Centralized Unloading Station for Order Fulfillment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing overhead conveyor installations for order picking and packing in e-commerce and B2B settings require complex and space-intensive infrastructure at packing stations, leading to inefficiencies and high investment costs.

Innovation Solution

The method involves unloading individual products from carrying devices at centralized unloading stations rather than at each packing station, allowing for automated transportation of products in transport containers or directly via conveyor systems, thereby reducing the need for infrastructure at packing stations and enabling flexible layout adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If unloading is performed at each packing station, then products can be directly transferred to packing areas, but infrastructure complexity and space requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorder fulfillment efficiencyVSAvoidpacking station infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The unloading function is extracted from packing stations and centralized at dedicated unloading stations. Carrying devices are unloaded at centralized stations rather than at each packing station, separating the unloading operation from the packing operation. This reduces the infrastructure complexity at packing stations while maintaining overall system productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is segmented into distinct functional zones: carrying device conveyance, centralized unloading, product transportation, and packing. By separating unloading from packing operations and assigning them to different locations, the system reduces complexity at individual packing stations while maintaining efficient order fulfillment through coordinated transportation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If unloading stations and packing stations are permanently assigned to each other, then product flow is controlled, but system flexibility and adaptability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct flow controlVSAvoidsystem layout flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs dynamic assignment where packing stations are not permanently bound to specific unloading stations. Instead, the system can flexibly assign products from any unloading station to any packing station based on current order requirements, enabling adaptive response to varying product flows and order patterns while maintaining reliable control through centralized coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Packing stations are designed to be universal and can handle products from any unloading station rather than being dedicated to a specific unloading station. This multi-functionality increases system adaptability and flexibility, allowing reconfiguration of product flows based on changing order patterns without requiring permanent assignments between stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11619930B2Method and apparatus for creating orders of individual products

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 DURKOPP FORDERTECHN

AI summary

A method of creating orders of individual products comprises a conveying of at least one individual product to an unloading station by means of a respective carrying device, an unloading of the at least one individual product from the carrying device at the unloading station in an order-related manner, a transporting of the at least one individual product of an order to a packing station.