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I am wondering if anyone has a good idea for a theoretical problem. Let's assume I have 3000 different designs printed on paper. I have about 100 pieces of each design. Each design is not a regular print you could print with a laser printer or inkjet printer. Every design is stored in a little shelf so we have 3000 shelves with each 100 paper sheets in it. Each day we have to pick designs from different shelves. We run from shelf 150 to 356 and then to 788 (just an example). This task uses a lot of time so I was wondering if there might be a clever possibility to automate it.

My thoughts so far: I use a linear system with 3 axis. A little mount with suction pads grabs the paper sheet from the shelves and dispenses it to a certain place.

Maybe this is not clever, maybe there is a better solution.

I appreciate your ideas and thoughts on this issue.

Thanks

Jo

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Just drop them on a running belt from the sides.. \$\endgroup\$
    – Eugene Sh.
    Commented Nov 25, 2015 at 18:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ If you have 100 sheets in a stack and you want to dispense one, you might look at how a printer picks up clean paper. Then multiply that mechanism by 3000 or adapt it to be attached to any bin as needed. \$\endgroup\$
    – AaronD
    Commented Nov 25, 2015 at 18:03
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    \$\begingroup\$ I used to work for Rank Xerox and Xerox Research (UK), and paper is very difficult stuff to pick up and move around. \$\endgroup\$
    – Leon Heller
    Commented Nov 25, 2015 at 18:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ Look at paper handling mechanisms in actual use in printers and scanners, and add a success/failure detect. Or, see if you can get the material supplied as a continuous role and have some mechanism to cut it as needed. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris Stratton
    Commented Nov 26, 2015 at 1:20
  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually I think I cannot use a printer mechanism as the sheets are printed and therefore are sensitive as the sheets cannot rub on each other. Picking up by a suction pad would cause no harm at all, though. \$\endgroup\$
    – user2132799
    Commented Nov 26, 2015 at 9:12

3 Answers 3

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Amazon has had very good success implementing physical memory caching algorithms in their warehouses. An operating system can map commonly accessed data in fast to access locations(near the centre of the platter) and near each other to reduce travel time. Amazon found that sorting their warehouses so that commonly access items are closer and near each other has a significant increase in efficiency.

You could organize your stock in such a way. This optimization is difficult to apply after the fact, it is primarily based on where you choose to store things.

While this is not "automation" it is an optimization that might help. I think you will find actual mechanical handling of paper from shelves unrealistic cost wise unless you have a massive scale to justify it.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ In fact we would have a massive win-situation by dispensing the sheets automatically. The problem ist not the time for the single sheet but the fact that each sheet has to be picked manually. \$\endgroup\$
    – user2132799
    Commented Nov 26, 2015 at 12:07
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Sounds like an ASRS (automatic Storage and retrieval system) you are describing. I haven't seen one for such a small product like a paper, but you could do something like it with a pneumatic tube system like the ones banks and stores use.

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You might look at how sheet-fed offset printers pick sheets. The one I used (the Multi 1250, which used to be a classic in print shops before digital printing) used a horizontal flow of compressed air to ruffle the sheets, making sure that they were not stuck together, and the suction to lift the sheet and feed it into the transport mechanism. From this website, here is a photo of the mechanism.

enter image description here

The stack of paper was also elevated as the sheets were used. Very fast and very, very reliable. A modern implementation with electronics would be a bit different, of course.

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