Parcel Load Builder Buffering for Throughput Yield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current parcel loading and unloading systems face inefficiencies due to manual methods, which result in unbalanced utilization of robotic loading resources and reduced productivity, especially when dealing with uneven parcel distribution among bins, leading to under or over utilization of equipment.
Innovation Solution
A parcel processing system that includes a parcel singulation transport, sorter, and load builder with a control system to manage the accumulation and stacking of parcels on pallets, allowing for efficient allocation of robotic resources and increased throughput by buffering parcels into sets corresponding to load builders, enabling parallel operation and specialization among robot types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual loading and unloading methods are used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but productivity and throughput are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic loading and unloading operations where robotic load builders autonomously handle parcel accumulation, stacking, and palletizing without manual intervention, thereby increasing throughput while maintaining operational efficiency through self-regulating buffer management and parallel robot coordination
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical loading operations are replaced with automated robotic systems that use controlled movement and positioning mechanisms to accumulate and stack parcels, substituting human labor with programmable robotic actuators that operate continuously at higher speeds
2Productivity
If robotic loading resources are used without buffering, then automation is achieved, but unbalanced utilization occurs leading to under or over utilization of equipment
Solution Approach 1:
Parcels are accumulated in buffers before being presented to robotic load builders, allowing the system to prepare and stage items in advance based on predicted loading requirements, thereby balancing the workload across multiple robots and preventing idle time or overload conditions
Solution Approach 2:
Buffers serve as intermediary storage zones between the parcel supply stream and the robotic loading stations, decoupling the input rate from the processing rate and enabling smooth, balanced utilization of robotic resources by absorbing fluctuations in parcel flow
3Productivity
If multiple robotic load builders operate in parallel, then throughput increases, but coordination complexity and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The loading system is divided into multiple independent robotic load builders, each responsible for specific buffer sets and parcel categories, allowing parallel operation with minimized coordination overhead through modular architecture and distributed control
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns parcels to different load builders based on real-time buffer status and robot availability, using adaptive routing and flexible task allocation to optimize throughput while managing coordination complexity through software-based dispatch logic
4Volume of moving object
If volumetric efficiency is optimized through specialized robotic placement, then space utilization increases, but system complexity and control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic load builders adjust placement parameters such as parcel orientation, stacking height, and position coordinates based on parcel dimensions and destination requirements, optimizing volumetric utilization through dynamic parameter modification rather than fixed placement patterns
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the trailer or container are assigned to specific load builders with specialized placement strategies tailored to local space constraints and access patterns, allowing each robot to optimize its local volumetric efficiency without requiring global coordination complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Parcel processing systems and methods. A parcel processing system includes a parcel singulation transport configured to transport a stream of singulated parcels. The parcel processing system includes a parcel sorter configured to sort individual parcels in the stream of singulated parcels into a plurality of buffers. Multiple buffers comprise a set of buffers corresponding to a single load builder, and each buffer accumulates and buffers sorted parcels before transfer to the load builder. The parcel processing system includes a parcel flow merge configured to selectively receive buffered parcels from each of the buffers in the set and feed the received parcels to the load builder. The parcel processing system includes the load builder, configured to receive the parcels from the parcel flow merge and build successive stacks of parcels on a parcel pallet.