Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

The invention relates to a device for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. Further, the invention relates to a method for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. In order to achieve a particularly efficient method, it is provided according to the invention that a partial amount of the goods that are to be positioned on the target load carrier are arranged in a grouping region according to a grouping that corresponds to a part of the packing layout, after which the grouping is moved from the grouping region into a position on the target load carrier that corresponds to the packing layout.

The invention relates to a device for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. Further, the invention relates to a method for the picking and packing of goods from at least one source storage installation on at least one target load carrier according to a packing layout. In order to achieve a particularly efficient method, it is provided according to the invention that a partial amount of the goods that are to be positioned on the target load carrier are arranged in a grouping region according to a grouping that corresponds to a part of the packing layout, after which the grouping is moved from the grouping region into a position on the target load carrier that corresponds to the packing layout.

A method of palletizing non-uniform objects comprises using shuttle robots controlled by a monitoring and control system (190) to control trolleys, each of which carries an object, from a feed point (101) to a palletizing station (140) via a device (120) for determining the morphologies of the objects so as to characterize the outside shapes of all of the objects forming a batch before the start of the operation of stowing the objects on the pallet, so as to calculate a stowage plan that optimizes stowage of the batch on a pallet (150).

An arrangement position determination method of an object, including: based on information of dimensions of a predetermined area and dimensions of a plurality of objects to be accommodated in the predetermined area stored in a storage section of a control device, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with a boundary of the predetermined area and other objects in a first direction; and when there is no position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction at a position shifted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

An arrangement position determination method of an object, including: based on information of dimensions of a predetermined area and dimensions of a plurality of objects to be accommodated in the predetermined area stored in a storage section of a control device, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with a boundary of the predetermined area and other objects in a first direction; and when there is no position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction at a position shifted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

A head for use in forming an article array in a container cavity (“cavity”) by sequential placement of adjacent article rows in the cavity, including a gripper having a frame having a longitudinal axis, the gripper adapted to selectively engage and disengage an article row for permitting placement thereof; and a flexible layer connected to the frame and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and positioned to one side of the gripper. During formation of the article array in the cavity, the flexible layer preventing contact between a most recently positioned article row in the cavity and a corresponding article row being positioned in the cavity, including filling a remaining unfilled portion of the cavity between a penultimate article row and the container for receiving the final article row having a width approximately equal to or less than a width of the final article row.

A method of palletizing non-uniform objects comprises using shuttle robots controlled by a monitoring and control system (190) to control trolleys, each of which carries an object, from a feed point (101) to a palletizing station (140) via a device (120) for determining the morphologies of the objects so as to characterize the outside shapes of all of the objects forming a batch before the start of the operation of stowing the objects on the pallet, so as to calculate a stowage plan that optimizes stowage of the batch on a pallet (150).

A method of palletizing non-uniform objects comprises using shuttle robots controlled by a monitoring and control system (190) to control trolleys, each of which carries an object, from a feed point (101) to a palletizing station (140) via a device (120) for determining the morphologies of the objects so as to characterize the outside shapes of all of the objects forming a batch before the start of the operation of stowing the objects on the pallet, so as to calculate a stowage plan that optimizes stowage of the batch on a pallet (150).

A head for use in forming an article array in a container cavity (“cavity”) by sequential placement of adjacent article rows in the cavity, including a gripper having a frame having a longitudinal axis, the gripper adapted to selectively engage and disengage an article row for permitting placement thereof; and a flexible layer connected to the frame and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and positioned to one side of the gripper. During formation of the article array in the cavity, the flexible layer preventing contact between a most recently positioned article row in the cavity and a corresponding article row being positioned in the cavity, including filling a remaining unfilled portion of the cavity between a penultimate article row and the container for receiving the final article row having a width approximately equal to or less than a width of the final article row.