Autonomous Guided Vehicle Storage System Aisle Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage and picking systems face inefficiencies in space utilization, requiring large facilities due to high space occupation by storage and retrieval machines and conveyor technology, leading to logistical challenges and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A storage and picking system that decouples the warehouse from the transport system, utilizing autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) for batch-oriented picking, allowing for high space utilization and eliminating the need for supply aisles between shelves, enabling compact and scalable designs that can handle various loading aids without special identification or actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) and continuous conveyors are used, then goods can be transported and picked, but space utilization is low due to large areas occupied by machines and conveyor elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the transport function from the storage structure by introducing autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) that operate independently on the floor, eliminating the need for integrated conveyors and SRMs. This separates storage racks from transport equipment, allowing racks to be placed directly adjacent to each other without aisles, thereby dramatically improving space utilization while maintaining picking capability through batch-oriented AGV operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The AGV acts as an intermediary between the storage racks and the picking stations. Instead of using fixed conveyors to transport goods, the AGV dynamically transports storage units from racks to designated locations, enabling flexible and efficient material flow while maximizing the use of storage space.
2Ease of operation
If stacker cranes with active transfer interfaces are used, then goods can be transferred between storage and transport systems, but bottlenecks occur at transfer interfaces requiring active control and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The AGV is equipped with its own load handling device and navigation capabilities, enabling it to autonomously retrieve storage units from racks and transport them without requiring complex active transfer interfaces. The AGV self-navigates to picking stations and autonomously deposits goods, eliminating the need for sensor-equipped transfer interfaces and active control systems at rack ends.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having fixed conveyors actively transport goods to picking stations, the system inverts the approach by having mobile AGVs actively seek out and retrieve storage units from racks. This reverses the traditional material flow paradigm, simplifying the interface requirements between storage and transport functions.
3Productivity
If supply aisles are provided between racks for SRM operation, then storage and retrieval can occur, but a large amount of space cannot be used for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the movement function from the rack structure itself by using autonomous AGVs that operate on the floor rather than requiring integrated SRMs that need aisles. This allows racks to be positioned directly adjacent to each other without supply aisles, maximizing storage capacity while AGVs provide the necessary storage and retrieval capability by traveling to rack locations and transporting units.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional rack access (requiring aisles for SRM movement) to three-dimensional autonomous navigation, where AGVs can access racks from any location on the floor plane. This dimensional change eliminates the need for dedicated supply aisles while maintaining full storage and retrieval capability.
Data Source
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Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage and picking system, in particular for case-picking applications, for the fully automated picking of storage units (70), which comprises: a rack arrangement, which has a rack block (34) arranged in a stationary manner, wherein the rack block (34) has at least one rack having a plurality of movable storage places, wherein each of the movable storage places is designed for buffering one of the storage units (70); an automatic guided vehicle system having a plurality of automatic guided vehicles (22), which can be autonomously moved along (freely selectable) driving paths (54), wherein each of the automatic guided vehicles (22) has a load-accommodating means, wherein the load-accommodating means of the automatic guided vehicles (22) and the movable storage places are designed to exchange the storage units (70) between each other; an exchange zone (18), which is arranged in an overlapping manner between the rack arrangement and the automatic guided vehicle system such that the movable storage places and the automatic guided vehicles (22) can be moved into the exchange zone (18) and out of the exchange zone (18); and a controller (16), which is designed to coordinate movements of the automatic guided vehicles (22) and movements of the movable storage places with each other in such a way that specified storage units (70) can be exchanged between specified automatic guided vehicles (22) and specified movable storage places at specified times.