A technique for detecting the completion of work of attaching a workpiece to a pallet is provided. A pallet transport system includes: a transport device for transporting a pallet to which a workpiece can be attached; a pallet housing unit for housing the pallet, a workstation in which a worker is to conduct work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transported from the pallet housing unit; a machine tool for machining the workpiece attached to the pallet in the workstation; and a control device for controlling the transport device. The control device acquires an indicator indicating progress of the attachment work in the workstation, determines whether or not the attachment work has been completed based on the indicator, and when it is determined that the attachment work has been completed, transports the pallet located in the workstation to the pallet housing unit or the machine tool.

An apparatus that conveys pellet-shaped articles may include a hopper that receives a quantity of the pellet-shaped articles. The hopper may include one or more openings to direct a flow of air into the hopper to dislodge jamming or bridging of pellet-shaped articles within the hopper.

Methods for operating a picking devices for medicaments are provided. An image of a movement space detectable by an optical detection device is created with an optical detection device inside the picking device after a predetermined event. Predetermined areas of the image of the movement space are compared with corresponding areas of a reference image, and based on the comparison it is determined whether an obstacle is present in the detected portion of the movement space. Based on the determination of the presence of an obstacle, corresponding signals are provided to prevent a movement of the operating device and/or request a removal of the obstacle by a user. Picking devices for medicaments are also provided.

Automated system and method wherein the color of each core is detected and distinguished before the core is covered, and any core having a non-conforming core color is rejected and released/removed/eliminated from further processing.

A cross-conveyor sorter with a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (S.sub.d) is described, wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (S.sub.p) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations. The cross-conveyor sorter clearing apparatus enables the risk-free removal of misplaced items (S.sub.d) during operation. The clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged on a first side alongside the conveying track.

Container treatment system for containers, with a transport device for transporting the containers, at least one treatment assembly for treating the containers at a first transport section of the transport device, at least one robot unit for channeling individual treated containers out and/or in at a second transport section of the transport device downstream of the first transport section, and with at least one inspection device for inspecting the individual treated containers, where the second transport section is configured to transport a container flow that is widened as compared to the first transport section so that the individual treated containers can be transported there at reduced speed and/or with reduced dynamic pressure when channeled out and/or in.

The modular lumber stacker utilizes a single fork and board width sensor to load layers of boards with varying widths onto a lift table. The single-fork loader allows a fork lift to readily access the opposing side of the lift table to remove a multi-layer stack of boards. An adjustable unloading stop may be used to justify the stack by distributing the dead space in each layer between the boards to justify the stack to avoid jagged stack edges and improve stacking stability.

Provided is an inspection machine capable of inspecting even an article that has a substantially circular side surface. The present invention is provided with: a conveyance means for an inspection device, the conveyance means conveying an article; an identification information acquisition means that acquires identification information about a second side surface of the article, the identification information acquisition means being disposed facing the conveyance surface of the conveyance means; an imaging means that captures an image of a first side surface of the article, which is disposed on a side opposing the imaging means across the conveyance means; and a determination means that compares an image captured by the imaging means and the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition means to determine the degree of matching between the two portions of information, a conveyance member of the conveyance means comprising a material having high transparency.

A sample handling system for handling samples is disclosed. The sample handling system comprises sample holders, each receives a sample container; a sample transport device for moving the sample holders; a control unit for controlling functionality of the sample handling system, and a monitoring system for monitoring the samples during movement. The monitoring system comprises a camera module for continuously capturing images of a part of the sample transport device, wherein the camera module is at a distance from the sample transport device such that the camera module has a free field of view to the sample transport device, and a processor for processing the captured images and determining an item of information about the sample transport device and/or the sample container and/or the sample from the captured images. The control unit retrieves the item of information from the processor. The controlling is based on the retrieved item of information.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.