Case Buffering in Automated Storage Retrieval for Higher Hitting Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional goods-to-person systems face inefficiencies due to limited hitting rates, increased system costs, and reliance on operators, leading to higher mobile robot usage and reduced system utilization.
Innovation Solution
An automated storage and retrieval system with a storage unit, supply unit, and storage and retrieval machine that operates independently of operators, utilizing a storage and retrieval machine with a robot arm to access and buffer cases, optimizing inventory and reducing the need for mobile robots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional goods-to-person systems use mobile racks with operators for picking items, then operators can directly access items on mobile racks, but the system requires a higher quantity of mobile robots to move racks frequently, increasing overall system cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the storage function into two segments: mobile racks for inventory storage and a stationary storage unit for active order fulfillment. This segmentation allows mobile racks to remain stationary during picking operations, eliminating the need for frequent robot-assisted rack movements while maintaining operator access to items.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage unit acts as an intermediary between the mobile racks and the picking station. It receives cases from mobile racks and makes them available for picking without requiring the mobile rack itself to be positioned at the picking station, thus reducing the frequency of rack movements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional systems rely on operators to relocate goods and optimize inventory, then operators can manually manage inventory, but system utilization is limited by operation times and operator shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through the storage unit, which automatically receives cases from mobile racks and makes them available for picking. This eliminates the need for operators to manually relocate goods, allowing the system to operate continuously beyond operator shifts and significantly increasing system utilization.
3Ease of operation
If picking stations have limited order pools with restricted dimensions, then operators can reach all placing locations without walking, but hitting rates for each transported mobile rack are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit introduces a new spatial dimension for order fulfillment. Instead of limiting the order pool to items within operator reaching distance on mobile racks, the storage unit provides additional storage locations that can be accessed by the robot arm, effectively expanding the order pool in a vertical/different spatial dimension.
4Productivity
If operators need to pick directly from mobile racks, then picking can be performed immediately, but a queue of racks is needed in front of the picking station to ensure continuous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit serves as an intermediary buffer between mobile racks and the picking station. It stores cases from mobile racks and makes them available for picking, eliminating the need for a queue of mobile racks at the picking station while ensuring continuous picking operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage unit configured to accommodate a first plurality of cases; a supply unit configured for providing at least one of the first and/or a second plurality of cases; a storage and retrieval machine configured to access the plurality of cases of the storage unit and to provide at least one of the plurality of the cases to the supply unit; wherein the storage and retrieval system enables access to the second plurality of cases stored by a first mobile rack using the storage and retrieval machine.