Warehouse Transport System for Flexible Order Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing order picking systems lack flexibility in handling different product types and order picking throughput requirements, leading to inefficiencies and increased storage and picking costs, as they often require immediate decisions on storage types upon product delivery.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a warehouse transport system that transfers products via through-channels to an intermediate storage site, where they can be processed on a central belt assembly for order picking, allowing for flexible use of good-to-picker or picker-to-good order picking stations, and enabling high throughput without pre-decision on storage type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed storage type is assigned upon product delivery, then storage and picking costs are reduced, but flexibility in handling different product types and order picking throughput requirements is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The storage facility is divided into multiple rack types (first rack type for good-to-picker stations, second rack type for picker-to-good stations) that can be selectively assigned to different product types based on their specific requirements. This segmentation allows the system to handle diverse product characteristics without requiring a complete redesign of the storage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables dynamic reassignment of racks to different product types based on changing requirements. Racks can be reassigned from one product type to another, allowing the storage system to adapt to varying order picking throughput requirements and product characteristics over time, rather than being statically configured.
2Productivity
If multiple specialized storage systems are used for different product types, then order picking throughput performance is improved, but storage and picking costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a unified rack design that can serve multiple functions by being assigned to different product types. The same rack structure can be used for both good-to-picker and picker-to-good operations, eliminating the need for completely separate specialized storage systems for different product types while maintaining high throughput performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (such as rack assignment, order picking method, and station configuration) based on product type characteristics rather than requiring different physical infrastructure. This allows optimization of throughput for different products using the same storage facility, reducing overall storage costs.
3Productivity
If immediate decision on storage type is made upon delivery, then storage efficiency is improved, but flexibility for future order picking requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary organization of products into appropriate rack types based on their characteristics, but maintains the flexibility to reassigned racks later. Products are initially placed in racks suitable for their type, but the system can subsequently reassign racks to different product types as requirements change, combining efficient initial placement with future adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for order picking products in an order picking facility having at least one rack for storing products and an assigned warehouse transport system for collecting and storing the products and for transferring the collected products to a transport system, by means of which the collected products are transported to a good-to-picker order picking station, at which the quantity of the collected products that is determined in a picking order is order-picked manually or automatically by a robot, into one order transport unit for each picking order. Product types corresponding to the picking order are collected, order-picked at the good-to-picker order picking station, one after the other, and the remaining products of the product type are stored via the transport system again in the rack. The warehouse transport system further transfers collected products via at least one through-channel to an intermediate storage site of a order picking station, from where collected products are manually or automatically by robot, supplied to a central belt assembly on a central belt. Irrespective of whether a product is to be order picked at the good-to-picker order picking station or at the order picking station, the product is collected from the same storage site of the rack.