A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.

A method for operating a robotic system includes determining a discretized object model representative of a target object; determining a discretized platform model representative of a task location; determining height measures based on real-time sensor data representative of the task location; and dynamically deriving a placement location based on (1) overlapping the discretized object model and the discretized platform model for stacking objects at the task location and (2) calculating a placement score associated with the overlapping based on the height measures.

A pallet building apparatus for automatically building a pallet load of pallet load article units onto a pallet support including a frame defining a pallet building base, at least one articulated robot to transport and place the pallet load article units, a controller to control articulated robot motion and effect therewith a pallet load build, at least one three-dimensional, time of flight, camera to generate three-dimensional imaging of the pallet support and pallet load build, wherein the controller registers, from the three-dimensional camera, real time three-dimensional imaging data embodying different corresponding three-dimensional images of the pallet support and pallet load build, to determine, in real time, from the corresponding real time three-dimensional imaging data, a pallet support variance or article unit variance and generate in real time an articulated robot motion signal, the articulated robot motion signal being generated real time so as to be performed real time.

The invention relates to a palletizing system, comprising: a frame extending in an upright direction, an input configured to feed products, a forming device configured to form a layer of products, a palletizing device configured to place the layer of products onto a pallet, and a lift, configured to transport the layer of products along the upright extending frame from a level of the forming device to a level of the palletizing device, wherein the forming device and the palletizing device are arranged one directly above the other. It further relates to a method of palletizing, comprising the steps of feeding products to a forming device arranged on a first level; forming a layer of products by the forming device; transporting the layer of products to a second level; placing the layer of products onto a pallet by a palletizing device that is arranged at said second level; wherein the forming device and the palletizing device are arranged one directly above the other.

The present invention relates to an interface unit (10) for receiving a pallet on an underride shuttle (100), comprising an attachment unit (12) for attaching the interface unit (10) to an upper side (100a) of the underride shuttle (100) and two support portions (14, 16) which extend upwardly in parallel in accordance with a longitudinal direction (L) relative to one another and which, by means of their respective upper sides, form an exclusive support area for a pallet (200) to be supported; wherein, with respect to a width direction (B), a central recess (18) is provided between the support portions (14, 16), likewise extending in the length direction (L). Further, the invention relates to a system formed by such an interface unit (10) and a pallet, and to an underride shuttle (100) having such an interface unit (10) mounted on its upper side

In a method for storing and picking stackable article carriers in a picking warehouse, transport loading aids are transported between a loading station with an automatically operated loading device, a storage zone and a removal station with an automatically operated unloading device using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles. The transport loading aids are loaded with article carrier stack groups in the loading station and the article carriers are discharged from the transport loading aids in the unloading station. Subsequently, the article carriers for a picking order are reloaded onto one or multiple target loading aids. A picking warehouse stores and picks stackable article carriers.

A pallet conveying device includes a circulating belt provided to extend along a conveying path so as to be capable of being circulated, the circulating belt being configured to convey a pallet, a driving mechanism configured to circulate the circulating belt, and a stopper mechanism configured to stop conveying of the pallet regardless of the circulation of the circulating belt. The circulating belt has a free flow belt capable of stopping the conveying of the pallet by the stopper mechanism, and a conveying belt provided continuously to the free flow belt. A circulating speed of the conveying belt is different from a circulating speed of the free flow belt.

A cargo handling system is disclosed herein. The cargo handling system includes a conveyance surface a power drive unit for moving cargo along the conveyance surface where the power drive unit disposed in the conveyance surface and a cargo detector coupled to the power drive unit. The cargo detector includes an image sensor having a sensing surface, the sensing surface being oriented towards the cargo, a shutter disposed between the image sensor and the cargo, and a pin hole disposed in the shutter.

A method for state monitoring in a conveyor system, and also to a control unit, to a motorized roller, to a conveyor zone, to a conveyor section and to a conveyor system for carrying out this method. The method comprises checking for the presence of a reference operating state, determining a current of the motorized roller if the reference operating state is present, and comparing the determined current of the motorized roller with a reference value for the reference operating state.

An assembly line includes a conveyor belt and an energy charging system. The energy charging system includes (i) a resonator having a TX resonator disposed along the conveyor belt and a RX resonator mounted on and transported by the conveyor belt, (ii) an impedance matching network in communication with the resonator, (iii) and an energy storage device in communication with at least one of the resonator and the impedance matching network. V.sub.min is a minimum voltage of the energy storage device, and V.sub.cap is a voltage across the energy storage device measured in real time. Energy is transferred from the TX resonator to the RX resonator when the V.sub.cap is less than V.sub.min of the energy storage device.