TWI840957B - A facility and method for performing logistics operations - Google Patents

Abstract

A facility for performing logistics operations includes: a warehouse facility including a floor and a plurality of areas defined on the floor, the areas including a sorting area and a shipping area connected to the sorting area; a plurality of repacking stations fixedly arranged at a plurality of setting points on the sorting area, the repacking station including a sorting robot and a plurality of first placement points and a second placement point located around the sorting robot; a plurality of first autonomous carriers configured to transfer an unsorted inventory box to the repacking station respectively; a plurality of second autonomous carriers configured to transfer a product box to be boxed respectively; and a server communicatively connected to the sorting robot, the first autonomous carrier, and the second autonomous carrier.

Description

A facility and method for performing logistics operations

The present invention relates to a facility and method for performing logistics operations, and in particular to a facility and method for performing logistics operations by dynamically adjusting the sorting mode.

The transportation and storage of goods are important parts of logistics operations, affecting the efficiency and cost of logistics. With the complexity of network architecture, global markets, supplier types, and consumer demand, the challenges faced by logistics operators, manufacturers, and importers and exporters in logistics operations are becoming increasingly greater.

In terms of order processing, picking and sorting goods according to customer orders often accounts for a high proportion of working time and cost in logistics operations. Even though most of the current transportation processes have used unmanned automatic equipment, if the various automated equipment cannot effectively cooperate with each other, it will only increase hardware costs and cannot truly improve work efficiency and the utilization rate of each equipment. Due to the development of the Internet of Things and the high degree of division of labor in the supply chain in various industries, logistics operations also occupy an important position in the supply chain of products or commodities. The transportation and storage of goods between or within each station in the supply chain also face the above problems.

Therefore, it is particularly important to make various hardware devices work together efficiently based on automated handling equipment.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a facility and method for performing logistics operations, which can reduce the distance or time required for autonomous vehicles to transport goods, and reduce the idleness of each station, effectively increasing the efficiency of transportation and shipment.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a facility for performing logistics operations, comprising: a warehouse facility, comprising a floor and a plurality of areas defined on the floor, the areas comprising a sorting area and a shipping area connected to the sorting area; a plurality of repacking stations, fixedly arranged at a plurality of installation points on the sorting area, the repacking station comprising a sorting robot and a plurality of first placement points and a second placement point located around the sorting robot; a plurality of first autonomous carriers, configured to move respectively a plurality of second autonomous vehicles configured to transfer a product box to be boxed respectively; and a server communicatively connected to the sorting robot, the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the facility is configured to perform the following steps: the server receives an order combination, the order combination includes a plurality of orders, and the orders respectively include a plurality of parameters; and the server calculates the fulfillment of the order combination according to the parameters of the order combination. The invention relates to an optimal balance between a shortest distance that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle need to move in order to execute the orders and a minimum number of operations that the sorting robot needs to perform, thereby selecting one from a plurality of sorting modes, wherein the sorting modes include: a first sorting mode, in which the first autonomous vehicle first transfers the unsorted inventory box to the first placement point of the repacking station, and then the second autonomous vehicle transfers the product box to be boxed to the repacking station. The second sorting mode is to move the product box to the second placement point of the repacking station by the second autonomous vehicle, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory box to the product box according to the orders; and a second sorting mode is to move the product box to be boxed to the first placement point of the repacking station by the second autonomous vehicle, and then move the unsorted inventory box to the second placement point of the repacking station by the first autonomous vehicle, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory box to the product box according to the orders.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention also provides a facility for performing logistics operations, comprising: a warehouse facility, comprising a floor and a plurality of areas defined on the floor, the areas comprising a sorting area and a shipping area connected to the sorting area; a plurality of repacking stations, fixedly disposed at a plurality of placement points on the sorting area, the repacking station comprising a sorting robot and a plurality of first placement points located around the sorting robot and at least one second placement point; a plurality of first autonomous carriers, configured to transfer an unsorted inventory container to the repacking station respectively; a plurality of second autonomous carriers, configured to transfer a product container to be boxed respectively; and a server, communicatively connected to the sorting robot, the first autonomous carrier and the second autonomous carrier, wherein the facility is configured to select one of a plurality of sorting modes.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a method for performing logistics operations, comprising the following steps: transporting one or more cargo boxes from a commodity supply source in a supply chain to the facility as described above; the facility performs a sorting operation on the cargo boxes; and transporting the cargo boxes after the sorting operation to a downstream point in the supply chain.

10: Warehouse facilities

11, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d: Sorting area

12: Shipping area

13: Storage area

14: Cargo container storage area

15: Driving lane

20: Storage rack array

21: Multi-layer storage rack

211:Frame

212: Shelf

30: Repacking station

31: First placement point

32: Second placement point

33: Sorting robot

41: The first autonomous transport vehicle

42: Second autonomous carrier

50: Server

51: Computing unit

52: Sending unit

53: Storage unit

60: Inventory boxes

61: First inventory box

611: First Container

612: First Commodity

62: Second stock box

621: Second container

622: Second commodity

70: Product box

80: Supply chain

81: Commodity supply source

82:Automatic storage facilities

83: Sorting facilities

84:Shopkeeper

85: End customer

F: Floor

S101, S102, S103, S201, S202, S301, S302, S303, S304: Steps

『Figure 1』 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the facilities for performing logistics operations according to the present invention.

『Figure 2』 is a schematic diagram of the storage rack array of the present invention.

『Figure 3』 to 『Figure 5』 are schematic diagrams of the configuration of the facilities for performing logistics operations in different examples of the present invention.

『Figure 6』 is a schematic diagram of the steps for executing logistics operations in the first embodiment of the present invention.

『Figure 7』 is a schematic diagram of the steps for executing logistics operations in the second embodiment of the present invention.

『Figure 8』 is a schematic diagram of the steps for executing logistics operations in the third embodiment of the present invention.

『Figure 9』 is a schematic diagram of executing logistics operations according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used herein may also include plural forms.

This article uses a flowchart to illustrate the steps performed according to the embodiment. It should be understood that the steps do not necessarily have to be performed exactly in the order described in this article. Instead, the steps can be performed in reverse order or simultaneously. At the same time, other steps can be added to the process, or one or more steps can be removed from the process.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a facility for performing logistics operations of the present invention. The present invention discloses a facility for performing logistics operations, the facility comprising a warehouse facility 10, a storage rack array 20, a plurality of re-packing stations 30 (container reload stations), a plurality of first autonomous vehicles 41, a plurality of second autonomous vehicles 42, and a server 50. In this embodiment, the first autonomous vehicle 41 is used to move goods to be sorted, the second autonomous vehicle 42 is used to move sorted goods, and the sorting of goods is performed through the re-packing station 30. Although the following content is explained with the storage rack array 20 included, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the storage rack array 20 may not be used, that is, cross docking may be adopted. In the following examples, different configurations of the warehouse facility 10 are illustrated.

In different examples, the configuration type of the repackaging station 30 located in the warehouse facility 10 can have different options. In some embodiments, the repacking station 30, the first autonomous carrier 41, and the second autonomous carrier 42 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "sorting and transporting modules") of a single warehouse facility 10 can jointly execute different sorting modes at different times according to different order conditions (for example, a first sorting mode is executed in time period A, and a second sorting mode is executed in time period B); in some embodiments, the sorting and transporting modules of a single warehouse facility 10 can partially execute a certain sorting mode and another sorting mode in another part at the same time (for example, in time period A, some of the sorting and transporting modules execute the first sorting mode, and some of the sorting and transporting modules execute the second sorting mode). In other words, the sorting and transporting module dynamically adjusts its operation mode based on different work objectives, and optimizes efficiency by combining different operation modes. The server 50 can calculate the most suitable sorting mode based on factors and/or restrictions such as dynamic order combinations, corresponding product characteristics, product stacking stability, vehicle loading efficiency, and order product delivery timeliness, in order to achieve the fastest time (or the most punctual time) required to fulfill the order, or the best stacking efficiency (minimum space occupancy) of inventory products, or a combination of the above.

The warehouse facility 10 includes a floor F and a plurality of areas defined on the floor F, the areas including a sorting area 11, a shipping area 12, a storage area 13 and a container storage area 14, the shipping area 12, the storage area 13 and the container storage area 14 are respectively connected to the sorting area 11. The storage rack array 20 is disposed in the storage area 13, and a plurality of inventory containers 60 are placed in the storage rack array 20, and the inventory containers 60 can be pallets, plastic boxes, cartons, storage boxes, storage boxes or other forms of containers. The container storage area 14 is provided with a plurality of product containers 70 (also called order containers). The product containers 70 are configured to carry goods ordered by customers. The product containers 70 may be in the form of material boxes, shipping cartons, shelves, etc. In one example, a single product container 70 is bound to an order, and the product container 70 is used to carry the goods of the order.

Please refer to FIG. 2 for a schematic diagram of a storage rack array of an embodiment of the present invention. The storage rack array 20 is fixedly disposed in the storage area 13, and the storage rack array 20 includes a plurality of multi-layer storage racks 21. In one example, the multi-layer storage racks 21 can be stacked and arranged in the storage area 13. The multi-layer storage racks 21 include a frame 211 and a plurality of shelves 212 disposed on the frame 211. The shelves 212 are used to carry a plurality of the inventory boxes 60.

The inventory box 60 is used to place multiple commodities. It is understood that there are multiple types of commodities. The commodities placed in a single inventory box 60 are usually the same, while the commodities placed in different inventory boxes 60 may be the same or different depending on the quantity of commodities and storage space. In the following embodiments, for the purpose of convenient explanation, the inventory box 60 is defined to include at least a first inventory box 61 and a second inventory box 62. The first inventory box 61 includes a first container 611 and at least a first commodity 612, and the first commodity 612 is placed in the first container 611. The second inventory box 62 includes a second container 621 and at least a second commodity 622, and the second commodity 622 is placed in the second container 621. It is understood that the first container 611 and the second container 621 may have different or same cargo capacity or storage capacity.

In one example, the multi-layer storage rack 21 may include an automated mechanical structure (not shown) for transferring the inventory container 60 to the first autonomous vehicle 41. Alternatively, the first autonomous vehicle 41 may include an automated mechanical structure (not shown) for obtaining the inventory container 60 from the multi-layer storage rack 21.

The repacking station 30 is fixedly pre-set at a plurality of setting points on the sorting area 11. The repacking station 30 includes a plurality of first placement points 31, a second placement point 32, and a sorting robot 33. The first placement point 31 and the second placement point 32 are located around the sorting robot 33. The sorting robot 33 can be implemented by an automated robot arm, but the invention is not limited thereto. The sorting robot 33 can be implemented by any possible mechanical mechanism, and the repacking station 30 is communicatively connected to the server 50.

The first autonomous carrier 41 is arranged between the sorting area 11 and the storage area 13, and transfers an unsorted inventory container 60 to the repacking station 30 for sorting. The second autonomous carrier 42 is arranged between the sorting area 11, the shipping area 12 and the container storage area 14, and transfers a product container 70 to be packed to the repacking station 30 for packing, and transfers the packed product container 70 to the shipping area 12. The first autonomous carrier 41 and the second autonomous carrier 42 can be implemented by, for example, an Automation Guided Vehicle (AGV).

The server 50 is communicatively connected to the sorting robot 33, the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42, and the server 50 includes a computing unit 51, a sending unit 52 and a storage unit 53.

From a top view, the storage area 13 is located above the sorting area 11, the shipping area 12 and the container storage area 14 are located on both sides of the sorting area 11, and further, the repacking stations 30 are arranged opposite to each other in the sorting area 11 and a lane 15 is provided between the plurality of repacking stations 30 to facilitate the passage of the first autonomous carrier 41 and the second autonomous carrier 42.

Referring to FIG. 3 , in one example of the present embodiment, the sorting area 11 includes a plurality of long strip-shaped sorting areas 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, which extend from one end close to the storage area 13 to one end far from the storage area 13. The sorting areas 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, compared with FIG. 1 , the sorting area 11 is further divided into a plurality of sub-areas, and passages are reserved within and between the sub-areas for the autonomous carrier to move. Accordingly, the sorting areas 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d (sub-areas) can respectively and independently execute different sorting modes at the same time, and achieve the best utilization efficiency through the combination of different sorting modes. The specific operation details of the sorting mode will be described in detail below.

Referring to FIG. 4 , in another example of the present embodiment, the sorting area 11 is configured as a ring-shaped area, and accordingly, the repacking station 30 is arranged in a ring-shaped manner in the sorting area 11.

Referring to FIG. 5 , in another example of the present embodiment, the sorting area 11 forms a U-shaped configuration along a central area of the floor F, and the sorting area 11 includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the first portion being close to the storage area 13, and the second portion and the third portion extending from both ends of the first portion toward a direction away from the storage area 13. The central area can be configured as the container storage area 14, and the driveway 15 is provided between the sorting area 11 and the container storage area 14 to facilitate the passage of the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42. The storage area 13 is configured to be arranged along an outer periphery of the floor F relative to a portion of the sorting area 11, and the shipping area 12 is located at an outer periphery of the sorting area 11 and away from one side of the storage area 13.

The configuration of the facility described above is used to dynamically select one of the multiple sorting modes that can achieve the best efficiency based on the content of multiple orders received within a period of time. Alternatively, if the configuration of the facility allows, two or more sorting modes can be executed simultaneously in a single facility to achieve the best efficiency of the operation of the facility. For example, in the example of "Figure 3", the sorting areas 11a and 11c can execute the first sorting mode, and the sorting areas 11b and 11d can execute the second sorting mode.

The above-mentioned facility can be a logistics warehousing system used by suppliers, commodity providers or logistics service providers in the supply chain for the transportation and storage of goods. The present invention is based on the above-mentioned facilities to perform the operations described below. Refer to "Figure 6", which is a schematic diagram of the step flow of performing logistics operations in the first embodiment of the present invention. The method shown in "Figure 6" can be performed based on any of the facilities in the above-mentioned examples.

First, the server 50 receives an order combination (step S101), which includes a plurality of orders, such as a large number of orders within a period of time, and the data of the order combination can be stored in the storage unit 53. The order includes a plurality of parameters, and further, the order can include various information, such as orderer information, and the parameter includes any one or a combination of the type of goods, the size of goods, and the quantity of goods. This example is to illustrate the use of the device for processing orders for goods orders. It can be understood that, for a logistics warehousing system that does not execute orders for goods orders, the order combination can be replaced with other suitable information, such as shipping instructions or delivery instructions.

The server 50 calculates an optimal balance according to the parameters of the order combination (step S102), thereby selecting one from a plurality of sorting modes. The optimal balance is a combination of the shortest distance that the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42 need to move and the minimum number of operations required by the sorting robot 33 to fulfill the orders (or the instructions) calculated by the calculation unit 51 of the server 50 according to the parameters. The calculation unit 51 generates a plurality of instructions according to a result of the optimal balance, and sends them to the sorting robot 33, the first autonomous vehicle 41, and the second autonomous vehicle 42 through the sending unit 52 to instruct them to perform the corresponding sorting mode. The optimal balance is obtained through an optimization calculation.

In one example, the sorting modes may include at least one of a first sorting mode and a second sorting mode.

In the first sorting mode, the first autonomous carrier 41 first transfers a plurality of the unsorted inventory boxes 60 to the plurality of the first placement points 31 of the repacking station 30, and then the second autonomous carrier 42 transfers a product box 70 to be boxed to the second placement point 32 of the repacking station 30, and the sorting robot 33 moves the goods in the inventory box 60 to the product box 70 according to the orders. For example, when the order combination has more types of goods and the quantity of a single type of goods is less, or one of the orders contains different goods in multiple inventory boxes 60 (i.e., a single order has many types of goods), it is suitable to execute the first sorting mode, by first placing multiple types of goods at multiple first placement points 31 around the sorting robot 33, to facilitate the sorting robot 33 to transfer multiple types of goods to one product box 70 according to the order.

In the second sorting mode, the second autonomous carrier 42 first transfers the product container 70 to be boxed to the first placement point 31 of the repacking station 30, and then the first autonomous carrier 41 transfers the unsorted inventory container 60 to the second placement point 32 of the repacking station 30, and the sorting robot 33 moves the goods in the inventory container 60 to the product container 70 according to the orders. For example, when the order combination has fewer types of goods and a single type of goods has a larger quantity, or multiple orders contain the same goods in the inventory box 60 (i.e., a single order has a large quantity of the same goods), it is suitable to execute the second sorting mode, by first placing multiple product boxes 70 at multiple first placement points 31 around the sorting robot 33, so that the sorting robot 33 can transfer a small or single type of large quantity of goods to multiple product boxes 70 according to the order.

After the sorting robot 33, the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42 receive the instruction, they select one of the first sorting mode and the second sorting mode, or part of the sorting robot 33, the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42 perform the first sorting mode, and the other part of the sorting robot 33, the first autonomous vehicle 41 and the second autonomous vehicle 42 perform the second sorting mode (i.e., perform them simultaneously) (step S103).

Refer to "Figure 7", which is a step diagram for executing logistics operations in the second embodiment of the present invention. The method shown in "Figure 7" can be executed based on the facilities of any of the above examples, including the following steps: the server 50 receives parameters related to order combinations and inventory data (step S201).

The server 50 calculates an optimal balance based on the order combination and the parameters of the inventory data, and selects one from a plurality of sorting modes (step S202). In one example, the sorting modes may include at least two of the first sorting mode, the second sorting mode, and a third sorting mode.

In the third sorting mode, the first autonomous carrier 41 transfers the first inventory box 61 to the first placement point 31 of the repacking station 30, the second autonomous carrier 42 transfers the second inventory box 62 to the second placement point 32 of the repacking station 30, and the sorting robot 33 transports and swaps the goods in the first inventory box 61 and the second inventory box 62. It can be understood that when the third sorting mode is adopted, part of the first placement point 31 can be used as the second placement point 32, that is, the first placement point 31 and the second placement point 32 are multiple. In practical application, the third sorting mode is to convert certain goods from a container of one specification to another container of another specification according to demand, for example, to transfer certain goods from a large-sized pallet to a small-sized pallet for subsequent transportation needs.

Refer to "Figure 8", which is a schematic diagram of the steps of executing logistics operations in the third embodiment of the present invention. The method shown in "Figure 8" can be executed based on the facilities of any of the above examples, including the following steps:

S301: One or more containers are transported from a commodity supply source in a supply chain to a facility such as any of the above examples.

S302: The facility performs a sorting operation on the containers.

S303: The cargo boxes after the sorting operation are transported to a downstream point of the supply chain. The downstream point may be another facility mentioned above, a store or an end customer. In other words, the supply chain may perform the sorting operation via multiple facilities. The server 50 of each facility may be connected to a central computer. The central computer may be used to calculate an optimal sorting mode, divide multiple order combinations into multiple groups, and then assign them to the most suitable facility to perform sorting according to the optimal sorting mode. Furthermore, in addition to the unmanned vehicles (i.e., the first autonomous carrier 41, the second autonomous carrier 42) in the facility combined with the robot arm (i.e., the sorting robot 33), the transportation of each station in the supply chain from upstream to downstream can also be carried out by self-driving trucks or self-driving vans, thereby forming a fully unmanned supply chain.

S304: Finally, the containers at the downstream point are recycled to the commodity supply source. Thus, the containers can be recycled to achieve the purpose of environmental sustainability.

Please refer to "Figure 9", which shows a supply chain 80, which includes a commodity supply source 81, an automatic storage facility 82, a sorting facility 83, a store 84, and an end customer 85. The commodity supply source 81 may be a production plant or a supplier, and the automatic storage facility 82 may be integrated into the sorting facility 83, or as shown in "Figure 9", it may be a separate and independent hardware, or the supply chain 80 may omit the automatic storage facility 82. The following is an example of the existence of the automatic storage facility 82.

When the commodity supply source 81 wants to transport the commodity downstream, it will first be transported to the automatic storage facility 82 through the cargo boxes for temporary storage. Then, the cargo boxes loaded with the commodities will be sent to the sorting facility 83, which is as described above, and after the sorting operation, it will be further selectively sent to the store 84 or the end customer 85.

In one example, when the goods are transported through the containers according to multiple orders in the same distribution area, when the containers are transported to the sorting facility 83 (or the store 84 or the end customer 85) in the destination area, after the sorting is completed, the containers can be transported back to the original storage point to form a recycling cycle. Furthermore, the circulation of the containers is managed by a computer system to manage the storage and supply of each node.

In summary, the facility disclosed in the present invention can dynamically switch between different sorting modes according to demand, without being restricted to a specific transport process. In order to meet order requirements, the most efficient sorting mode and process can be provided according to the nature of a large number of orders. In addition, a sorting mode for switching containers of different specifications (the third sorting mode mentioned above) can be added to meet the shipping requirements. By rotating these various sorting modes, the maximum flexibility and efficiency of hardware utilization can be achieved.

10: Warehouse facilities 11: Sorting area 12: Shipping area 13: Storage area 14: Container storage area 15: Driveway 20: Storage rack array 30: Repacking station 31: First placement point 32: Second placement point 33: Sorting robot 41: First autonomous vehicle 42: Second autonomous vehicle 50: Server 51: Computing unit 52: Shipping unit 53: Storage unit 60: Inventory container 70: Product container F: Floor

Claims (8)

A facility for performing logistics operations, comprising: a warehouse facility, comprising a floor and a plurality of areas defined on the floor, the areas comprising a sorting area and a shipping area connected to the sorting area; a plurality of repacking stations, fixedly arranged at a plurality of installation points on the sorting area, the repacking station comprising a sorting robot and a plurality of first placement points and a second placement point located around the sorting robot; a plurality of first autonomous carriers, configured to transfer an unsorted inventory respectively; a plurality of second autonomous carriers configured to transfer a product container to be boxed; and a server communicatively connected to the sorting robot, the first autonomous carrier, and the second autonomous carrier, wherein the facility is configured to perform the following steps: the server receives an order combination, the order combination includes a plurality of orders, and the orders respectively include a plurality of parameters; and the server calculates the cost of fulfilling the orders according to the parameters of the order combination. An optimal balance is achieved between a shortest distance that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle need to move and a minimum number of operations that the sorting robot needs to perform, thereby selecting one from a plurality of sorting modes; wherein the sorting modes include: a first sorting mode, in which the first autonomous vehicle first transfers the unsorted inventory box to the first placement point of the repacking station, and then the second autonomous vehicle transfers the product box to be boxed to the first placement point of the repacking station; a second placement point, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory box to the product box according to the orders; and a second sorting mode, in which the second autonomous carrier first moves the product box to be boxed to the first placement point of the repacking station, and then the first autonomous carrier moves the unsorted inventory box to the second placement point of the repacking station, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory box to the product box according to the orders. The facility as described in claim 1, wherein the warehousing facility further includes a storage area connected to the sorting area, the storage area is provided with a storage rack array, and the storage rack array is provided with a plurality of the inventory boxes. A facility as described in claim 1, wherein the storage facility further includes a container storage area connected to the sorting area, and the container storage area is configured to place a plurality of containers of the product. The facility as described in claim 1, wherein the server includes a computing unit, a storage unit and a sending unit, the storage unit is used to store the order combination, the computing unit calculates the parameters to obtain the optimal balance, and the sending unit controls the sorting robot, the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle to execute the sorting mode according to the optimal balance. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter includes any one or a combination of the type of goods, the size of goods and the quantity of goods. A facility for performing logistics operations, comprising: a warehouse facility, comprising a floor and a plurality of areas defined on the floor, the areas comprising a sorting area and a shipping area connected to the sorting area; a plurality of repacking stations, fixedly arranged at a plurality of installation points on the sorting area, the repacking station comprising a sorting robot and a plurality of first placement points and at least one second placement point located around the sorting robot; a plurality of first autonomous carriers, configured to transfer an unsorted inventory box to the repacking station; a plurality of second autonomous carriers, configured to transfer a product box to be boxed respectively; and a server, communicatively connected to the sorting robot, the first autonomous carrier and the second autonomous carrier, wherein the facility is configured to select one of a plurality of sorting modes, the sorting modes including: a first sorting mode, the first sorting mode is that the first autonomous carrier first transfers the unsorted inventory box to the repacking station; The first autonomous vehicle transfers the product boxes to be boxed to the first placement point of the repacking station, and the second autonomous vehicle transfers the product boxes to be boxed to the second placement point of the repacking station, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory boxes to the product boxes according to the orders; a second sorting mode, in which the second autonomous vehicle first transfers the product boxes to be boxed to the first placement point of the repacking station, and then the first autonomous vehicle transfers the unsorted inventory boxes to the second placement point of the repacking station. The first autonomous vehicle transfers the first inventory box to the second placement point of the repacking station, and the sorting robot moves the goods in the inventory box to the product box according to the orders; and a third sorting mode, the first autonomous vehicle transfers the first inventory box to the first placement point of the repacking station, the second autonomous vehicle transfers the second inventory box to the second placement point of the repacking station, and the sorting robot exchanges the goods in the first inventory box with the goods in the second inventory box. The facility as described in claim 6, wherein the warehousing facility further includes a storage area connected to the sorting area, the storage area is provided with a storage rack array, and the storage rack array is provided with a plurality of the first inventory boxes and a plurality of the second inventory boxes. A method for performing logistics operations, comprising the following steps: transporting one or more cargo boxes from a commodity supply source in a supply chain to a facility as described in claim 1 or 6; the facility performs a sorting operation on the cargo boxes; and transporting the cargo boxes after the sorting operation to a downstream point in the supply chain.

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