Autonomous Case-Unit Storage for Mixed-Pallet Retrieval
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional warehousing systems struggle to efficiently store and retrieve individual case units without containing them in carriers or on pallets, especially when dealing with mixed pallets of different goods, and lack the ability to retrieve individual case units without transporting the entire carrier or pallet.
Innovation Solution
An automated storage and retrieval system utilizing autonomous vehicular transport robots (bots) that interface with multilevel vertical conveyors to directly store and retrieve individual case units, allowing random accessibility to storage spaces and dynamic allocation of storage slots, enabling efficient handling of mixed pallets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If case units are stored in carriers or on pallets, then they can be transported efficiently, but individual case units cannot be retrieved without transporting the entire carrier or pallet
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system divides the traditional carrier/pallet unit into individual case unit slots within the carrier. Each case unit occupies a separate, addressable slot that can be accessed independently. This segmentation allows the system to retrieve individual case units without moving the entire carrier or pallet, thereby improving retrieval efficiency while maintaining the structured organization of the storage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism - the automated transport vehicle with robotic end effectors - that can selectively access and remove individual case units from their slots. This intermediary capability enables precise, targeted retrieval operations without requiring the movement of the entire carrier or pallet structure, resolving the contradiction between retrieval efficiency and system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional automated warehousing systems are used, then case units can be stored and retrieved, but they cannot efficiently handle mixed pallets of different goods
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic slot allocation and assignment within carriers. Storage slots can be dynamically assigned to different case unit types based on the specific pallet contents and retrieval requirements. This dynamic flexibility allows the system to efficiently handle mixed pallets with different goods by adapting the storage configuration to the specific needs of each pallet, thereby improving both adaptability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality differentiation by creating distinct, identifiable slots for different case unit types within the same carrier. Each slot can be optimized for specific product characteristics, allowing the system to handle mixed pallets efficiently by maintaining organized, type-specific storage locations while still enabling flexible retrieval operations across different goods.
3Ease of operation
If individual case units are stored without carriers or pallets, then random accessibility to storage spaces is enabled, but space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system nests case units within standardized carrier structures, where each case unit occupies a defined slot within the carrier. This nested arrangement provides random accessibility to individual case units through the carrier's slot system while maintaining high space utilization by efficiently packing case units into the carrier framework. The carrier acts as a containing structure that organizes multiple case units in a space-efficient manner.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A warehouse automated case unit storage system comprising an autonomous transport vehicle (110) for transferring the case units to or from the predefined storage areas, the autonomous transport vehicle (110) including a frame (1200), a support shelf (1230) adapted for holding at least one case unit thereon, the support shelf (1230) being movably connected to the frame (1200) so that the support shelf (1230) is movable between extended and retracted positions, a drive system (1210) mounted to the frame (1200), and guiding devices (1211-1214, 1250-1253) mounted to the frame (1200).