Automated Storeroom Segmentation for Cost-Efficient Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article storage facilities face a trade-off between high operational efficiency and low installation costs, as full automation increases costs but reduces efficiency when manual labor is introduced.
Innovation Solution
The article storage facility is configured with a first storeroom having high automation and a second storeroom with lower automation, where a control system manages the transport of article holders between the two storerooms and the retrieval work section based on order information, optimizing unloading processes to prioritize automated operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the entire storeroom is automated with stacker cranes and control systems, then operational efficiency is improved, but installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storeroom is divided into a first storeroom with high automation (stacker cranes) and a second storeroom with lower automation (manual operations). This segmentation allows the system to achieve high operational efficiency for frequently accessed items while avoiding the high costs of automating the entire facility, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different degrees of automation are applied to different regions of the storeroom based on local requirements. The first storeroom receives automated service for items requiring frequent access, while the second storeroom uses manual operations for less frequently accessed items, optimizing the balance between operational efficiency and installation costs.
2Device complexity
If the degree of automation is reduced in part of the storeroom to lower costs, then installation costs decrease, but operational efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storeroom is segmented into automated and manual zones, allowing the system to maintain high operational efficiency for critical operations while reducing automation costs for less critical areas. The control system intelligently directs operations to the appropriate zone based on item characteristics and access frequency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fully automating the entire storeroom, the system implements partial automation focused on the first storeroom for high-priority items. This partial action achieves sufficient operational efficiency for the most important operations while significantly reducing installation costs compared to full automation.
3Productivity
If article holders are preferentially unloaded from the first storeroom with higher automation, then operational efficiency is improved, but the control logic complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is pre-programmed with priority rules that automatically direct unloading operations to the first storeroom when possible. This preliminary setup of control logic eliminates the need for complex real-time decision-making, achieving high operational efficiency while keeping control logic manageable through predefined priorities.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors the status of article holders in both storerooms and dynamically adjusts unloading priorities based on current conditions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain optimal operational efficiency while using relatively simple control logic that responds to real-time status information.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article storage facility 100 includes a first storeroom 1 and a second storeroom 2 with a lower degree of automation than the first storeroom 1. Article holders 8 are stored in each of the first and second storerooms 1,2. Each article holder 8 holds a single type of articles 9. A control system 10 executes: a first unloading process of unloading a target holder 8T, which is an article holder 8 holding articles 9 of an ordered type, from the first storeroom 1 to a retrieval work section 3; a second unloading process of unloading the target holder 8T from the second storeroom 2 to the retrieval work section 3 if the number of articles 9 held by the target holder 8T unloaded in the first unloading process is smaller than an ordered number, or if the target holder 8T is not present in the first storeroom 1; and a post-work loading process of transporting the target holder 8T to the first storeroom 1 if any article 9 remains in the target holder 8T after retrieval work.