Storage and order-picking system with a reduced processing time and method for operating same

A method for picking articles (22a . . . 22e) in a storage and order-picking system (1a, 1b) with

• an article storage (2),
• a loading station (3),
• a sorting unit (4),
• a packing station (5),
• an overhead conveyor system (7a . . . 7f) with transport means (28a, 28b) for accommodating articles (22a . . . 22e) and for transporting the articles (22a . . . 22e) in the transport means (28a, 28b) between the loading station (3), the sorting unit (4) and the packing station (5),
• and a control system (8),
• comprising the steps:
• providing articles (22a . . . 22e) in the article storage (2), wherein the articles (22a . . . 22e) comprise lying articles and/or hanging articles,
• acquiring picking orders by the control system (8),
• retrieving articles (22a . . . 22e) from the article storage (2) individually and independently of other picking orders for each picking order, wherein retrieving comprises
• transporting an article (22a) out of the article storage (2) according to a first picking order to the loading station (3), and
• transporting an article (22b) out of the article storage (2) according to a second picking order to the loading station (3),
• providing the article(s) (22a) according to the first picking order and the article(s) (22b) according to the second picking order in each case at the loading station (3),
• providing transport means (28a, 28b) of the overhead conveyor system (7a . . . 7f) at the loading station (3),
• transferring the article(s) (22a) for the first picking order into one of the transport means (28a, 28b) of the overhead conveyor system (7a . . . 7f) and the article(s) (22b) for the second picking order into one of the transport means (28a, 28b) of the overhead conveyor system (7a . . . 7f),
• for each picking order, transporting the transport means (28a, 28b) from the loading station (3) directly into the sorting unit (4) via the overhead conveyor system (7a, 7b) individually and independently of the other picking orders, and
• sorting the transport means (28a, 28b) in the sorting unit (4) according to the picking orders, and
• transporting the transport means (28a, 28b) grouped according to the picking orders from the sorting unit (4) to the packing station (5).