The present invention relates to a vacuum conveyor for conveying granulate and/or powdery material, the conveyor comprising: a main body having an upper end and a lower end; a cavity inside the main body, said cavity comprising an opening arranged at the lower end of the main body; a valve arranged at the opening position between an open position allowing a flow of granulate and/or powdery material out from the cavity through said opening and a sealing position sealing said opening; an inlet arranged at the upper end of the main body forming an inlet passage into the cavity; a venturi inside the main body at a position being distinct from the cavity, said venturi comprising an inlet and an outlet; and a suction channel fluidly connecting the throat of the venturi with the interior of the cavity at a position at or above the inlet.

An operator inducted object processing system is disclosed that includes an object induction station at which objects are provided for processing, said object induction station including at least one perception unit for providing perception data regarding an object, an object processing system for receiving objects from the object induction station, said object processing system including a carrier configured for movement in a first generally horizontal direction between two mutually opposing arrays of destination locations, each of which extends along the first generally horizontal direction, and the carrier also being configured for movement in a second generally vertical direction between the two mutually opposing arrays of destination locations, each of which also extends along the second generally vertical direction, wherein the movement in the first generally horizontal direction is independent of the movement in the second generally vertical direction, and wherein the carrier is further configured for movement in mutually opposing third directions that are generally orthogonal to the first and second directions, for urging an object thereon into a first end of an adjacent selected destination location, each of the destination locations including a first end that is accessible by the carrier, and a plurality of object collection stations, each of which is associated with a second end of each of the destination locations.

Warehouse automation and methods of handling materials can be used to enhance the safety and efficiencies of warehouse operations. For example, automation systems and methods that make depalletization processes safer and more efficient are described. In some examples, a rotary lift table is used to automatically position a pallet load of boxes in an ergonomic position where a worker can readily transfer the boxes from the pallet to another location, such as a conveyor or another pallet. In some examples, a work cell for a worker includes two of the rotary lift tables that function in that manner.

A transport system includes: a mover that includes at least one magnetic body; a stator that includes a plurality of coils arranged in a first direction to be able to face the at least one magnetic body and applies force to the at least one magnetic body by the plurality of coils to which current is applied; and a control unit that controls the current applied to the plurality of coils to apply the force to the at least one magnetic body in the first direction, a second direction crossing the first direction, and a third direction crossing the first direction and the second directions.

A control unit is provided to improve positioning of transporting devices to thereby allow transporting devices to be driven at faster speeds and/or accelerations with minimal positional errors allowing for a reduction in the spacing between transporting devices. A control unit is arranged to control movement of at least one transporting device for containers stored in a facility having a plurality of pathways arranged in cells so as to form a grid-like structure above the stacks which extends in a first direction and in a second direction. The control unit includes a receiving unit arranged to receive information from a first sensor mounted on the at least one transporting device, and a calculating unit arranged to calculate a position of the at least one transporting device based on the received information.

A device and a method for providing a product stream with mutually aligned food products on product substrates are described According thereto, a first conveyor belt for the supply transport and mutual transverse alignment of the food products to each other, a second conveyor belt that adjoins in the direction of transport at a gap-shaped belt transition and can be controlled separately for the discharge transport and mutual longitudinal alignment of the food products to each other, and a substrate placement device for supplying the product substrates from below through the belt transition in front of/under the food products that are respectively transported across the belt transition. This enables the alignment and substrate placement in a particularly compact and reliable configuration at a single belt transition.

A multi-tiered automated parcel sortation system is utilized to sort parcels according to a common destination. A first tier includes an automated sorter configured to transport parcels from a source location to a release destination. A second tier includes accumulation containers each associated with a shipping destination, and the release destination within the first tier is a positioned directly above the accumulation container associated with the shipping destination of the parcel. Once transported to the release destination, a parcel is released into the accumulation container, and once the accumulation container is filled, the accumulation of parcels within the container is released into a third tier, which may include conveyors or autonomous guided vehicles with transport containers. In the third tier, the parcels are transported away for further processing.

A vehicle tilting device for tilting a delivery vehicle for increasing access to items from a storage container transported on the delivery vehicle. The vehicle tilting device comprises a base structure and a tiltable platform connected to the base structure, wherein the tiltable platform comprises guiding features adapted to guide the delivery vehicle onto the tiltable platform. The tiltable platform is arranged to be connected to a delivery grid cell of a delivery rail system such that that there is a path to and/or from the tiltable platform for the delivery vehicle via the delivery grid cell. The invention is also related to an access station, a delivery system and a method of accessing a storage container.

A drive device for a conveying carriage of a distributing conveyor, preferably, of a transverse-belt sorter, includes a drive source and a roller chain for transferring a drive force of the drive source to a drive means on which the conveying carriage can be attached. With regard to an improved service life of the roller chain and a simultaneous reduction of maintenance effort and the associated costs and system downtimes, the drive device includes a measuring and control unit for monitoring and influencing, as necessary, at least one operating state of the roller chain.

A pneumatic transport system for histological samples includes a transport tube within which a carrier containing samples is transported. A station for loading/unloading the samples into/from the carrier is arranged at one tube end. When the carrier is arriving at the station, a blower of the system is deactivated and the carrier is braked, allowing stopping within the station against a stop member. Thereafter a motor imparts, via the stop member, rotation to said carrier until a carrier door is at an angular position substantially corresponding to an angular position of a station door. Thereafter, the carrier is stopped and the doors are opened by an actuator, this enabling activation of an operating cycle of loading/unloading of the samples. Upon completion, the doors are closed, a carrier locking device is deactivated and the blower is activated, allowing departure of the carrier from the station and its transport within the tube.