WAREHOUSE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20110106295A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TGW Logistics Group GmbH (Tgw Future Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: TGW Logistics Group GmbH (Tgw Future Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Lindley, Timothy, Miranda, Febres Patricio
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas

Abstract

The invention relates to a warehouse system and a method of operating the same, whereby a plurality of different packaging units (2) are placed in storage on delivery pallets as storage units in a goods-in store (4). The properties of the packaging units are detected in a data bank and a conveying property is determined from the packaging unit properties, and a classification group is assigned to the packaging units (2) by a computer. The packaging units (2) are distributed, temporarily stored and loaded onto despatch pallets in the warehouse system in accordance with the classification group.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. Method of operating a warehouse system (1;

175), whereby a plurality of different packaging units (2) are placed in storage in a goods-in store (4) on delivery pallets (32) as storage units (5), and packaging unit properties selected from a group comprising dimensions, weight, density, tipping factor, stability, the seal of a closure of a packaging unit (2) filled with liquid, packaging type, transportability and/or the shape of the packaging unit (2) are detected in a data bank and an appropriate classification group is set for every packaging unit (2) by a computer on the basis of the packaging unit properties, wherein a first classification group defines those packaging units (2) which can be de-palletized from the storage units (5) by means of at least one de-palletizing device (6, 7), conveyed via an automated packaging unit distribution system, distributed in an automated first temporary store (9) and the packaging units (2) needed for a customer or picking order moved out of storage in the temporary store (9) and loaded by an automated stacking device (128) at a first loading station (14) onto a despatch pallet (15), and a second classification group defines those packaging units (2) which can be conveyed to a packing station (87) where several packaging units (2) can be manually repacked in at least one load carrier (69), after which the load carrier (69) is conveyed via an automated load carrier distribution system to a second temporary store (9) where it is distributed, and the load carriers (69) together with the packaging units (2) needed for a customer or picking order are loaded onto a despatch pallet (17) at a second loading station (16).

39. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein having been de-palletized, the packaging units (2) of the first classification group are removed from the storage units (5) individually and conveyed to the first loading station (14), being sorted in several stages.

40. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the packaging units (2) are conveyed by means of the packaging unit distribution system on the basis of sorting criteria predefined by the computer in one of the sorting stages, in particular warehouse or performance indicators of the distribution system in one of its conveyor sections, and are conveyed to storage shelves (108, 109) in the first temporary store (8) assigned on the basis of these sorting criteria.

41. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the packaging units (2) are conveyed by the packaging unit distribution system on the basis of sorting criteria predefined by the computer in one of the sorting stages, in particular a warehouse indicator, and are conveyed to storage positions in the first temporary store (8) assigned on the basis of these sorting criteria.

42. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the packaging units (2) are placed in storage by a packaging unit distribution system in one of the sorting stages, sorted on the basis of picking orders, and stored in order-related storage passages (118) in the first temporary store (8).

43. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the packaging units (2) needed for a picking order are taken out of storage by a packaging unit distribution system from order-related storage passages (118) in the first temporary store (8) as several packaging unit groups (120) in parallel in one of the sorting stages and the packaging unit groups (120) are sorted into a defined sequence.

44. Method as claimed in claim 42, wherein when the packaging units (2) are being placed in storage in the order-related storage passages (118) and the packaging unit groups (120) are being taken out of storage from the order-related storage passages (118), the packaging units (2) and packaging unit groups (120) are additionally sorted on the basis of sorting criteria predefined by the computer in a loading sequence determined on the basis of their spatial loading configuration in a stack on the first despatch pallet (15).

45. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the packaging units (2) are conveyed within a packaging unit group (120) by a packaging unit distribution system on the basis of sorting criteria predefined by the computer in one of the sorting stages and then conveyed to the first loading station (15).

46. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the packaging units (2) are de-palletized by the de-palletizing unit (6, 7) and removed from the storage units (5) individually, and the packaging units (2) separated from the at least one stack layer removed are placed in storage in an appropriate number relating to a picking order in at least one order-related storage passage (118) of the first temporary store (8), and the remaining number of packaging units (2) are placed in storage in at least one free storage passage (111).

47. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein in the packing station (87), the packaging units (2) are repacked by load carriers (69) in the form of storage carriers (74) or first freight carriers (73) and wherein the packaging units (2) are placed in readiness by means of the storage carriers (74) in at least one picking area (156), and the packaging units (2) needed for a picking order are removed from at least one storage carrier (74) and placed in at least one second freight carrier (73).

48. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the second temporary store (9) has continuous passages (158), which have a picking position at their end facing the picking area (156) respectively, in which the storage carriers (74) are placed in readiness and a picker (157) is able to remove the packaging units (2) from the storage carriers (74) in accordance with the picking order, as well as a transfer area (159) at its end facing the picking area (156) where the storage carriers (74) brought in from the temporary store (9) can be transferred to the continuous passage (158).

49. Method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the first and second freight carriers (73) are placed in an order buffer (13) sorted according to customer orders before being loaded onto the second despatch pallet (17).

50. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein at least one storage unit (5) is conveyed from the goods-in store (4) to the packing station (87) and packaging units (2) of the second classification group conveyed to it in at least a first freight carrier (73) or storage carrier (74) are repacked if a warehouse indicator in the second temporary store (9), in particular a stock level of freight or storage carriers (73), falls below a desired value.

51. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein at least one storage unit (5) is conveyed from the goods-in store (4) to a de-palletizing unit (6, 7) where packaging units (2) are de-palletized and then repacked into at least a first freight carrier (73) at the packing station (87) if a warehouse indicator in the second temporary store (9), in particular a stock level of freight or storage carriers (73, 74), falls below a desired value.

52. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein a third classification group is defined for those packaging units (2) which have been placed in readiness in the goods-in store (4) as storage units (5) and the packaging units (2) needed for a picking order are taken out of these and loaded onto the first despatch pallet (15) placed in readiness for this picking order.

53. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the goods-in store (4) has storage shelves (36) with storage passages (38) disposed adjacent to one another in storage levels one above the other and a storage unit distribution system, and the storage units (5) are transferred from goods-in stations (24) at the goods-in entrance (3) and fed to the storage unit distribution system and distributed by it to the storage shelves (36) on the basis of a warehouse indicator determined by the computer, such as a stock level status and/or stock level of storage units (5) in the goods-in store (4).

54. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the storage unit distribution system has a conveyor track (39) directly adjoining a terminal end of the storage shelves (36) on a goods-in and goods-out level, and the inbound storage units (5) circulate on the conveyor track (39) if the performance indicator of the despatch unit distribution system, such as the capacity usage of the despatch unit distribution system in one of its conveyor sections, reaches a desired value.

55. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the goods-in store (4) is divided into storage areas (34, 35) and the storage unit distribution system has conveyor tracks (48, 49) directly adjoining a terminal end of the storage shelves (36) on a transfer level, and the storage units (5) are conveyed out of the first storage area (34) via the storage unit distribution system to the first conveyor track (48) and out of the second storage area (35) via the storage unit distribution system to the second conveyor track (49) and then by the conveyor tracks (48, 49) respectively to at least one de-palletizing unit (6, 7).

56. Method as claimed in claim 38, wherein a third temporary store (174) is provided in the warehouse system (175) and comprises the following steps:

a) despatch units are placed in storage and distributed by a despatch unit distribution system in the third temporary store (174);

b) at least one despatch unit is taken out of storage by the despatch unit distribution system and the despatch unit is placed in readiness in the consolidation area (18) in accordance with a customer order detected by the computer;

c) the packaging units (2) of at least one freight unit (133, 166) are distributed and packed and the freight unit (133, 166) is placed in readiness in the consolidation area (18) in accordance with the customer order; and

d) the despatch and freight units (133, 166) are assembled in the consolidation area (18) in a delivery sequence set in accordance with the customer order in readiness for transportation on a delivery vehicle (171), and steps a) to d) are run in parallel.

57. Warehouse system (1;

175) for operating the method as claimed in claim 38, comprising a goods-in store (4) in which a plurality of different packaging units (2) are placed in storage on delivery pallets (32) serving as storage units (5), and packaging unit properties of the packaging units (2) selected from a group comprising dimensions, weight, density, tipping factor, stability, the seal of a closure of a packaging unit (2) filled with liquid, packaging type, transportability and/or the shape of the packaging unit (2) are detected in a data bank, and a computer connected to a data bank is provided, by means of which an appropriate classification group can be set for every packaging unit (2) on the basis of the packaging unit property, wherein for the packaging units (2) assigned to the first classification group, a de-palletizing unit (6, 7) is provided for de-palletizing the packaging units (2) from the storage units (5), an automated packaging unit distribution system is provided for conveying the packaging units (2), an automated first temporary store (9) is provided for the packaging units (2) and a first loading station (14) with an automated stacking device (128) for loading a despatch pallet (15), and for the packaging units (2) assigned to a second classification group, a packing station (87) is provided for manually repacking packaging units (2) in at least one load carrier (69), an automated load carrier distribution system is provided for conveying load carriers (69) to a second temporary store (9), a second temporary store (9) is provided for the loading carriers (69), and a second loading station (16) is provided for loading a despatch pallet (17).

58. Warehouse system as claimed in claim 57, wherein a storage unit distribution system and a packaging unit distribution system and at least one de-palletizing unit (6,7) for transferring the packaging units (2) of the second classification group and at least one packing station (87) for loading at least one storage carrier (74) or first freight carriers (73) formed by a load carrier (69) as well as a second temporary store (9) for temporarily storing the load carriers (69) are provided, and the storage unit distribution system connects the goods-in store (4) and packing station (87) on the one hand and the packaging unit distribution system connects the de-palletizing unit (6, 7) and packing station (87) on the other hand.

59. Warehouse system as claimed in claim 58, wherein at least one picking area (156) is provided, at which the packaging units (2) needed for a picking order are removed from at least one storage carrier (74) and placed in at least one second freight carrier (73).

60. Warehouse system as claimed in claim 57, wherein the packaging unit distribution system comprises a circular sorting machine (76).