Assembly material logistics system and methods

An assembly material logistics system comprising:

• a marketplace component storage area operable to temporarily store a plurality of component containers each supporting at least one component, the storage area having a rack aisle extending in an x-direction, the storage area further comprising:
• a large component container storage area having a component storage rack including a presentation row positioned in the rack aisle;
• a small component container storage area positioned adjacent to the large component container storage area including a portion of the rack aisle, the plurality of component containers positioned in the small component container storage area comprising a plurality of transfer trays operable to support the at least one component;
• a consumables storage area positioned adjacent to at least one of the large component storage area or the small component storage area and including a portion of the rack aisle;
• an assembly area comprising:
• at least one assembly line having a first assembly cell and a second assembly cell in communication with the first assembly cell along an assembly path of travel, the assembly line operable to assemble at least one product including the at least one component;
• a consumable material station positioned adjacent to at least one of the first assembly cell or the second assembly cell;
• a rack aisle extending through the assembly area in the x-direction and positioned downstream of the storage area rack aisle along the x-direction and in alignment with the storage area rack aisle;
• a material aisle positioned directly adjacent to and parallel with the aligned storage area rack aisle and the assembly area rack aisle;
• and
• a plurality of transfer vehicles selectively and reciprocally movable along the material aisle between the storage area and the assembly area, the plurality of transfer vehicles each independently operable to selectively engage at least one of a full or an empty component container or transfer tray in the storage area rack aisle or the assembly area rack aisle, transfer the engaged at least one of the full or empty component containers or transfer trays between the storage area and the assembly area, and selectively disengage the at least one of the full or empty component containers or transfer trays in the storage area rack aisle or the assembly area rack aisle to support assembly of the at least one product.

A method for assembly material logistics comprising:

• storing a plurality of component containers in a marketplace storage area positioned upstream of an assembly area operable to assemble at least one product, each component container supporting at least one component defining a full component container;
• selectively positioning predetermined full component containers in a storage area rack aisle extending in a x-direction;
• positioning one of a plurality of transfer vehicles in a material aisle positioned directly adjacent to and parallel with the storage area rack aisle;
• selectively engaging by the transfer vehicle a predetermined one of the plurality of full component containers from the storage area rack aisle and removing the full component container from the storage area rack aisle;
• transferring by the transfer vehicle the engaged full component container along the material aisle downstream to the assembly area;
• selectively engaging by one of the plurality of transfer vehicles an empty component container positioned in an assembly area rack aisle and removing the empty component container from the assembly area rack aisle, the assembly area rack aisle positioned downstream of the storage area rack aisle along the x-direction and aligned with the storage area rack aisle;
• and
• depositing by the transfer vehicle the engaged and transferred full component container into the assembly area rack aisle to support assembly of the at least one product.