Pallet building system

An automated palletizer comprising:

• an automated package pick device capable of moving individual packages from a package deposit section to a pallet to form a pallet load from the individual packages;
• a controller that is operably connected to the automated package pick device, the controller having a pallet load generator configured to determine a pallet load structure of mixed packages;
• the pallet load generator being programmed so that it determines the load structure from mixed package layers covering an area within bounds of a pallet frame of a pallet, the mixed package layers being overlaid over each other, at least one of the mixed package layers being formed of mixed packages disposed in columns, top and bottom surfaces of the columns corresponding to the at least one mixed package layer respectively forming top and bottom surfaces of the at least one mixed package layer, the top and bottom surfaces of the at least one mixed package layer being flat, and at least one other mixed package layer being formed of different columns, each of mixed packages with mixed bases, over the flat top surface of the at least one of the mixed package layer;
• wherein
• the controller generates commands for the pick device to build the pallet load from the load structure determined by the pallet load generator.

An automated palletizer comprising:

• an automated package pick device capable of moving packages from a package deposit section to a pallet to form a pallet load from packages;
• a controller that is operably connected to the automated package pick device, the controller having a pallet load generator configured to determine a pallet load structure of mixed packages;
• the pallet load generator being programmed so that it determines the load structure from mixed package layers covering an area within bounds of a pallet frame of a pallet, the mixed package layers being overlaid over each other, at least one of the mixed package layers being formed of mixed packages arranged into columns formed of one or more mixed packages, top and bottom surfaces of the columns corresponding to the at least one mixed package layer respectively form top and bottom surfaces of the at least one mixed package layer, the top and bottom surfaces of the columns being flat, wherein the top flat surface of the at least one mixed package layer is a uniform level seating surface for another of the overlaid layers, the seating surface of the another of the overlaid layers extending over more than one of the columns of mixed packages of the at least one mixed package layer, the another of the overlaid layers being formed of different columns of mixed packages over the top flat surface of the at least one of the mixed package layers;
• wherein at least one of the more than one columns of mixed packages has a base area formed of at least one of the mixed packages and a package layer formed of at least another one of the mixed packages with a package layer base area different than the base area of the more than one columns;
• and wherein
• the controller generates commands for the pick device to build the pallet load from the load structure determined by the pallet load generator.

A method for building a pallet load of mixed packages formed from more than one individual package, the method comprising:

• forming mixed package columns from the more than one individual package forming the mixed packages;
• arranging the mixed package columns into at least one mixed package layer within bounds of a pallet frame;
• and
• overlaying another layer of packages over the at least one mixed package layer;
• the top and bottom surfaces of at least one of the mixed package columns respectively having different area dimensions and respectively defining top and bottom surfaces of the at least one mixed package layer, each of the top and bottom surfaces being flat, the top surface of the at least one mixed package layer being uniformly level and extending over more than one of the mixed package columns forming the at least one mixed package layer, the another layer of packages being formed of different mixed package columns over the top flat surface of the at least one mixed package layer.