BROKEN CASE PICKING SYSTEMS

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World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling

Figure 7.58 Automated guided shelving systems operating at an Amazon distribution center

Automated Guided Shelving Systems Automated guided shelving systems are small automated guided vehicles that transport bin shelving units to stationary order pickers (Figure 7.58).

7.3 Automated Item Dispensing Machines

Automated item dispensing systems (Figure 7.59 and 7.60) act much like vending machines for small items of uniform size and shape. Each item is allocated a vertical dispenser ranging from 2 to 6 inches wide and from 3 to 5 feet tall. (The width of each dispenser is easily adjusted to accommodate variable product sizes.) The dispensing mechanism acts to kick the unit of product at the bottom of the dispenser out onto a conveyor running between two rows of dispensers configured as an A-frame over a belt conveyor. A tiny vacuum conveyor or small finger on a chain conveyor is used to dispense the items. Virtual order windows begin at one end of the conveyor and pass by each dispenser. If an item is required in the order window, it is dispensed onto the conveyor. Merchandise is accumulated at the end of the belt con veyor into a tote pan or carton. A single dispenser can dispense at a rate of

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