Movable Shelf Restocking With Palletless Lift Docking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current shelf systems with movable shelves face inefficiencies due to the need to manually restock seldom-used goods, which occupies valuable floor space and reduces operational efficiency, especially in large warehouses.
Innovation Solution
A shelf system incorporating a palletless lift and shelf lift that can transport and engage palletless items of variable sizes, allowing for automated stocking and retrieval of items from movable shelves, with a warehouse management system controlling the process to optimize inventory placement and reduce manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If manual restocking of seldom-used goods is performed, then floor space is occupied for storage and restocking operations, but operational efficiency is reduced and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated self-service through the shelf lift and warehouse management system that automatically restock shelves without human intervention. The WMS monitors inventory levels and triggers automated restocking operations, eliminating the need for manual labor while optimizing floor space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-positioning seldom-used goods in automated storage areas before they are needed. The shelf lift system proactively restocks shelves based on predicted demand and inventory levels, ensuring items are available when needed without occupying prime floor space or requiring manual preparation.
2Productivity
If automated shelf lifting and transport system is implemented, then productivity and operational efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf lift system is designed with multi-functionality to handle various shelf sizes, weights, and positions within a single device. The system can perform multiple operations including lifting, transporting, and precise positioning of different shelf configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices and managing complexity through versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The warehouse management system acts as an intermediary that coordinates between inventory data, shelf lift operations, and restocking requirements. This centralized control layer simplifies the complexity by providing a unified interface for managing the automated system, handling decision-making logic, and coordinating operations without requiring complex direct control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If shelves are continuously restocked with all possible goods, then item availability is maximized, but shelf lift efficiency is reduced due to unnecessary weight and volume
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by restocking only the specific items and locations that are actually needed based on demand patterns. The WMS analyzes usage data and restocks only those shelves and items with predicted demand, rather than uniformly restocking all shelves. This localized approach ensures item availability where needed while minimizing unnecessary weight and energy consumption on the shelf lift.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes parameters such as restocking thresholds, shelf capacity limits, and item priority levels based on demand variability. The WMS adjusts restocking parameters in real-time, increasing availability for high-demand items while reducing restocking frequency for low-demand items, thereby optimizing the balance between item availability and energy consumption without fixed universal rules.
Data Source
Figure 1a~3b
Figure 4~7b
Figure 8
AI summary
An arrangement comprises at least one shelf system (102) comprising movable shelves (104a, 104b, 104c), at least one operating station (106) for collecting items from a movable shelf at the operating station, a first lift (108) for transporting the movable shelves between parking positions of the shelves in the shelf system and the operating station, a second lift (110) for transporting and engaging palletless variable size items, wherein the second lift is capable of docking to the movable shelves of the shelf system for communicating items to the movable shelves or from the movable shelves.