction of pallets that were not diverted due to overloading, errors or the like.

[0159] This recycling section 17 includes a conveyor 18 that leads back to the guide line 7. In order to control the delivery of pallets to this section, i.e., through / over the diverter, a detection unit is installed upstream of the diverter of the loading unit to detect packages of the wrong size (especially height). Such "defective" pallets can also be first stored in a buffer storage unit 10 and then discharged to a rejection unit 19, which is also included in the recycling unit 17 and is used to deal with packages that have been rejected (for example, due to failing the size check) and require manual rehandling / rework or verification before being directed. This rejection unit 19 is therefore also directly connected to the loading unit 5 and processes packages that have been rejected during the loading process. After the rejection unit, another detection unit 20 is installed to check the size of the reworked packages located on the pallet before they re-enter the guide 7.

[0160] The diverter 9 feeds / supplies the lines leading to the buffer storage unit 10. In particular, each line will feed two inbound elevators 10A of the same aisle 11 in the buffer storage unit 10. Alternatively, the aisle 11 may be served by a single inbound elevator 10A.

[0161] The conveyor for transporting pallets from the diverter 9 to the load lift is implemented as two inbound lifts 10A connecting each sorter exit (the line after the diverter) to each aisle. At the same time, this allows large pallets to be converted from short side first to long side first to save storage space.

[0162] If the conveyor used to transport the pallet to a particular aisle is overloaded, the warehouse management control system can redirect the pallet to another aisle 11, for example to be introduced into an adjacent warehouse aisle.

[0163] If necessary, such pallets may then be rerouted to the destination aisle 11 using an inter-aisle transfer / transfer as indicated by arrow 10C.

[0164] The buffer storage unit 10 comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending multi-level storage racks 10B that are laterally separated by aisles 11 .

[0165] The buffer storage unit 10 has inbound and outbound conveyor connections located on different levels, as well as between different levels, for different functions. One level will contain the inbound flow from the diverter 9 of the sorting unit 6 to the inbound elevator 10A. Depending on the number of palletizing units, one or two levels will contain the outbound consolidation and sorting flow to the palletizing units. Yet another level will handle the outbound flow independent of the palletizer, namely the handling of empty pallet stacks.

[0166] The rack storage system includes multiple layers of double-depth storage racks 10B extending longitudinally, which are separated laterally by aisles 11. In each layer, guide rails for shuttle vehicles (serving as storage and retrieval vehicles) extend the length of the aisles and pass through at least two load lifting devices 10A, each of which has a liftable transport platform for lifting pallets. The guide rails are arranged in each such layer so that by arranging the guide rails to extend along the aisles and pass through the load lifting devices, the shuttle vehicles can fully access the storage racks and each load lifting device. The shuttle vehicles are designed to transfer pallets between storage locations in the storage racks and the load lifting devices 10A.

[0167] For separation / decoupling, an exchange buffer conveyor is arranged on one side of each load lifting device 10A. The other side of each load lifting device 10A is connected to a conveyor for transporting pallets to and from the load lifting device.

[0168] Each aisle has four load-lifting devices or elevators 10A. There are two inbound elevators and two outbound elevators. The two inbound elevators are located on opposite sides of aisle 11, while the two outbound elevators are located on the same side of aisle 11. Therefore, conveyors connected to outbound elevators on the same side of the aisle bypass the other outbound elevator and inbound elevator. Conveyors are arranged at different levels of storage racks 10B.

[0169] The shuttle is a single-level service shuttle with a load handling area served by a load handling device in the form of a telescopic arm that extends to both sides of the aisle and includes multiple fingers that can be driven between an engaged and a non-engaged orientation, each contacting a pallet to push or pull it. The telescopic arm has double depth and a higher working range.

[0170] The corresponding guide rails not only provide a running surface for storage and retrieval vehicles, but also provide energy transmission (e.g. power transmission via collectors) and / or control and information signal transmission (e.g. transmission via collectors, signals modulated onto current, see EP 2 591 559 A1).

[0171] The shuttle's load handling area is sized to accept / carry one large full-size pallet or two small half-size pallets. When transporting two half-size pallets, the load handling equipment can move both pallets together, i.e. simultaneously.

[0172] In addition to buffering, the design also allows for order consolidation and sequencing. This means that all packages for a certain order can be consolidated and stored in dedicated aisles so that they can be unloaded onto the palletizer in the predetermined sequence for optimal stack building.

[0173] Sequencing is achieved by sorting the packages on the discharge line to the palletizer infeed 12 using the shuttle and outbound elevator 10A.

[0174] One or two aisles 11 are connected to each palletizer 14 by a palletizer infeed 12 via a pallet unloading unit 13 .

[0175] The pallet unloading unit 13 further comprises an alignment and orientation section to align and orient (rotate) the pallet before unloading of the pallet itself takes place, thereby allowing a pre-orientation of the packages on the pallet.

[0176] For unloading of the pallet itself (unloading of packages from the pallet), the pallet unloader lifts the loose bottom of the pallet within the frame to the height of the rim and then pushes the packages out the side.

[0177] The tray unloading unit 13 further includes empty tray handling. This will include forming a stack of empty trays and sending these empty trays to the tray loading unit or storing them in the buffer storage unit as described above.

[0178] Downstream of the pallet unloading unit, the unloaded packages are conveyed to the palletizers of one or more palletizing units 14 for stacking the mixed case packages on supports in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case packages according to the order.

[0179] The palletizer 14 itself is fully automatic or manually operated with machine assistance. Such a fully automatic palletizer can be implemented as described in WO 2014 / 005895 A1.

[0180] The order in which the packages are delivered at the palletizer is predetermined based on order information and preferences (store layout, etc.) and calculated by the warehouse management software module – which is dedicated to the virtual configuration of the final stack layout to be palletized – based on the packages in the corresponding order.

[0181] The palletizer 14 includes a packaging / wrapping unit for securing completed pallets for transport.

[0182] The completed pallets are unloaded by conveyors or AGVs 15 to the dispatch and loading area 16 or to a buffer area.

Claims

1. A system for order fulfillment comprising automatically stacking mixed case packages on a support in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case packages according to an order, the system comprising - an optional receiving unit for receiving pallets with packages for replenishment; - Optional storage unit for storing received pallets; At least one or more of the following Group A and / or Group B Group A: - one or more depalletizing units for depalletizing packages from received pallets, wherein the received pallets optionally originate from the storage unit; - one or more palletizing units for loading the individually separated depalletized packages onto pallets, each pallet carrying one or more packages; Group B: one or more combined depalletizing and palletizing units for manually depalletizing the packages from received pallets, optionally originating from the storage unit, with the assistance of a machine, and for loading the individually separated packages onto pallets, each pallet carrying one or more packages; and - at least one sorting unit for receiving all the pallets from each palletizing unit, having - Main conveyor; - a plurality of guides leading from the loading units of group A and / or group B to the main conveyor; - a plurality of diverters for unloading pallets from the main conveyor to individual buffer storage units; - a buffer storage unit for temporarily storing pallets coming from the diverter and having - at least two multi-level longitudinally extending storage racks separated laterally by aisles; - at least two load lifting devices, each having a liftable transport platform for lifting a pallet; - One or more storage and retrieval vehicles; - guide rails extending in at least some rack levels along the rack length of the aisle, such that one or more of the storage and retrieval vehicles can be displaced along the guide rails for transporting pallets between the storage racks and the load lifting device in the corresponding rack level; - the guide rails are arranged in each such level so that the storage and retrieval vehicles can fully access the storage racks and each load lifting device by arranging the guide rails to extend along the aisles and past the load lifting devices; and - at least one conveyor for transporting pallets from the diverter to the load lifting device and from the load lifting device to the palletizer feed device; - the palletizer infeed devices, wherein each palletizer infeed device originates from a load lifting device of a buffer storage aisle and each palletizer infeed device has at least one pallet unloading unit for unloading one or more packages from a pallet; One or more palletizing units for stacking mixed case parcels on a support in a predetermined spatial arrangement to form a stack of mixed case parcels according to an order, wherein the source of the order is parcels from at least one pallet unloading unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The sorting unit is linear.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The interfaces with the upstream storage unit and the downstream pallet loading unit are standardized, and / or the interfaces with the upstream pallet unloading unit and the downstream unloading unit are standardized.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The system uses two pallet sizes, full size pallets and half size pallets.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The sorting unit is operable and configured to enable any point-to-point material flow of packages from any depalletizing unit to be transported to any aisle of the buffer storage unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The sorting unit is high speed.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The sorting unit is a high-speed linear sorting unit.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of guides lead from the tray loading units of Group A and / or Group B to the main conveyor.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Two or more loading units use a combined guide line.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The sorting unit has a gap forming section arranged to standardize the gaps between the trays.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Each aisle of the buffer storage unit is fed from a diverter via a dedicated discharge line.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein: Each unloading line will supply two inbound elevators in the same aisle of the buffer storage unit.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The sorting unit comprises a recirculation section downstream of the diverter, comprising a conveyor returning to the guide.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein: The recirculation section comprises a reject unit for processing rejected packages.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The buffer storage unit has three load lifting devices with separate conveyors on different levels on one side of the aisle, and another load lifting device with a separate linear conveyor on the other side of the aisle.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The pallet unloading unit includes an alignment and orientation section to align and orient the pallets before they are unloaded.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The pallet unloading unit comprises a grouping unit for grouping the parcels unloaded from the pallet into a plurality of pairs, which are arranged side by side in the direction of travel and / or one after another in the direction of travel.

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