Express Bin Lift With Adjustable Transfer to Reduce Port Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated storage and retrieval systems face challenges with precise alignment requirements, limited throughput due to vehicle size and expense, and congestion around port columns in multi-level systems, which affect the efficiency and reliability of container movement.
Innovation Solution
A dedicated mechanical device, such as a manipulator trolley and vertically movable platform, is used to grab and move containers between grid levels, allowing for horizontal adjustment to compensate for misalignment and increasing the robustness of the lifting mechanism, thereby enhancing throughput and reducing congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If container handling vehicles use their own lifting mechanisms to move containers through port columns, then the system maintains simplicity in structure, but the throughput is limited due to vehicle size and expense
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the lifting function from the container handling vehicle by introducing a dedicated bin lift arrangement. The lift arrangement includes a platform vertically movable along guide rails and a mechanical device for grabbing and lifting bins, while the vehicle focuses on horizontal transport. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, increasing overall throughput without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bin lift arrangement acts as an intermediary between the storage grid and the container handling vehicle. The mechanical device on the lift arrangement grabs bins from the grid and places them on the platform, which then transports them vertically. This intermediary mechanism handles the lifting operation separately from the vehicle, enabling faster container movement and reduced congestion.
2Reliability
If the framework structure requires precise alignment for port columns, then the system achieves reliable container transfer, but the manufacturing and installation precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is made dynamically adjustable in the horizontal direction through an adjustment mechanism that allows movement along the guide rails. This dynamic adjustment capability compensates for misalignment between grid levels, ensuring reliable container transfer even when precise alignment is difficult to achieve during installation. The system adapts to alignment variations rather than requiring perfect static alignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple container handling vehicles operate in multi-level systems, then the system provides flexible container access, but congestion occurs around port columns
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the container transfer operation into two distinct phases: horizontal transport by the vehicle and vertical lifting by the dedicated bin lift arrangement. This segmentation allows multiple vehicles to operate simultaneously at different horizontal positions without interfering with each other's lifting operations, reducing congestion around port columns while maintaining flexible container access.
Solution Approach 2:
The bin lift arrangement provides a dedicated copying of the lifting function that is independent of the vehicle's lifting capability. Each lift arrangement serves its specific port column, creating parallel lifting capabilities that prevent congestion while vehicles continue to provide flexible horizontal access to containers across multiple levels.
4Device complexity
If the lifting mechanism is integrated into container handling vehicles, then the system reduces device complexity, but wear on vehicle lifting mechanisms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting function is segmented from the vehicle and assigned to a dedicated mechanical device on the bin lift arrangement. This dedicated lifting mechanism is designed specifically for vertical container transport and is not subjected to the additional wear from horizontal movement and positioning operations. The vehicle's lifting mechanism retains only its essential horizontal transport function, reducing overall wear and extending service life.
Data Source
AI summary
A lift system for an automated storage system of the type where storage containers are stacked in storage columns arranged in a grid, and where automated container handling vehicles retrieve and replace containers from a top level of the grid. The lift system has a platform vertically movable adjacent to a face of the grid, arranged for receiving and transporting one or more containers. A dedicated mechanical device is arranged for grabbing, lifting and moving the storage containers from a staging area at the top of the grid and placing containers on the platform and vice versa.