DE10019632A1

DE10019632A1 - System for transporting articles on roller pallets comprises feed stations which transfer them to buffer sections with unloaders at ends feeding pallets to transfer section from which they are selected to form customized combinations

Info

Publication number: DE10019632A1
Application number: DE2000119632
Authority: DE
Original assignee: KRUPS KOMPAKTLOGISTIK GmbH
Current assignee: Swisslog Logistik Systeme GmbH
Priority date: 2000-04-19
Filing date: 2000-04-19
Publication date: 2001-10-31

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for transporting goods arranged on couplable load carriers for a warehouse, in which the goods are stored and removed on a transport route outside the storage area and are combined to form new picking units. DOLLAR A The invention is intended to create a transport arrangement by means of which a high degree of automation of the storage and retrieval process can be achieved and which allows the commissioning of different loading and goods units at the interface of the storage and retrieval area. Furthermore, the transport arrangement should be suitable for a modular structure in order to be able to realize a high handling capacity and variant management. DOLLAR A The main component of the transport arrangement is a basic module, which has the following features: DOLLAR A a) two transfer stations (3A, 3B) form the interface (A, B) each with a conveyor device (1A, 1B) for storing and / or retrieving the Load carriers (2) from the storage area (L), DOLLAR A b) the transfer stations (3A, 3B) are connected to one or more buffer sections (4A, 4B) arranged next to one another for the transport of the load carriers (2) back and forth , DOLLAR A c) at the other end of the buffer lines (4A, 4B) transfer devices (6A, 6B) guide the load carriers (2) onto a transfer line (5), one or more picking stations (9) being positioned in the assignment area of the transfer line (5) are.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for transporting load carriers that can be coupled Arranged goods for a warehouse, where the goods are outside the storage area a transport route in and out as well as to new picking units be put together.

EP 0 462 125 describes a slide-in storage for roller pallets and a method for inserting and storing Outsourcing the stored goods known, which works on the principle of a so-called dynamic compact bearing works. The goods to be stored can be coupled Load carriers (roller pallets) transported and via appropriate horizontal and Vertical conveyors transported within the warehouse. This system allows that automatic feeding of the load carriers with the goods into corresponding storage spaces as well as the automatic sorting and pre-commissioning of the goods within the actual Storage area.

A further development of such a dynamic compact bearing is described in WO 99/10258 described. Due to the nesting of grid-like loading or Functional units in the warehouse can vary depending on the type, quantity and size Stored goods are stored. The bearing described in WO 99/10258 stands out due to a high variability in the recording options of the different goods and it has a high degree of automation within the storage area. At the The interface to the storage and retrieval area are only those that are known per se Transport arrangements provided for the further picking of new serve goods units to be compiled from the different goods quantities. The Goods pre-sorted in the warehouse arrive on the load carriers via vertical conveyors Corresponding transport routes in the storage and retrieval area. From here the Load carrier with the goods arranged on it in one direction to order picking stations transported, where the goods are removed and pre-ordered accordingly Picking quantities for shipping is compiled. It is not described in this arrangement, as with only partially unloaded or fully unloaded load carriers is proceeded.

DE 14 31 582 also describes a method for storing and picking goods and a corresponding warehouse described, in which from different full, partial and Small quantities are then picked. The one described therein Transport device for the load carrier with the goods can, however, only in one very restricted dimensions and used only for certain purposes. Overall here still requires a lot of manual handling activities to the Order picking.

The invention has for its object a transport arrangement for a warehouse of the beginning to create the kind mentioned, through the high automation of the input and Outsourcing process can be achieved and the picking of different loading and Units of goods allowed at the interface of the storage and retrieval area. Further should The transport arrangement is suitable for a modular structure in order to have a high handling capacity and to be able to cope with variants.

This object is achieved by a transport arrangement according to claim 1. Further features and configurations of the transport arrangement result from the Subclaims 2 to 7. An order picking station according to the invention for the Transport arrangement results from claim 8.

The arrangement according to the invention achieves the advantage that the input and Outsourcing process and the picking process at the interface to the actual one Storage area can be designed largely automated. Both the empty load carriers load carriers loaded with partial quantities can automatically return to the storage area are fed and move in the process cycle. The transport arrangement can be in be used in both directions for storing and retrieving the goods.

Furthermore, the capacity can be increased arbitrarily by the modular design according to the invention become. This also achieves advantageous flexibility, since, depending on the size of the Stored cargo carriers in various dimensions can be used.

The transport arrangement is particularly suitable for warehouses where different quantities and types of goods new picked units must be put together and sent for dispatch. The principle of "goods to man "can be realized in an ideal way.

An embodiment of the invention is purely schematic in the drawings with reference to Basic sketches are shown and will be explained in more detail below.

Show it:

Fig. 1 shows the basic module of a transport assembly according to the invention,

Fig. 2, the combination of two juxtaposed basic modules shown in FIG. 1,

Fig. 3 is a combination of several side by side and oppositely disposed base modules for commissioning goods which are transported on different sized charge carriers,

Fig. 4 is a combination of several arranged in a U-shaped transport arrangements that are in communication over a circular conveyor,

Fig. 5 is a combination of several juxtaposed basic modules for charge carriers of different size with a revolving conveyor system

Fig. 6 shows a particularly advantageous designed for the inventive transport arrangement picking.

In Fig. 1, the actual storage area for storing the stored goods is designated by (L). Here, the load carriers are stored in a known manner in the coupled state in corresponding storage channels. The conveying device ( 1 A, 1 B) take over the vertical transport of the load carriers ( 2 ) to and from the storage area. A and B denote the interfaces between the storage area (L) and the picking module (K). The vertical conveyors 1 A and 1 B are connected to the transfer points 3 A and 3 B so that the load carriers ( 2 ) can be transferred during the storage or retrieval process.

The transfer stations ( 3 A, 3 B) are followed by the parallel buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B). The charge carriers ( 2 ) are transported in a decoupled state on these buffer routes ( 4 A, 4 B). The transfer devices ( 6 A, 6 B) can be used to divert the load carriers ( 2 ) from the buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B) to a transfer section ( 5 ) or vice versa.

A handling point ( 7 ) is provided on the transfer line ( 5 ), at which goods can be removed from the load carrier ( 2 ) manually by a person or automatically by a robot and fed to the picking stations ( 9 ).

( 8 ) denotes a stacking device by means of which empty load carriers can be stored and stored. The stacking device ( 8 ) can also be provided next to the buffer section ( 4 ).

The function of the picking module (K) is as follows:

The connectable load carriers ( 2 ) leave the warehouse (L) at a defined interface (A, B) in an order-specific manner and through one or more buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B), which can also serve as a provision matrix. At the end of the buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B), the load carriers ( 2 ) are taken over by one or more transfer devices ( 6 A, 6 B) and fed to a transfer section ( 5 ). The goods are transferred on this route. There are e.g. B. Withdrawals for a commission that has to be put together, for a production process or for the assembly of a machine. The load carriers ( 2 ) are cleared in whole or in part. Depending on requirements, the empty and partially unloaded load carriers ( 2 ) can be loaded again in a consumption-controlled manner. Then the couplable load carriers ( 2 ) are taken over by one or more conversion devices ( 6 A, 6 B) and fed to one or more buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B) until the circuit closes at the interface (A, B) and the Flow the load carrier ( 2 ) back into the warehouse (L).

If it is not practical to reload the couplable load carriers ( 2 ) immediately in a specific case, they can be returned to the warehouse (L) in an empty state, stacked or individually, so that they can later replenish with the opposite direction of conveyance. For this application, it can be useful to provide a stacking device ( 8 ) on the buffer sections ( 4 ) or above the transfer devices ( 6 ). In some cases it is advisable to move the replenishment from the area of the transfer line ( 5 ).

Fig. 2 shows an expanded application of the invention. With a mirror-image arrangement of two picking modules (K1, K2) of the system described above, new, advantageous properties result. Depending on the conveying direction (a or b) in which the two modules are switched, you can either swap out (a) or swap in (b) with increased performance, or swap in and swap out at the same time. Due to the concentrated outsourcing with two modules at the same time, the handling capacity of the overall system is increased in order to be able to better handle order peaks on the transfer routes ( 5 ), for example.

Fig. 3 shows two picking modules (K1, K2) for large and small load carriers ( 15 , 16 ). These are with a common or two separate bearings (L1, L2) and via a process line ( 14 ) z. B. can be designed as a monorail, functionally connected. In addition, gripping bearings ( 17 ) are arranged, which can be supplied and / or disposed of by the loading and unloading stations ( 18 ). This makes it possible to handle a very wide range of parts in one place.

Fig. 4 shows three mirror image constructed Kommissioniermodule (K1, K2, K3) for 3 charge carrier (2 a, 2 b, 2 c) with different dimensions, for example 300. 400, 400. 600, and 800. 1200, which are arranged around a circular conveyor ( 19 ).

Fig. 5 shows a rotating conveyor system ( 20 ) with 4 mirror-image picking modules (K1-K4), which are built next to each other and z. B. for formats 300 . 400, 400. 600, 600. 800 and 800. 1200 are designed. In addition, gripper bearings ( 17 ) can be created for the different formats, and their supply takes place via suitable removal stations ( 18 a- 18 b) on the transfer routes.

Fig. 6 shows an example of a manually operated picking at a transfer path (5). The goods ( 11 ) from the warehouse (L) come to the man ( 10 ) who takes them and adds them to the commission ( 9 ). This describes the normal case when picking. The picking station is placed on a lifting table ( 13 ) for ergonomic reasons. In many cases there are goods that are used very frequently. For this purpose, a gripping bearing ( 12 , 12 a) is set up above and / or below the transfer path ( 5 ). This creates a combination of the principles WARE to MAN and MAN to WARE, which makes the overall system more flexible and powerful.

The advantages of the invention lie in the flexible supply and disposal of work rooms in which goods of the most varied types (quantity, size, weight, frequency, individually or repeatedly, as a set, packed in containers, containers or racks or unpacked, etc.) are handled . Since both order picking modules with gripper bearings and several order picking modules of different sizes and capacities can be combined, it is possible to supply very complex work processes fully automatically with a wide variety of materials. Manual workplaces can be set up on the order picking modules, as can machine workstations or a combination of both. The performance of a single picking module can be adjusted within wide limits to the respective need by the number of buffer sections ( 4 ). If this is not sufficient, it is possible to set up picking modules several times or in mirror image. In the case of the mirror-image version in particular, three different operating states can be set:

1. Both modules are set to OUTSIDE, which makes a big one Delivery speed of the goods to be shipped z. B. in coping with one Peak order, is created.
2. Both modules are switched to STORAGE, which causes the deficit in the warehouse, which z. B. during the peak order can be replenished at short notice.
3. One of the modules is set to OUTPUT and the other to STORAGE, which means the stationary case would be described. In addition, warehouses with connectable load carriers offer Possibility to completely separate the incoming and outgoing goods, which means that a picking operation can be carried out on the picking modules.

Reference list

A, B interfaces
K order picking module
L storage area

1

Conveyor

2

Load carrier

3rd

Transfer point

4

Buffer line

5

Transfer line

6

Transfer device

7

Handling point

8th

Stacking device

9

Picking station

10th

man

11

Would

12th

Gripping bearing

13

Lift table

14

Process line

15

Load carrier, large

16

Load carrier, small

17th

Gripping bearing

18th

Loading station

19th

Circular conveyor

Claims

1. Arrangement for the transport of goods arranged on couplable load carriers for a warehouse (L), in which the goods are stored and removed on a transport route outside the storage area and put together to form new picking units, characterized by a basic module (K) with the following features:

a) two transfer points ( 3 A, 3 B) form the interface (A, B) each with a conveyor device ( 1 A, 1 B) for storing and / or removing the load carriers ( 2 ) from the storage area (L),
b) the transfer stations ( 3 A, 3 B) are connected to one or more buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B) arranged next to one another for the transport of the load carriers ( 2 ) back and forth,
c) at the other end of the buffer lines ( 4 A, 4 B), transfer devices ( 6 A, 6 B) guide the load carriers ( 2 ) onto a transfer line ( 5 ), one or more picking stations ( 9 ) being located in the assignment area of the transfer line ( 5 ) are positioned.

2. Transport arrangement for a warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that
that the basic module (K) can be constructed in a U-shape, such that the buffer sections ( 4 A, 4 B) are arranged parallel to one another and at right angles to the vertical conveyors ( 1 A, 1 B) of the storage area (L),
and that the transfer line ( 5 ) extends parallel to the storage area (L) and connects the buffer lines ( 4 A, 4 B) with each other.

3. Transport arrangement for a warehouse according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a stacking device ( 8 ) for empty load carriers ( 2 ) is arranged in or next to a buffer section ( 4 A, 4 B).

4. Transport arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized, that two basic modules (K1, K2) are arranged in parallel next to each other.

5. Transport arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the basic modules (K) are arranged opposite one another, the picking stations ( 9 ) being placed between the parallel parallel transfer routes ( 5 ).

6. Transport arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the basic modules (K) are positioned in a U-shape and the picking stations ( 9 ) lie within the U-leg or the picked goods by a lying between the U-legs Conveyor is transportable.

7. Transport arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the basic modules (K) can be designed for different sizes of transport carriers ( 2 ) to be transported and their arrangement with respect to one another can be designed to be freely variable.

8. picking station for a transport arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the picking station has a lifting table and that a gripping bearing is arranged above and / or below the transfer path ( 5 ).