Described are systems, methods, and apparatus for automated item sortation and consolidation of items of a consolidation set. The system includes a consolidation station in which a series of automated devices, robotic arms, conveyors, scanners, etc., move and consolidate items of consolidation sets. The automated devices are controlled by an inventory management system that sends instructions to the various devices to coordinate operation of those devices and to coordinate flow of items through the consolidation station.

The invention relates to a method for picking order goods which are allocated to an order comprising a plurality of shipping containers. In the method, order goods allocated to the order are removed from a store (2), transported into a dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) and stored there temporarily. The dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) comprises an infeed line (6), an outfeed line (7), a plurality of buffer lanes (8) arranged between the infeed line (6) and the outfeed line (7), and at least one return lane (9) arranged therebetween. If a portion of the order goods available in the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) is sufficient to fill a predefinable number of shipping containers and is ready for packing, this portion of the order goods ready for packing is discharged from the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b), transported to a picking workstation (10) and transferred, there, into the predefined number of shipping containers. The predefined number of shipping containers is smaller here than the total number of shipping container necessary to fulfill the order. The invention also relates to a goods storage system (1a . . . 1g) for carrying out said method.

A system-directed single line pick batching is described. In an example implementation, the system may receive data describing a set of orders including SKU identifiers associated with items in the orders, identify an eligible cart, and assign a location to a task queue of the cart based on the location being associated with a particular SKU identifier. In some instances, the location or SKU identifier may be determined based on an order with a certain quantity of different SKU identifiers. In some instances, the system may navigate the cart to the location and instruct the item to be picked from the location. In response to completion of the pick of the item, the system may navigate the cart to an end point.

Disclosed are systems and methods for warehouse inventory management and order fulfillment. The disclosed system provides a dynamic order fulfillment mapping can prove desirable and provide a basis for a wide range of inventory applications, such as optimizing the warehouse and inventory management process for gift box subscription services and sellers.

Described in detail herein are object storage and retrieval systems and methods. A storage receptacle can be configured to receive an input from an electronic device including a decoded identifier from a unique optical machine-readable element associated with one or more physical objects, via an input device, and cause the one or more physical objects to be available via at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

An order fulfillment system controller receives orders for different objects, generates a number of batched tasks that is less than the number of received orders, and determines a set of the orders with a total distance between them that is greater than a total distance between other sets of the orders. The controller allocates a different order from the set of order to a different batched task, and allocates each unallocated order to a selected batched task based on the distance between objects of the unallocated order and objects previously allocated to the selected batched task being less than the distance between objects of the unallocated order and objects previously allocated to other batched tasks. The controller controls different agents according to the allocation of different subsets of orders to different batched tasks.

Described in detail herein are object storage and retrieval systems and methods. A storage receptacle can be configured to receive an input from an electronic device including a decoded identifier from a unique optical machine-readable element associated with one or more physical objects, via an input device, and cause the one or more physical objects to be available via at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

This disclosure is directed to automated warehouse facilities that are configured to assemble mixed pallets. The warehouse facilities can include one or more layer handling devices that are configured to remove layers from pallets in a delayering operational mode, and to add layers to pallets in a palletizing operation mode. The warehouse facilities also may include one or more item retrieval devices that are configured to retrieve individual items from storage racks. The warehouse facilities can include other automated devices as well.

A method and plant to handle ceramic articles; the plant comprises a gathering area comprising a plurality of first storage units, each having a group of ceramic articles placed on a first support structure according to a first given arrangement; a handling machine to re-arrange at least part of such ceramic articles on second support structures in such a way that they are placed according to a second given arrangement so that they can be picked up by a holding device, so as to create a plurality of second storage units; at least one first intermediate store to receive at least part of the second storage units; and a forming machine to form an order to be shipped, which is configured to transfer at least one first ceramic article from the second storage unit onto a third support structure so as to obtain a shipment unit.

A method picks products from at least one storage container in a picking zone of a picking station of an automated storage and retrieval system. The picking is controlled by a picking system controller communicating with a warehouse management system, WMS. The picking is performed by a picking device in the picking zone by placing picked products in one or more consolidation containers according to orders. The picking system controller is adapted for controlling the picking device and picking station for executing the method. The method includes a) receiving and ranking product orders in the warehouse management system, b) moving, by means of a transport system, storage containers with ordered products towards the picking zone according to the ranking of product orders, and c) checking which storage containers are available and ready to be picked from in the picking station and which storage containers and consolidation containers will be available within a timeframe, as well as determining a current position of the picking device relative to the positions of the at least one storage container that are ready to be picked from and the consolidation containers that are ready to receive the picked products. The method further includes d) establishing different picking sequences for completing each product order from the ranked product orders. Each picking sequence lists the products to be picked from the storage containers and which consolidation containers to place the products in within the timeframe. Each picking sequence is established by estimating the following: shortest travel distance for moving the picking device for picking from one storage container to picking from another storage container; fastest completion of picking from storage containers in the picking station for enabling new storage containers to enter the picking zone of the picking station; and fastest completion of the consolidation containers for replacing with new consolidation containers. The method further includes e) ranking the picking sequences and selecting the picking sequence providing higher throughput of picked products according to ranked product orders; f) executing picking of products by letting the picking system controller control the picking device to pick products from the storage containers and place them within the consolidation containers according to the selected picking sequence within the timeframe; and g) repeating steps a) to f) above.