Warehouse Automation: Improvements for the Precise Placement of Irregular Pallets

Abstract

Anonymous Lumber Co. (ALC) has decided to implement a new automated warehouse to feed its Continuous Drying System (CDS). The new warehouse’s job is to autonomously move pallets, also known as “units,” of stacked green lumber through the warehouse and onto the dry kilns. However, avoiding large gaps after placing the units on the drying kiln’s carts has proven to be more difficult than anticipated. This work dives into the current system implemented by ALC, the problems faced, several proposed solutions, and a detailed exploration into a proposal using LIDAR to measure irregularities in the units to control their precise positioning. The project’s main goal was to develop a solution which would improve ALC’s productivity while being quick and easy to implement. In the end, restricted access and time constraints postponed the implementation of this solution at ALC’s facility. However, a small-scale proof-of-concept was constructed to gather data and extrapolate what the expected performance of the chosen solution could be.