In the ever-evolving landscape of warehouse operations, human involvement remains integral, yet automated systems are increasingly prevalent in warehouses, micro- and nano-hubs. The distinction between person-to-goods and goods-to-person picking is crucial.
Person-to-Goods Picking: In this method, workers navigate aisles or zones, manually selecting items at the case level for order fulfillment. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) often serve as smart carts, collaborating with order pickers to streamline the process. The order picker and the robot meet at the pick site, where items are transferred to the smart cart. This approach minimizes foot travel for workers, focusing their efforts on specific zones, while smart carts efficiently handle transportation, including the return route to the packing station after completing the order.
Goods-to-Person Picking: Contrastingly, goods-to-person picking brings the required products directly to the employee or robot, eliminating unnecessary travel time. While enhancing productivity, this approach requires a higher investment in automation. To address labor challenges, robots may replace operators, intensifying automation levels and enhancing working conditions. Goods-to-person systems optimize workflow by reducing travel time and enabling a more concentrated focus on the picking process.
Combining automated and manual processes can significantly enhance order picking efficiency and accuracy.
Key improvements sought include:
- Enhanced efficiency
- Optimized travel distances
- Error-free picking
- Space utilization optimization
- Improved safety and ergonomics
- Scalability
- Sustainability
Different order picking methods and technologies can be leveraged to achieve these objectives.
Types of Goods-to-Person Automated Systems:
- Cube (Grid) Based
- Shuttle Robot Based
- Crane (Aisle) Based
- Floor Mobile Robot Based
- Conveyor-Based
- Belt Conveyors
- Inverted (Floor-Based) Drive-Chain Conveyor Systems
- Overhead Conveyors with Shelving
- Pouch and Pocket Overhead Conveyors
- Carousel Based
- Vertical Carousels
- Horizontal Carousels
- Other
- Vertical Lift Modules
- Combined Systems
- Industrial Mobile Shelving (Rack Moving Systems)
- etc.
Intralogistics automation: info@botshare.ai
References:
https://www.glide-line.com/blog/create-a-bypass-while-feeding-conveyor-line
https://www.conveyco.com/blog/best-goods-to-person-technology/
