Modular Rack Storage with Autonomous Transport Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing order-picking systems face bottlenecks due to rigid and costly overhead conveyor systems, which are inefficient for fast-moving items and require significant changes for layout adjustments, leading to delays and high operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular rack storage system utilizing transport robots that can move individual shelves to picking stations, eliminating the need for a classic storage container conveyor system, allowing for flexible layout changes and increased transport performance by defining specific shelf transport routes and using sensors for navigation and collision avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a classic storage container conveyor system is used to transport items from storage racks to picking stations, then items can be delivered to picking stations, but the system creates a bottleneck for the number of picking stations and causes delays for fast-moving items due to frequent retrieval and restocking
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the storage rack into individual movable shelves that can be independently transported to picking stations. Each shelf is a separate transport unit that can be selectively moved based on item requirements, eliminating the need to move entire storage containers and reducing retrieval/restocking delays.
Solution Approach 2:
A transport robot serves as an intermediary between the storage rack and picking stations, autonomously transporting individual shelves to where they are needed. This mediator eliminates the bottleneck of the classic conveyor system by providing on-demand shelf transport without creating system-wide delays.
2Reliability
If permanently installed overhead conveyor technology is used for transporting storage containers, then items can be reliably transported, but the system becomes expensive, inflexible, and difficult to scale when layout changes are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces fixed overhead conveyor infrastructure with dynamic, mobile transport robots that can adapt their paths and destinations in real-time. The transport robots can be dynamically assigned to different picking stations and routes based on current operational needs, providing flexibility without sacrificing transport reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of transport from fixed infrastructure to mobile autonomous units. This parameter change allows the system to scale and reconfigure easily by adding or repositioning transport robots without major infrastructure modifications, while maintaining reliable item transport through controlled robot navigation.
3Productivity
If the storage container conveyor system is designed for maximum capacity, then it can handle peak demand, but it remains underutilized over extended periods and requires major costly modifications for layout changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the transport function into multiple independent transport robots rather than one large fixed conveyor system. This segmentation allows the system to scale linearly by adding individual robots as needed, making the system both manufacturable and scalable without requiring over-engineered infrastructure for peak capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing for maximum capacity upfront, the system provides just enough transport capability through individual robots for current needs and allows partial expansion by adding robots as demand increases. This approach avoids excessive infrastructure costs while maintaining the ability to handle peak demand through coordinated robot operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an order-picking system (5; 14) for order-picking articles (2) stored in a storage rack into conveying pockets (11), comprising a plurality of storage rack areas arranged in rack rows and/or rack levels for storing the articles (2), an overhead conveyor system (10) for transporting conveying pockets (11), and an order-picking area (9; 15) in accordance with the ware-to-person principle, wherein a number of articles (2) specified by a control computer can be order-picked into conveying pockets at the order-picking area. The storage rack is designed in a modular manner in the form of independent individual racks (1), and at least one transport robot (4) is provided which is autonomous or is controlled by the control computer and which is designed to pass beneath an individual rack (1) and/or a transport trolley and to transport the individual rack (1) and/or the transport trolley to the order-picking area (9; 15) if at least one article (2) stored in the individual rack (1) and/or an article (2) order-picked from the storage rack into the transport trolley in advance is to be order-picked into a conveyor pocket (11) at the order-picking area.