Goods Commissioning System With Interleaved Buffers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for commissioning goods face challenges in efficiently managing the flow of goods between horizontal and vertical conveyor stages, particularly in maintaining order and reducing operational interdependence between conveyors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple lanes with conveyors and buffers that allow for the interleaving of goods on conveyors, enabling independent operation of horizontal conveyors and vertical buffers to maintain order and efficiency in goods transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple horizontal conveyors transport goods to vertically stacked buffers, then goods flow management is improved, but operational interdependence between conveyors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the goods flow into separate horizontal conveyor stages (first horizontal conveyor, second horizontal conveyor) that operate independently, with each conveyor serving specific lanes. This segmentation reduces operational interdependence while maintaining efficient goods flow management through the vertically stacked buffer architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Vertically stacked buffers act as intermediary storage elements between horizontal conveyors and the vertical conveyor. These buffers decouple the operational dependencies by allowing goods to be temporarily stored and released in a controlled manner, enabling independent conveyor operation while maintaining overall system productivity.
2Ease of operation
If horizontal conveyors operate independently, then operational flexibility is improved, but maintaining goods order becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Goods are pre-positioned in vertically stacked buffers before being transferred to the vertical conveyor. This preliminary arrangement in the buffer stage allows independent conveyor operation while ensuring goods are ready in the correct sequence, maintaining order without requiring synchronized conveyor operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertically stacked buffers serve as an intermediary sorting and holding mechanism that receives goods from independent horizontal conveyors and releases them in the correct order to the vertical conveyor. This intermediary stage decouples the independence of conveyors from the requirement of maintaining goods order.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method of, and a system for, commissioning goods. The system comprises a first lane, a second lane which abuts the first lane, a third lane which is arranged below the first lane, a fourth lane which is arranged below the second lane and which abuts the third lane, a first conveyor, a second conveyor, a third conveyor, a first buffer, and a second buffer, wherein the first lane is configured to dispense first goods onto the first conveyor, wherein the second lane is configured to dispense second goods onto the first conveyor, wherein the third lane is configured to dispense third goods onto the second conveyor, wherein the fourth lane is configured to dispense fourth goods onto the second conveyor, wherein the first conveyor is configured to transport the goods dispensed onto the first conveyor towards the first buffer, wherein the second conveyor is configured to transport the goods dispensed onto the second conveyor towards the second buffer, wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to release said goods onto the third conveyor, wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are enabled to individually release each of said goods onto the third conveyor.