The present invention relates to a picking system for a job-related picking of goods in output bins, said picking system comprising a plurality of automated picking cells; comprising a first conveying system for the supply and/or discharge of the supply bins to and/or from the picking cells; and a second conveying system for the supply and/or discharge of the output bins to and/or from the picking cells, and a job management control for working through a plurality of picking jobs by controlling the first and second conveying systems and the plurality of picking cells, wherein at least one first picking cell has different goods handling properties than a second picking cell; and/or in that the job management control uses at least one first picking cell for working through different jobs and/or partial jobs than a second picking cell.

A method of fulfilling orders of goods of mixed packs and single packs of the same type. The goods are first stored as single packs of the same type and all of the goods allocated to an order are removed from a specified order storage rack aisle of a storage rack. Goods present in the storage racks required for the order that are not present within the specified order storage rack aisle are transferred into the order storage rack aisle from another storage rack aisle by a transverse transport process. A mixed pack for the order is generated by picking from packs of the same type, and a picking station is supplied with corresponding packs of the same type from the same storage racks, and the mixed pack is stored into the order storage rack aisle. The order, comprising single packs of the same type and mixed packs, is removed from the specified order storage rack aisle.

A track arrangement (1) for self-driven carriages (2) in a storage rack arrangement (3) stores and accessed objects (4). A plurality of storage sites (5) are arranged in a rack extending over k storage levels (7). The track arrangement connects each storage level (7) with at least one interaction site (10) for processing stored objects and/or issuing objects to be stored and includes Z track levels, Z≥k, an entry point (27) on the m.sup.th track level for each interaction site (10), mϵ{1, . . . , Z}, and an exit point (28) on the n.sup.th track level for each interaction site, n∈{1, . . . , Z}. Each interaction site has: Z−m first one-way ramps (14) directed downward towards the entry point, m−1 second one-way ramps (16) directed upward towards the entry point, Z−n third one-way ramps (20) directed upward away from the exit point, and n−1 fourth one-way ramps (22) directed downward away from the exit point.

A method of fulfilling orders by making orders available in order units by picking from product units in a storage facility that includes a routed product order picking area, and an automated storage and retrieval racking area that is upstream from the routed products order picking area and connected thereto by a routing conveyor. The method includes reassigning order fulfillment of orders requiring products from product units requiring many exchanges between adjoining storage racks from a source storage rack to an adjacent storage rack via cross conveyance locations in the storage racks themselves to reach a destination storage rack, where the orders are reassigned to the routed products order picking area for parallel order fulfillment such that bottlenecks within the automated storage and retrieval racking area can be prevented or at least decreased.

An automated storage and retrieval system stores multi-stock bins each holding different stock-keeping units (SKUs). Records dynamically track which SKUs are in each bin. A controller tracks a stock waitlist indicating quantities of SKUs still required to be delivered to a workstation in order to fulfil current orders assigned to the workstation. When a robot is available, the controller selects a multi-stock bin that has a highest number of unique ones of the required SKUs indicated on the stock waitlist and commands the robot to fetch and deliver the selected bin to the workstation. For new orders, the controller may determine if direct assignment can be done to a workstation without additional bins being scheduled. For other pending orders, the controller may assume each pending order is assigned to the workstation and then pick the order that would require a lowest number of bins to be delivered to the workstation.

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus for automated item sortation and consolidation of items of a consolidation set. The system includes a consolidation station in which a series of automated devices, robotic arms, conveyors, scanners, etc., move and consolidate items of consolidation sets. The automated devices are controlled by an inventory management system that sends instructions to the various devices to coordinate operation of those devices and to coordinate flow of items through the consolidation station.

The invention relates to a method for picking order goods which are allocated to an order comprising a plurality of shipping containers. In the method, order goods allocated to the order are removed from a store (2), transported into a dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) and stored there temporarily. The dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) comprises an infeed line (6), an outfeed line (7), a plurality of buffer lanes (8) arranged between the infeed line (6) and the outfeed line (7), and at least one return lane (9) arranged therebetween. If a portion of the order goods available in the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) is sufficient to fill a predefinable number of shipping containers and is ready for packing, this portion of the order goods ready for packing is discharged from the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b), transported to a picking workstation (10) and transferred, there, into the predefined number of shipping containers. The predefined number of shipping containers is smaller here than the total number of shipping container necessary to fulfill the order. The invention also relates to a goods storage system (1a . . . 1g) for carrying out said method.

There are provided systems and methods for assembling merchandise ordered by customers, such as at shopping facilities. In one form, the system includes: a shopping order interface for receiving merchandise orders; a shopping facility including a merchandise pickup area and a merchandise assembly area; an automated retrieval system for transporting merchandise to the assembly area; an automated retrieval inventory database; an offline retrieval inventory database; and a merchandise database containing dimensions of merchandise. The system also includes a control circuit configured to: receive a merchandise order, determine dimensions of the items in the order, determine an arrangement of the items in order containers, instruct retrieval of items by the automated retrieval system; instruct retrieval of a second set of items not capable of retrieval by the automated retrieval system; and instruct transfer and deposit of the items in the order containers.

A method picks products from at least one storage container in a picking zone of a picking station of an automated storage and retrieval system. The picking is controlled by a picking system controller communicating with a warehouse management system, WMS. The picking is performed by a picking device in the picking zone by placing picked products in one or more consolidation containers according to orders. The picking system controller is adapted for controlling the picking device and picking station for executing the method. The method includes a) receiving and ranking product orders in the warehouse management system, b) moving, by means of a transport system, storage containers with ordered products towards the picking zone according to the ranking of product orders, and c) checking which storage containers are available and ready to be picked from in the picking station and which storage containers and consolidation containers will be available within a timeframe, as well as determining a current position of the picking device relative to the positions of the at least one storage container that are ready to be picked from and the consolidation containers that are ready to receive the picked products. The method further includes d) establishing different picking sequences for completing each product order from the ranked product orders. Each picking sequence lists the products to be picked from the storage containers and which consolidation containers to place the products in within the timeframe. Each picking sequence is established by estimating the following: shortest travel distance for moving the picking device for picking from one storage container to picking from another storage container; fastest completion of picking from storage containers in the picking station for enabling new storage containers to enter the picking zone of the picking station; and fastest completion of the consolidation containers for replacing with new consolidation containers. The method further includes e) ranking the picking sequences and selecting the picking sequence providing higher throughput of picked products according to ranked product orders; f) executing picking of products by letting the picking system controller control the picking device to pick products from the storage containers and place them within the consolidation containers according to the selected picking sequence within the timeframe; and g) repeating steps a) to f) above.

The invention relates to a method for picking order goods which are allocated to an order comprising a plurality of shipping containers. In the method, order goods allocated to the order are removed from a store (2), transported into a dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) and stored there temporarily. The dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) comprises an infeed line (6), an outfeed line (7), a plurality of buffer lanes (8) arranged between the infeed line (6) and the outfeed line (7), and at least one return lane (9) arranged therebetween. If a portion of the order goods available in the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b) is sufficient to fill a predefinable number of shipping containers and is ready for packing, this portion of the order goods ready for packing is discharged from the dynamic buffer (5, 5a, 5b), transported to a picking workstation (10) and transferred, there, into the predefined number of shipping containers. The predefined number of shipping containers is smaller here than the total number of shipping container necessary to fulfill the order. The invention also relates to a goods storage system (1a . . . 1g) for carrying out said method.