Method for storing and/or order-picking product units

Abstract

A method for storing and/or order-picking product units in a storage and/or order-picking installation (P1), in which incoming transporting units are stored on an interim basis in a store, are supplied, if required, to a depalletizing station (4) and are individually stored on an interim basis in a buffer store (6) for product units. Thereafter, branch-specific mixed pallets (16) are automatically set up, supplied to the delivery zone (11) and loaded onto lorries. The system solution is distinguished, in particular, in that it can dispense entirely with transporting aids such as shelves for product units, rows of product units or for entire layers of transporting units. The transport shuttles (8) provided and the rail installation (8a) perform largely the functions of transporting aids, storage means and conveying systems.

Claims

1. A method for storing or order-picking products, product units, or product unit groups in a storage or order-picking installation comprising a buffer store, the buffer store having a plurality of aisles, each aisle comprising storage, the method comprising: receiving the products, product units, or product unit groups from a depalletizing device; loading the products, product units, or product unit groups onto a transport shuttle by a loading on the transport shuttle, wherein said loading is performed by the transport shuttle following the depalletizing of the products by the depalletizing device; transporting the products, product units, or product unit groups on the transport shuttle onto a shuttle loop to the buffer store; prior to the loaded transport shuttle arriving at the buffer store, raising or lowering the loaded transport shuttle to different levels by a first lift unit that is upstream of the buffer store; upon reaching a desired level, moving the products, product units, or product unit groups by the transport shuttle into a storage location of the buffer store, or picking the products, product units, or product unit groups from a storage location, said products, product units, or product unit groups are moved along an aisle away from the first lift unit towards a reversing unit, said reversing unit is located at the end of an aisle; when the transport shuttle reaches the end of an aisle in the buffer store, reversing the transport shuttle by 180 degrees with the reversing unit and moving the transport shuttle from the current aisle to a next one of the aisles; and after storing or picking each of the products, product units, or product unit groups to or from the storage locations, moving the products, product units, or product unit groups to a second lift unit which is downstream of the buffer store while the products, product units, or product unit groups remain at least temporarily on the transport shuttle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depalletizing device is equipped with a vision system, wherein a layer pattern and intermediate position of the products are identified and passed on through the depalletizing device for optimizing movement.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual products, product units or product unit groups are combined into groups on a collecting belt.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are loaded in the loading device onto the transport shuttle with the aid of a conveyor belt of the transport shuttle and wherein the products, product units, or product unit groups are centered on the transport shuttle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported into the buffer store by the transport shuttle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported on a transport rail by the transport shuttle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported together with the transport shuttle in a lift unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a travel command of the transport shuttle is optimized such that, directly after a storage operation, the transport shuttle carries out a removal operation at a location in the storage or order-picking installation that is close to a storage-operation site.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, during the removal operation, products, product units or product unit groups incrementally are placed by the storage and/or order-picking installation in the correct sequence, time of order placing at the transport shuttle, order sequence at the lift units, opening-up of the entry into the travel rail loop or order sequence at the rotary/pushing device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are monitored while moving on the supply belt to the palletizing device by a vision system, said vision system serving to check the correctness, intactness and orientation of the arriving products, product units or product unit groups.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are moved onto a pallet in a predetermined sequence with the aid of a rotary or pushing device, a telescopic belt and a top belt.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the loading operation of the palletizing device is continuously checked with a vision system, wherein deviations from the precalculated loaded image are identified and the palletizing device executes correspondingly corrected movements.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units, or product unit groups are pushed or pulled by a depalletizing bar in the depalletizing device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a releasable connection between the depalletizing bar and the products, product units, or product unit groups is at least temporarily produced by at least one suction cup.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the product, product unit or product unit group is raised by the depalletizing bar.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the depalletizing device, a receiving belt is located under the product, product unit or product unit group.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the product, product unit or product unit group is pushed or pulled onto a carry-away belt by the depalletizing bar.

18. The method claimed in claim 17, wherein the carry-away belt of the depalletizing device is equipped with a vision system, and said vision system identifies correctness, intactness and orientation of the products, product units or product unit groups.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, during depalletization, the products, product units or product unit groups are supplied to the vision system and subsequently to a rotation unit or are rotated in the rotation unit.

20. A method for storing or order-picking products, product units, or product unit groups in a storage or order-picking installation, comprising a buffer store, wherein: the buffer store has a plurality of aisles, a loaded transport shuttle is raised or lowered to different levels by a lift unit, said lift unit is upstream of the buffer store, the products, product units or product unit groups are moved into the buffer store by at least one transport shuttle away from the lift unit to a reversing unit at the end of an aisle, the transport shuttle is reversed by the reversing unit by 180 degrees to move from the aisle to a next one of the aisles, the products, product units or product unit groups are moved back to another lift unit and remain at least temporarily on the transport shuttle, the products, product units or product unit groups are retrieved from the buffer store by the transport shuttle or another transport shuttle at the another lift unit and the products, product units or product unit groups are moved along a transport rail or a shuttle loop to a palletizing device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are supplied to the palletizing device via a supply belt and a rotary or pushing unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the description below of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a method according to the invention for storing and/or order-picking products in a storage and/or order-picking installation;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a schematic detail, illustrated on an enlarged scale, from a storage and/or order-picking installation according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a top view of a detail, illustrated on an enlarged scale, from a storage and/or order-picking installation according to the invention, namely a device for depalletization;

(5) FIG. 3a shows a top view of a detail, illustrated on an enlarged scale, from the device according to the invention for depalletization, namely a gripping unit for depalletizing the product units in rows;

(6) FIG. 3b shows a side view of a detail, illustrated on an enlarged scale, from the device according to the invention for depalletization;

(7) FIG. 3c shows a basic illustration of the gripping unit of the depalletizing device with suction unit and receiving belt;

(8) FIG. 4 shows a basic illustration of a shuttle with a telescopic unit for directly gripping and depositing product units; wherein individual product units or groups of product units can be stored or removed;

(9) FIG. 4a shows an illustration of a transport principle of the product units from receiving at the depalletizing devices to storage in the product unit buffer, removal in sequence to transfer to a robot at the palletizing devices;

(10) FIG. 5 shows a side view of a palletizing device with supply belts, rotary/pushing unit, palletizing head, palletizing shaft, telescopic lift and integrated pallet wrapper;

(11) FIG. 5a shows a top view of the palletizing device with supply belts, rotary/pushing unit, palletizing head and palletizing shaft;

(12) FIG. 5b shows a side view of the palletizing head with telescopic belt, top belt and schematic illustration of the sensor arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) A storage/order-picking installation (P1) according to the invention has, according to FIG. 1, an entry (2). Product units (14) arrive at the entry (2) on transport units (15), for example pallets.

(14) The entry (2) is followed by a store (3) for the transport units (15) which carry a plurality of products or product units (14), wherein said products or product units are temporarily stored there. This is, for example, a high-bay warehouse.

(15) The store (3) is connected to a depalletizing device (4) for separating the product units (14). The depalletization takes place in rows by means of two symmetrically arranged depalletizing bars (4c) (see FIG. 3) equipped with a double row of suction cups which slightly raise the individual product units (14), push under a slightly telescopic receiving belt (4i) (see FIG. 3c) and pull the product units onto the carry-away belt (4d).

(16) The layer pattern of the pallet is continuously monitored with a vision system (10a) (FIG. 3b) and the depalletizing device is correspondingly optimally controlled. The same vision system (10a) likewise identifies intermediate layers. As a result, the removal device (4g) (FIG. 3) is activated for the intermediate layers and the intermediate layer is transferred into a waiting pallet with a lattice frame (4h).

(17) The individual product units (14) are subsequently checked on the carry-away belt (4d) by the vision system (10b) for correctness, intactness and orientation, and are supplied to the rotation unit (4f) and rotated into the correct position.

(18) Wherever possible, groups of product units are formed on a collecting belt (4e) and are supplied to a loading station (5) for transport shuttles (8).

(19) The transport shuttle (8) takes on the active role during loading by receiving the product unit (14) or product unit group with the telescopic arm (8b) (see FIG. 4) and the supporting conveyor belt (8c).

(20) The transport shuttles (8) then transport product units (14) or product unit groups individually on a transport rail (8a) via an upstream first lift unit (6a) into a buffer store (6). The product units (14) are temporarily stored in the buffer store (6) individually or in groups. No trays are necessary here, and the product units are directly placed onto the rack positions (6b) by the transport shuttle. Reversing devices (6c) (shown as 180° turns in the rail (8a) joining ends of adjacent aisles) are also provided in the buffer store.

(21) The transport shuttle (8) is capable of storing individual product units or a plurality of product units jointly as a group. It is likewise capable of removing individual product units again from a group or of adding to an incomplete group.

(22) The travel commands of the transport shuttle (8) are optimized to the extent that each transport shuttle (8) undertakes the storage in this aisle and on the level at which removal also takes place. The transport shuttle (8) can therefore undertake a double cycle with storage and subsequent removal at any time.

(23) The warehouse management system divides each store order into individual mixed pallets (16), determines the loading sequence of each mixed pallet (16) and allocates the latter to a palletizing station (9). The transport shuttles (8) then correspondingly receive travel commands in order to retrieve product units from the buffer store (6) and to supply them via a downstream second lift unit/station (6d) (FIG. 2) and the travel rails (8a) to the palletizing station (9). An unloading station (7) for the transport shuttle is provided there.

(24) The automatic forming of store pallets requires a precalculation of the loading sequence; the latter has to be consistently maintained during the removal operation. The required sequence is achieved by skillful disposition of the transport shuttles (8), and of the lift units (6a, 6d), entry into the transport-rail loop and selection of the correct supply belt (9a) (see FIG. 5) of the palletizing station (9). As an additional option, the supply belts (9a) can be supplemented by a sequence function. The product units (14) therefore reach each palletizing device (9) in the predefined sequence.

(25) The supply belts (9a) of the palletizing stations (9) are likewise equipped with a vision system (10c) which once again checks the correctness, intactness and orientation of the product units. A rotary/pushing unit (9b) for the correct rotation and displacement is correspondingly activated.

(26) The supply to the palletizing device (9) is equipped with the rotary unit (9b) so that the product units (14) can be rotated into the precalculated position. The product units (14) are subsequently pushed onto a telescopic belt (9c) and advanced onto the top belt (9d) for placing on the store pallet.

(27) The palletization takes place from the opposite position of a palletizing shaft (9e). By means of the arrangement of the elements, a continuous flow of high capacity with product units of differing size is ensured. The palletization operation is continuously monitored by a vision system (10d) which identifies deviations from the precalculated pallet pattern and correspondingly continuously calibrates the palletizer.

(28) A pallet wrapper (9f) is integrated in the palletizing station. In accordance with the advancing of the palletizer, the pallet is lowered in small increments through the pallet shaft (9e) via the telescopic lift (9g) and wrapped. The loaded mixed pallets (16) are therefore secured for stable transport to the stores.

(29) The finished mixed pallets (16) are subsequently supplied to the delivery region and delivered there according to store number. Subsequently, after an exit (12), the mixed pallets are loaded in trucks and transported to the stores.

(30) Furthermore, a direct pallet flow (17) for full transport units (15) leads from the store (3) directly to a delivery zone (11). Furthermore, a path also leads to a manual region (13) in which the transport or product units can be handled manually.