Dynamic Put Place Assignment for Goods-to-Man Picking Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing picking stations according to the goods-to-man principle are complex and costly due to the need for multiple connections to a central conveying system, leading to increased space requirements and picker fatigue from long distances.
Innovation Solution
Conveying order load carriers in a row through the picking station, allowing each to have a changing put place, reducing the need for multiple connections and enabling the oldest load carriers to be prioritized, thus shortening picker distances and simplifying the conveying system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple order containers are held in the picking station at the same time, then throughput is increased, but the structure becomes complex and expensive due to multiple connections to the central conveying system
Solution Approach 1:
The picking station is divided into multiple put places (first put place, second put place, etc.), each capable of independently receiving and processing order containers. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple orders simultaneously, increasing throughput while each put place maintains a simplified connection to the central conveying system rather than requiring all put places to have direct connections.
2Productivity
If multiple order containers are held in the picking station at the same time, then throughput is increased, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying system utilizes vertical dimension by incorporating an elevator that transports order containers between different levels (from lower level to upper level). This three-dimensional arrangement allows multiple order containers to be processed simultaneously in a compact footprint, increasing throughput without proportionally increasing the horizontal space required.
3Productivity
If picking processes are distributed uniformly over all put places, then all put places are utilized, but the picker must cover relatively long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically assigns order containers to specific put places based on real-time conditions and priority. The control system can direct order containers to the first put place, second put place, or other put places depending on the picking sequence and load carrier status. This dynamic assignment optimizes the picking process by concentrating tasks on the oldest load carriers, reducing picker movement distance while maintaining balanced utilization across put places.
4Device complexity
If the conveying system is simplified by not connecting every put place, then structure and cost are reduced, but the sequence of product containers becomes more demanding
Solution Approach 1:
The control system monitors the status of order containers, load carriers, and picking progress in real-time, using this feedback to dynamically adjust the assignment of product containers to put places. This feedback mechanism allows the system to manage the sequence of product containers efficiently, ensuring that the simplified conveying system can still handle varying sequences by making intelligent routing decisions based on current system state.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for picking items according to the goods-to-man principle a picking station in which items are placed in order load carriers that are conveyed through the picking station in a row, and the put place of the order load carriers in the row changes when a chronologically preceding order load carrier is loaded and conveyed away. This disclosure also relates to a corresponding order picking station.