Rotating Container Transport for High-Throughput Warehouse Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inventory systems face inefficiencies in space and equipment utilization, leading to lower throughput, long response times, and high costs for expanding storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
A container management system utilizing a container transport connected to a robotic manipulator, which can rotate and position containers between storage and carrying positions, allowing simultaneous loading and unloading of multiple containers through a container receiving area with manipulators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional inventory storage locations are filled to capacity, then storage capacity is maximized, but the cost of adding additional space or moving items to secondary locations becomes prohibitively expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamically reconfigurable storage locations where containers can be quickly moved between active storage positions and secondary storage positions. This dynamic flexibility allows the system to adapt storage capacity on-demand without permanent structural changes, avoiding the high costs associated with traditional expansion methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes a three-dimensional storage architecture with multiple levels and layers, allowing containers to be stored in vertical and horizontal dimensions. This spatial optimization enables significantly increased storage capacity within the same footprint, eliminating the need for expensive horizontal expansion or secondary location transfers.
2Area of stationary object
If inventory storage locations are filled to capacity, then space utilization is maximized, but throughput decreases and response times increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous operational flow by implementing parallel processing capabilities where multiple containers can be accessed, moved, and stored simultaneously through multiple robotic manipulators working in concert. This prevents bottlenecks and maintains high throughput even when storage locations are fully utilized.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is divided into multiple independently accessible zones or bays, each capable of being accessed by dedicated robotic manipulators. This segmentation allows simultaneous operations in different areas, maintaining high throughput while maximizing overall space utilization without creating single-point bottlenecks.
3Quantity of substance
If more containers are stored at a single location, then storage density increases, but system resources such as space and equipment are inefficiently utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic manipulators and storage infrastructure are designed as universal, multi-functional systems that can handle various container types and perform multiple operations (picking, placing, relocating, inventorying) using the same equipment. This universality maximizes equipment utilization efficiency while maintaining high storage density across diverse inventory items.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters such as container positioning, retrieval priority, and storage location assignment based on real-time demand patterns and inventory characteristics. This adaptive parameter optimization ensures efficient equipment utilization while maintaining maximum storage density, preventing both over-concentration and under-utilization of resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A container transport can move containers around a warehouse environment. The container transport can include a support that can connect the container transport with a robotic manipulator. The support can rotate the container transport between a storage position and a carrying position. In the carrying position the container can receive a container in a container receiving area. A manipulator can move the container into and/or out of container receiving area.