METHOD OF ORDER FULFILLING BY MAKING STORAGE UNITS AVAILABLE FROM A STORAGE FACILITY IN A DESIRED SEQUENCE AT A PICKING STATION

Abstract

A method of fulfilling orders from a queue of a plurality of orders in an automated storage facility with storage of items of the same kind in receptacles stored in a rack. When items to complete an order are available, automatic storage and retrieval devices retrieve and transport receptacles containing items for fulfillment of an order to a picking station. Each aisle is connected to one of the picking stations and receptacles containing items for orders to be fulfilled at such connected picking station are stored within the connected aisle. When the specific receptacle for the order is retrieved it is checked according to predetermined criteria whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders and if so items from the receptacle are placed into separate receptacles for storage in different aisles according to picking station assignment for the further orders.

Claims

1. A method of fulfilling orders comprising: storing items needed to fulfill orders from a queue of a plurality of orders in an automated storage facility and storing items of the same kind in receptacles containing several same items, wherein the automated storage facility comprises aisles and a three dimensional racking for storage of receptacles; retrieving and transporting of the receptacles containing items for fulfillment of a certain order to one of a plurality of picking stations of the automated storage facility via automatic storage and retrieval shuttles for specific item retrieval for fulfilling said certain order when all of the items to complete said certain order are available or stored in the automated storage facility; packing retrieved items with other retrieved items of an order at said picking station for order fulfillment; wherein each aisle is directly connected to one of said plurality of picking stations and receptacles containing items for orders to be fulfilled at such connected picking station are stored within the connected aisle; wherein at the time of retrieval of the specific receptacle containing an item for said certain order it is checked according to predetermined criteria whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders at one or more different picking stations and if this is the case items from the receptacle are placed into separate receptacles for dedicated storage in different aisles of said automated storage facility according to picking station assignment for said further orders to different picking stations.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria for checking comprises one or a combination of a) whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders from the queue at the given point in time; b) whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders from the queue at the given point in time within a predetermined time window; c) whether the same item is predicted to be needed for fulfillment of further orders based upon past order history within a predetermined time window.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total number of items needed for orders associated with an aisle or certain picking station are placed into a receptacle.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total number of items needed for orders of neighboring aisles or neighboring picking stations are placed into a receptacle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of items for each further order are placed into a dedicated separate receptacle for each further order.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one item for a further order is placed in each receptacle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein separation of items is performed at a dedicated separation station or at said picking station.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transferring of receptacles directly between adjoining racks by pushing or pulling the receptacles from a source rack location of a first rack to a destination rack location of an adjoining second rack via the automatic storage and retrieval shuttles.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the total number of items needed for orders associated with an aisle or certain picking station are placed into a receptacle.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the total number of items needed for orders of neighboring aisles or neighboring picking stations are placed into a receptacle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the number of items for each further order are placed into a dedicated separate receptacle for each further order.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein one item for a further order is placed in each receptacle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the racking of the automated storage facility comprises multiple levels, and wherein the automatic storage and retrieval shuttles service each aisle and each level.

14. A method of fulfilling orders comprising: storing items needed to fulfill orders from a queue of a plurality of orders in an automated storage facility and storing items of the same kind in receptacles containing several same items, wherein the automated storage facility comprises aisles and a three dimensional racking for storage of receptacles, and wherein each aisle is directly connected to one of a plurality of picking stations and receptacles containing items for orders to be fulfilled at such connected picking station are stored within the connected aisle; retrieving and transporting of the receptacles containing items for fulfillment of a certain order to the associated connected picking station of the automated storage facility connected for specific item retrieval for fulfilling said certain order when all of the items to complete an order are available or stored in the automated storage facility; checking at the time of retrieving each specific receptacle containing an item for the certain order according to predetermined criteria whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders at one or more different picking stations and if the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders at a different picking station placing items from the receptacle into separate receptacles for dedicated storage in different aisles of said automated storage facility according to picking station assignment for said further orders to different picking stations; and packing retrieved items with other retrieved items of an order at said picking station for order fulfillment.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said retrieving and transporting of the receptacles containing items for fulfillment of said certain order is done via automatic storage and retrieval shuttles.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined criteria for said checking at the time of retrieving each specific receptacle comprises one or a combination of a) whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders from the queue at the given point in time; b) whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders from the queue at the given point in time within a predetermined time window; c) whether the same item is predicted to be needed for fulfillment of further orders based upon past order history within a predetermined time window.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the total number of items needed for orders associated with an aisle or certain picking station are placed into a receptacle.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the total number of items needed for orders of neighboring aisles or neighboring picking stations are placed into a receptacle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the number of items for each further order are placed into a dedicated separate receptacle for each further order.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein one item for a further order is placed in each receptacle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a storage facility with a manual storage and picking area and an automated storage and picking area;

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a typical schematic plan view of exchange of transport units between racks within the racking storage in the automated storage Facility of FIG. 1;

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a typical schematic plan view of a first and second picking level in a storage facility with a single level routing conveyor; and

[0066] FIG. 4 shows a typical schematic plan view of a picking level in a further storage facility with a two level routing conveyor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0067] In FIG. 1 a schematic plan view of a storage facility with a separation area I and with an automated storage II is shown. The automated storage II is connected to the separation area I by a routing conveyor 5, which eventually leads to a shipping area III. The automated storage II comprises a three dimensional racking 6 for storage of receptacles with shuttles 11 servicing each aisle 13 and each level. When all of the items to complete an order are available in the automated storage II, the corresponding receptacles containing the items for fulfillment of the certain order are retrieved and transported to one of a plurality of picking stations 7 of the automated storage II for specific item retrieval for fulfilling the certain order.

[0068] Each aisle 13 is directly connected to one of the plurality of picking stations 7 and receptacles O containing items for orders to be fulfilled at such connected picking station 7 are stored within the connected aisle 13. At the picking station 7 retrieved items are picked from the (donor) receptacles D and packed with other retrieved items of an order for order fulfillment into order receptacles O.

[0069] At the time of retrieval of the specific receptacle containing an item for the certain order it is checked according to predetermined criteria whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders and if this is the case items from the receptacle are placed into separate receptacles S1, S2, S3 . . . Sx for dedicated storage in different aisles 13 according to picking station 7 assignment for the further orders.

[0070] To perform this separation, the corresponding receptacle D is transferred to a dedicated separation station 4, e.g. via the routing conveyor 5 on a specific level. At the separation station 4 an operator 1 places items from the donor receptacle D into separate receptacles S1, S2, S3 . . . Sx as needed. These separate receptacles S1, S2, S3 . . . Sx are then routed back into the storage racking 6 into the aisles 13, corresponding to the further orders. This process of separation is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. Separation of items may also be performed at the picking station(s) 7.

[0071] The predetermined criteria for checking is in the present case whether the same item is needed for fulfillment of further orders from the queue (of orders in the warehouse management software/database) at the given point in time in the future and have been assigned to a different aisle. If there is more than one order associated with such an aisle, the total number of items needed for all of those orders all associated with the single aisle or certain picking station are placed into a mutual receptacle Sx during the separation process.

[0072] The automated storage II comprises a storage racking 6 comprising a plurality of multilevel storage racks R in which order and/or product receptacles, in general designated with U, are stored, wherein the storage racks R are disposed back-to-back in pairs and have an aisle 13 between pairs (see also FIG. 2). The aisles 13 are connected to semi or full-automated picking stations 7 through conveyor installations 8, which encompass at least one storage-entry conveyor 14 provided for feeding order and/or product receptacles, universally designated as U, into the storage racking 6, R, and at least one storage-exit conveyor 15 provided for retrieval of order and/or product receptacles U from the storage racking 6, R. So the semi/full automatic picking station 7 for picking from product receptacles D (D for donor) into order receptacles O (O for order) for fulfilling orders are fed by the at least one storage-exit conveyor 15 and order and/or product receptacles are returned to the storage rack by the at least one storage-entry conveyor 14. The product receptacles may also encompass separated product receptacles S1, 2, 3 . . . x.

[0073] The routing conveyor 5 is also connected to the at least one inbound storage-entry conveyor 14 and the at least one storage-exit conveyor 15.

[0074] Each storage racking aisle 13 has one automatic storage and retrieval device in the form of a shuttle 11 provided in each level or each few levels for storage and retrieval of order and/or product receptacles in the storage racks R.

[0075] Order and/or product receptacles U are exchanged directly between two adjoining storage racks R from a source storage rack to an adjacent destination storage rack via cross conveyance locations Q in the storage racks themselves (see FIG. 2), which can be one way exchange locations Q or bidirectional. The shuttle 11 itself displaces the order or product receptacles U in the cross conveyance locations Q actively with its load handling means 12, which are telescopic arms on both sides of a loading platform and are equipped with unit handling levers. There is no active drive means within the racks R themselves.

[0076] The shuttle 11 of a source rack places the order or product receptacles U into the cross conveyance location Q in an adjacent destination rack, so that the shuttle operating in the according, neighboring aisle can handle the unit by normal deep operation. In other words, the sourcing shuttle operates deeper than for normal single or double deep storage, e.g. triple deep for exchange. Therefore it is possible to transfer receptacles U through the storage racking 6 in the sense of arrow 9 without leaving the storage.

[0077] According to FIG. 3 the semi/full-automated picking stations 7 may have many different configurations. In FIG. 3 the semi-automated picking station 7A (left hand side) is directly connected to an aisle 13 of the storage racking 6 via one storage-entry conveyor 14 and one storage-exit conveyor 15, which in turn are connected/pass through the routing conveyor 5 by right-angle-transfer-devices 16, 17, also called RAT in the art. The semi-automated picking station 7A incorporates one/two work places for pickers and in between a dispatch conveyor for direct dispatch of complete orders to the shipping area III. Such a station is ideal for small orders as in e-commerce.

[0078] Alternatively or in addition full-automated picking stations 7B may be used, which is arranged in such a way as to receive order receptacles O and product receptacles D in level A via one storage-entry conveyor 14 and one storage-exit conveyor 15, which in turn are connected/pass through the routing conveyor 5 by right-angle-transfer-devices 16, 17, as before, but end in servicing conveyors 19A for order receptacles O and 20A for product or donor receptacles D. However the dispatch of the order receptacles O and product or donor receptacles D is performed by servicing conveyors 19B for order receptacles O and 20B for product or donor receptacles D on a higher level B (right hand side). This is achieved by a level changing conveyor device 18 which routes onto the storage-entry conveyor 14 on level A.

[0079] The routing conveyor 5 has only one level in level A and can be used to supply complete orders to the shipping area III. Alternatively, as depicted in FIG. 4, the routing conveyor 5 may have two levels 5A and 5B, i.e. one conveying level in each level A (left hand side) and B (right hand side).

[0080] In level A the picking station 7C is supplied with order receptacles O and product receptacles D similar as above, but the servicing conveyors 19A and 20A are not directly aligned with the storage-exit conveyors 15 but are located downstream on the routing conveyor 5A and reachable by using RAT 17.

[0081] Level B is therefore used for dispatch of order receptacles O and product receptacles D from picking station 7C, by servicing conveyors 19B for order receptacles O and 20B for product or donor receptacles D on a higher level B (right hand side). Servicing conveyor 19B is not aligned with storage-entry conveyor 14 (in analogy to level A) but via RAT 16 downstream. In contrast servicing conveyor 20B is aligned with storage-entry conveyor 14. Therefore order receptacles O from picking station 7C may pass through RAT 16 and be conveyed downstream on routing conveyor 5, whereas product receptacles D can be directly routed back into storage. Also order receptacles O may be redirected by RAT 16 into storage.

[0082] The storage and picking described above therefore allows order receptacles containing completed orders to be dispatched via the routing conveyor 5 to the shipping area III or introduced into the storage racking 6 of the automated storage via the at least one storage-entry conveyor for later dispatch; order receptacles containing completed orders coming from the storage racking 6 of the automated storage II to be dispatched via the routing conveyor 5 to the shipping area III; order receptacles containing completed orders coming from the semiautomatic pack station 7 of the automated storage II to be dispatched via the routing conveyor 5 to the shipping area or introduced into the storage racking 6 of the automated storage area II via the at least one storage-entry conveyor 14 for later dispatch, and; order and/or batch receptacles containing partial orders coming from the semi/full picking station 7 of the automated storage II are introduced into the storage racking of the automated storage and retrieved to semi/full automatic pack station 7 for further processing.

[0083] At least one lift 21 is used for changing levels of the receptacles, in order to transfer the order and/or product receptacles to the at least one storage-exit conveyor 15 and to receive order and/or product receptacles from the storage-entry conveyor 14. Lift 21 may have more than one location for receptacles, in order to carry more than one receptacle at the same time. How many lifts 21 are used and how these are arranged depends on the specific implementation.