Autonomous Load Carriers for Warehouse-Free Product Fulfillment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technical systems for producing ready-to-ship products from delivered goods require defined goods receipt and issue areas, as well as material warehouses, which occupy valuable space and increase investment costs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a technical system that utilizes autonomously driving load carriers with controllers, drives, and communication interfaces to transport goods and products within the system, eliminating the need for defined storage areas and material warehouses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If defined goods receipt areas, goods issue areas, and material warehouses are provided in the technical system, then goods can be temporarily stored and managed, but valuable space is occupied and investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static storage areas into dynamic mobile storage units. Load carriers with containers can move freely throughout the technical system, transporting goods and products between work areas, goods receipt, and goods issue areas without requiring fixed storage infrastructure. This dynamic approach eliminates the need for dedicated stationary storage spaces while maintaining full goods management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The load carriers serve multiple functions: they transport goods to the work area, carry products during manufacturing, and deliver finished products to goods issue. The containers on load carriers act as universal storage units that can hold different types of goods and products at different times, replacing the need for specialized storage areas for each function.
2Reliability
If goods are transported using traditional fixed infrastructure, then defined storage areas are required, but investment costs and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces fixed transport infrastructure with mobile load carriers that can autonomously navigate to any work area or storage location. The load carriers with containers provide flexible, on-demand transport capability without requiring predefined transport routes or fixed loading/unloading infrastructure, thereby reducing system complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If goods are removed from load carriers for manufacturing, then products can be processed, but reloading time is required which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The container on the load carrier is prepared in advance by being positioned and secured on the carrier. Goods are pre-organized in the container before transport to the work area, so that when the container arrives, the goods are ready for immediate processing without requiring removal and reloading operations, thus maintaining manufacturing precision while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The load carrier with container serves itself throughout the manufacturing process. The container remains on the load carrier during transport and can be directly accessed at the work area, eliminating the need for separate loading and unloading operations. The system design allows the container to be self-contained and self-positioning, reducing manual intervention and reloading time.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a technical installation (5), comprising a working region (8) for producing products ready for shipping from delivered goods. The technical installation (5) has a plurality of load carriers (10) for transporting goods and for transporting products, wherein each load carrier (10) has a controller, a drive connected to the controller, and a communication interface. Goods are delivered to the technical installation (5), delivered goods are transported from the load carrier (10) into the working region (8), products are produced in the working region (8) from the goods transported into the working region (8), produced products are transported out of the working region (8) by the load carriers (10), and products transported out of the working region (8) are shipped away from the technical installation (5). The invention also relates to a technical installation comprising a working region (8) for producing products ready for shipping from delivered goods, said installation being operatable using the method according to the invention.