Warehouse Zoning Layout for Safe Human Access and Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing warehouse architectures with single open workspace floorplans pose safety concerns for human operators and lead to unplanned downtime due to the need for them to traverse active workspaces, causing potential mishaps and shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
A customizable warehouse architecture is partitioned into zones based on inventory holders and operational needs, with a server determining the degree of criticality of events and initiating operations at optimal times to minimize disruption across zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single open workspace floorplan is used, then ease of operation is improved, but safety of human operators deteriorates due to traversal risks
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is divided into multiple zones (first workspace zone, second workspace zone, etc.) with designated human operator workspaces and mobile drive unit workspaces. This segmentation allows human operators to work in designated safe zones while mobile drive units operate in separate zones, eliminating the need for human traversal through active mobile drive unit areas and thereby improving safety while maintaining operational efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If human operators traverse active workspace, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to unplanned shutdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is divided into multiple zones (first workspace zone, second workspace zone, etc.) with designated human operator workspaces and mobile drive unit workspaces. This segmentation allows human operators to work in designated safe zones while mobile drive units operate in separate zones, eliminating the need for human traversal through active mobile drive unit areas and thereby preventing unplanned shutdowns and maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
A server acts as an intermediary that receives signals from mobile drive units and determines whether to initiate operations based on zone and criticality assessment. This intermediary system coordinates between human operator activities and mobile drive unit operations, ensuring that operations are initiated only when safe and appropriate, thereby preventing productivity loss from unplanned shutdowns.
3Reliability
If operations are initiated immediately upon event occurrence, then reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to disruption across zones
Solution Approach 1:
The server receives signals from mobile drive units indicating events or conditions in specific zones, assesses the zone and criticality level, and provides feedback by determining whether to initiate operations. This feedback mechanism ensures that operations are initiated only when appropriate conditions are met, maintaining reliability while avoiding unnecessary disruptions to productivity across different workspace zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines whether to initiate operations based on real-time conditions, zone location, and criticality level rather than following a fixed immediate-response protocol. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt its response to current conditions, initiating operations only when safe and appropriate, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity.
4Reliability
If workspace is partitioned into zones, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is divided into multiple zones (first workspace zone, second workspace zone, etc.) with designated human operator workspaces and mobile drive unit workspaces. This segmentation improves safety by separating human and automated operations into distinct zones, reducing direct interaction and potential hazards between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs multiple functions including receiving signals from mobile drive units, determining zone locations based on inventory holders, assessing criticality levels, and deciding whether to initiate operations. This multi-functional approach consolidates complex control logic into a single centralized system, managing zone partitioning complexity through a universal control mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described herein is an apparatus and a corresponding method for performing warehouse zoning and further monitoring the zoned warehouse. The apparatus includes circuitry that partitions a workspace into a plurality of zones based on an area of the workspace, and a number of transportation vehicles and a number of item racks that are to be deployed in the workspace. A location of each zone within the workspace is determined based on a location of a first type of station that is disposed outside the workspace. The apparatus determines for each zone, an area of the zone and receives a signal indicating occurrence of an event in one of the zones. Further, the apparatus determines a degree of criticality of the occurred event which indicates whether workspace operation in the zone can be continued, and initiates an operation at a timing that is based on the determined degree of criticality.