An article loading facility includes: a transport unit; a loading unit; a setting unit; a first control unit; and a second control unit. The transport unit transports second supporting members from storage units to a transfer position. The loading unit loads target articles that are supported by the second supporting members, onto the first supporting member. The setting unit performs an arrangement setting process to set arrangement information for each of the plurality of target articles that are to be loaded onto the first supporting member, the arrangement information indicating the orientation and the position of the corresponding target article relative to the first supporting member, and performs an arrangement order setting process to set a type arrangement order that, when target articles of a plurality of types are to be loaded according to the arrangement information, indicates the order in which the plurality of types are to be arranged. The second control unit controls the transport unit to transport the second supporting members to the transfer position according to the type arrangement order. The first control unit controls the loading unit to load the target articles onto the first supporting member according to the arrangement information that has been set in the arrangement setting process.

A method of operating a fulfillment packing service providing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a registration step of registering product information received from a seller terminal; a management step of extracting and storing load variable information for products included in the product information; an input step of receiving purchase information received from a purchaser terminal; an analysis step of analyzing a solid shape packaging method of purchased products using the product information and the load variable information based on the purchase information, and recommending shipment packaging information through the analysis; and a processing step of providing the purchase information and the shipment packaging information to a warehouse center terminal to process shipment.

A method of operating a fulfillment packing service providing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a registration step of registering product information received from a seller terminal; a management step of extracting and storing load variable information for products included in the product information; an input step of receiving purchase information received from a purchaser terminal; an analysis step of analyzing a solid shape packaging method of purchased products using the product information and the load variable information based on the purchase information, and recommending shipment packaging information through the analysis; and a processing step of providing the purchase information and the shipment packaging information to a warehouse center terminal to process shipment.

A method of fulfilling an order comprising at least one product is provided. The method includes receiving an order comprising at least one product, determining a suitable case from a plurality of available cases for holding the at least one product, said determining being a function of one or more characteristics of each product of the at least one product and one or more characteristics of the plurality of available cases; forwarding information identifying the suitable case to a case former; providing a case blank corresponding to said suitable case to said case former; erecting a suitable case from said case blank corresponding to said suitable case with said case former; and prior to the loading said suitable case with said at least one product, labelling said suitable case with at least one label.

A method of fulfilling an order comprising at least one product is provided. The method includes receiving an order comprising at least one product, determining a suitable case from a plurality of available cases for holding the at least one product, said determining being a function of one or more characteristics of each product of the at least one product and one or more characteristics of the plurality of available cases; forwarding information identifying the suitable case to a case former; providing a case blank corresponding to said suitable case to said case former; erecting a suitable case from said case blank corresponding to said suitable case with said case former; and prior to the loading said suitable case with said at least one product, labelling said suitable case with at least one label.

An apparatus for forming an article array including a head having at least one pair of opposed substantially planar gripping members, adapted for selectively securing a row of articles therebetween. Each pair of gripping members includes a first gripping member movable in a lateral direction parallel to a support surface and a second gripping member movable between extended and raised positions relative to the first gripping member. In response to the pair of gripping members at least partially laterally surrounding the row of articles, a movement of the second gripping member from the extended position to the raised position results in the second gripping member being sufficiently moved in a direction perpendicular to and away from the support surface, permitting the first gripping member to slidably move the row of articles in the lateral direction along the support surface without the second gripping member contacting the row of article.

A stacking-pattern calculating device including a storage portion that stores dimensions, weights, load limits, and numbers of the respective types of boxes and dimensions of the accommodating region; a smallest-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination of the boxes that forms a smallest unit, that have a constant height, and in which a bottom area becomes the smallest; a layer-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination that forms a layer in which the smallest units having the same height among the combinations of the smallest units are placed next to each other in a horizontal direction so as to have a rectangular shape in a plan view.

A stacking-pattern calculating device including a storage portion that stores dimensions, weights, load limits, and numbers of the respective types of boxes and dimensions of the accommodating region; a smallest-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination of the boxes that forms a smallest unit, that have a constant height, and in which a bottom area becomes the smallest; a layer-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination that forms a layer in which the smallest units having the same height among the combinations of the smallest units are placed next to each other in a horizontal direction so as to have a rectangular shape in a plan view.

The disclosure describes, in part, a system and method for improving the stacking of containers on or in a transportation unit. In some implementations, a stacking configuration may be planned that identifies containers and a position for those containers in the stacking configuration. The stacking configuration may be planned based on dimension values of the containers such that when stacked the stacking configuration remains stable. In addition, to improve the efficiency at which containers may be stacked, the disclosure describes that containers and/or the picking of items for those containers may be sequenced so that the containers, when packed and routed, arrive in a manner that allows efficient stacking.

The disclosure describes, in part, a system and method for improving the stacking of containers on or in a transportation unit. In some implementations, a stacking configuration may be planned that identifies containers and a position for those containers in the stacking configuration. The stacking configuration may be planned based on dimension values of the containers such that when stacked the stacking configuration remains stable. In addition, to improve the efficiency at which containers may be stacked, the disclosure describes that containers and/or the picking of items for those containers may be sequenced so that the containers, when packed and routed, arrive in a manner that allows efficient stacking.