Outbound Picking by Shelf Rotation in Cold Chain Warehouses
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiencies in outbound delivering fresh cold chain items from warehouses due to the need for operators to operate in low-temperature environments reduce overall efficiency and affect customer experience and supply chain timeliness.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involves determining storage positions and classifying items for outbound delivery, using a warehouse system with rotatable shelf groups and a conveying apparatus to efficiently deliver items from storage to a comfortable operating area, optimizing the delivery process by rotating shelves to a preset position for picking and conveying items in crates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If operators manually deliver items from low-temperature storage areas, then delivery tasks can be completed, but operator comfort deteriorates and overall delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts operators from the low-temperature storage environment by implementing an automated robotic system that operates within the cold storage area. The robotic device performs item retrieval and delivery tasks independently, removing the need for human operators to work in uncomfortable low-temperature conditions while maintaining continuous delivery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic delivery system operates autonomously within the cold storage environment, performing self-navigation, item retrieval, and delivery to designated locations without human intervention. The system serves itself by automatically charging when battery level is sufficient and continuing operations without requiring operator presence in the cold environment.
2Ease of operation
If operators rest in comfortable environments between deliveries, then operator comfort improves, but overall delivery efficiency and supply chain timeliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic delivery system operates continuously without interruption, performing retrieval and delivery tasks in sequence without requiring breaks or rest periods. The automated system maintains constant operational readiness, ensuring uninterrupted supply chain operations and timely deliveries while eliminating the downtime associated with human operator rest periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system autonomously manages its own operational cycle, including navigation to storage locations, item retrieval, transportation to delivery points, and return to base for recharging when needed. This self-service capability eliminates the need for human operators to alternate between work and rest, maintaining continuous productive action.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple storage areas are involved in outbound delivering, then more items can be delivered, but task classification and routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a centralized task management mechanism that receives delivery requests, automatically classifies them based on storage area locations, and routes tasks to appropriate robotic units. The system monitors the status of multiple storage areas and dynamically adjusts task allocation, providing real-time feedback on delivery progress and optimizing the distribution of items across multiple storage areas without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic delivery system is designed with universal functionality to operate across multiple storage areas, using a standardized task classification and routing protocol that can handle items from any storage area. The system employs a unified control mechanism that adapts to different storage locations and delivery requirements, simplifying the management of multi-area operations through a single intelligent platform.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for delivering an item. A specific embodiment of the method includes: determining, in response to receiving a set of tasks comprising a plurality of outbound delivering tasks, in a plurality of storage areas, a storage position of a to-be-delivered item in each outbound delivering task in the set of tasks; determining, from the plurality of storage areas, a target storage area corresponding to the set of tasks based on storage positions of to-be-delivered items in outbound delivering tasks; determining, from the target storage area, target storage positionsof the to-be-delivered items in outbound delivering tasks; and classifying to-be-delivered items, target storage positions of which belonging to a same shelf in a same storage area, in the set of tasks into a same picking task for outbound delivery processing. Thus, with regard to a complicated storage environment with a plurality of storage areas involved, the present disclosure provides a method for outbound delivering an item, improving an efficiency of item delivering.