With the introduction of the Blackline product line in spring 2019, Autostore launched a new, scalable goods-to-person workstation specifically for high throughput rates, which can be easily integrated into existing Autostore systems. As the first installations have shown, the Relayport not only impresses during operation with its design and modern ergonomics, but also with its high availability. This allows system operators to organize their dynamic picking more effectively and handle order peaks more efficiently.
Fast, efficient and reliable picking

In the fast-moving e-commerce business in particular, with promotional or seasonal peaks in incoming orders, order picking can be a Herculean task on some days. Good organization and high throughput rates are then required in order to process orders as quickly as possible. To a certain extent, order processing capacity can be increased by deploying more staff. Short-term expansions to automated storage and picking systems are often difficult, as they first have to be planned, implemented and put into operation. This can take weeks or months.

With the Relayport, Autostore has developed a high-performance workstation with which the picking performance from an existing Autostore warehouse can be increased within a short space of time. An installation at a sporting goods retailer in Norway shows that this is possible: Installation and commissioning were completed by the system integrator within two days.

No waiting times during transportation
The Relayport goods-to-person workstation consists of an input or output tray (touch) and three to six buffer modules (tabs). This allows the workstation to be individually scaled to the performance requirements and later expanded as required. The workstation is compatible with the B1 and R5 robots and all three bin sizes from Autostore. With the buffer system, the robots can deliver bins to the station at any time and pick up bins that have already been released by the operator and transport them back to the grid, the rail system above the bin stacks. The advantages: No robot has to wait, plus the items can be sequenced to order. The operator receives the bins via a conveyor system in the desired picking sequence, for example to place heavy items or outer cartons first and light or smaller goods in the shipping carton on top. Currently, the minimum exchange time at the relay port is two seconds. With a maximum of six buffer modules, the picker can either be presented with more than 650 bins per hour with the B1 robot or up to 450 bins per hour with the R5 robots for item removal.

Doubling the output per employee
The simple operation and shorter waiting times for the next container are well received by users, as they provide the capacity required on busy days to complete the additional orders with a consistently high picking quality. Experience from the first installations confirms an almost doubling of the output per employee at the Relayport. In addition to its speed, the new workstation is versatile in use. It can be used for fast processes - such as single item picking - or for a more time-consuming method such as batch picking through to storage.

The Autostore development team paid particular attention to simple installation based on the plug & play principle and the ability to expand the workstation at a later date. "A relay port can also be implemented in existing Autostore systems, as no pre-planning for the grid is required at the time of installation," says Stina Hetland Golf, Project Manager, Research and Development at Autostore. "Installation in existing systems is just as easy to carry out as with new systems." The user can start with a touch module and a tab module and gradually expand the station module by module. This modularization enables the operator to create more transfer zones for the robots by adding further tab modules.

High availability at the relay port too
As Autostore systems are designed for at least 98% system availability, the developers have also ensured high availability for the service at the relay port: A maintenance aisle runs around the tab modules for maintenance and fault clearance - so service can be carried out without having to shut down the entire system. "Other dynamic picking systems on the market also offer a modular structure and the option of sequencing, but the space-saving design and the extremely short delivery and implementation time are unique. In combination with the new Black Line B1 robots and the Relayport workstation, Autostore offers an extremely smart solution for higher throughput requirements," explains Peter Bimmermann, Business Development Manager DACH and Managing Director of Autostore System GmbH in Mönchengladbach.