The present invention relates to safer and more effective, comprehensive and economical apparatus and method that enables a fully-automated process for cutting, sorting and enveloping of combinations of individual units of homogeneous and/or heterogenous substances, including pharmaceutical products, which are retained in and/or without manufacturer's packaging, in exact customised quantities and combinations. There are also additional measures for ensuring appropriate quality controls at each step of the method. The invention ensures that the safety, efficacy and pharmacological properties of each medicine which are preserved at the time of consumption.

Method and systems for accumulation are described. In one embodiment, a dispensing station includes a receiving opening, a dispensing opening and a storage area. The dispensing station receives and dispenses a container. A transportable storage system includes multiple partitions disposed on a carrier portion to define multiple carriage sections. The carriage sections are electronically identifiable and selectively hold or eject the container. A bin apparatus for receiving the container includes a movable portion to selectively hold and release the container. A control unit for commanding the bin apparatus to dispense the container to a desired carriage section of the transportable storage system is provided. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.

An automated tote routing systems that includes a conveyer belt, an array of sensors underneath the conveyer belt, and an identifier reader disposed with respect to the conveyer belt is discussed. The conveyer belt can be configured to receive a tote filled with physical objects. The array of sensors can detect a first set of attributes associated with the physical objects within the tote. The identifier reader can read and decode an identifier from a machine-readable element disposed on the tote. The array of sensors and identifier reader can transmit the first set of attributes and the identifier to a computing system. Based on the set of information associated with the physical objects and the set of attributes associated with the physical objects, a routing module executed by the computing system can automatically trigger the conveyer belt to route the tote to a selected distribution end of the conveyor belt.

A distribution system for use in an induction system with an object processing system. The distribution system provides dissimilar objects into one of a plurality of receiving units. The distribution system includes an air intake system with an opening that is a fixed distance from a conveyor section, said air intake system aiding in moving an object on the conveyor section from the conveyor section to one of a plurality of adjacent transport units.

Systems and methods of associating data to an item being transported by a conveying system are disclosed. The item and data associated with the item are received at a first zone of the conveying system. The data is stored in a first computer-readable storage medium associated with the first zone. The item is transported to a second zone of the conveying system, and the data stored in the first computer-readable storage medium is transferred to a second computer-readable storage medium associated with the second zone.

An LED Assisted Rapid Assembly system is disclosed wherein a plurality of rack locations are provided with an addressable LED light puck at each location, such that the puck may be illuminated to indicate to a worker the rack location for a specific garment by correlating the garment, the invoice/ticket and the location electronically and controlling the LED.

Systems and methods of associating data to an item being transported by a conveying system are disclosed. The item and data associated with the item are received at a first zone of the conveying system. The data is stored in a first computer-readable storage medium associated with the first zone. The item is transported to a second zone of the conveying system, and the data stored in the first computer-readable storage medium is transferred to a second computer-readable storage medium associated with the second zone.

A computer controlled mail piece assembly and wrapping system discloses a process for culling candidate mail pieces from bulk mail pieces, a mail piece feeder, a mail piece reader coupled to the feeder that identifies suitable candidate mail pieces, a collator coupled to the feeder for collating multiple identified mail pieces, a buffer coupled to the collator for regulating the delivery rate of the multiple mail pieces exiting to a wrap inserter, a wrap inserter coupled to the buffer for wrapping mail pieces and selected inserts into a mailing container, a printer interfaced with the wrap inserter for printing information onto the mailing container; an outstacker coupled to the wrap inserter for transferring envelope wrapped mail pieces and selected inserts to a desired location, and a computer with suitable programming for operating the system.

A method and apparatus are provided for sorting items to a plurality of sort destinations. The items are fed into the apparatus at an input station having a scanning station. The scanning station evaluates one or more characteristics of each item. The items are then loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles are individually driven to sort destinations. Once at the appropriate sort destination, the delivery vehicle ejects the item to the sort destination and returns to receive another item to be delivered. A re-induction conveyor may be provided for receiving select items from the vehicles and conveying the items back to the input station for re-processing. Additionally, a controller is provided to control the movement of the vehicles based on a characteristic of each item being delivered by each vehicle. The system may also include vehicles having an assembly for detecting items being loaded onto or discharged from the vehicles.

A distribution system is disclosed for use in an induction system with an object processing system. The distribution system provides distribution of dissimilar objects into one of a plurality of receiving units. The distribution system includes an urging system for urging an object on a conveyor from the conveyor to one of a plurality of adjacent receiving stations via a receiving chute, wherein each receiving station is lower than the conveyor.