Material handling system with palletization re-planning

A method for handling and placing packages onto pallets destined for an order store, the method comprising:

• providing a storage array, of a material handling system, with storage spaces for holding packages therein;
• storing packages within the storage spaces of the storage array and retrieving packages from the storage spaces of the storage array with an automated package transport system, of the material handling system, that is communicably connected to the storage array;
• placing, with an automated palletizer of the material handling system, mixed packages onto a pallet to form a pallet load of mixed packages, the automated palletizer is communicably connected to the automated package transport system which provides individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer for forming the pallet load of mixed packages, the pallet load of mixed packages including more than one composite layers of mixed packages;
• and
• forming completely and stably, with a controller of the material handling system that is operably connected to the automated palletizer and programmed with a pallet load generator with an initial pallet load plan, the pallet load of mixed packages in mixed package layers in an initial planned pallet load distribution;
• wherein:
• the controller is communicably connected so as to register from at least one of the storage array and the automated package transport system at least one scratch package, wherein the pallet load generator is arranged to identify a corresponding pallet layer, of the scratch package, in the initial pallet load plan, and determine a corresponding void, formed by the scratch package, in the corresponding pallet layer;
• and
• the pallet load generator determines a measure of stability resultant from the corresponding void in the corresponding pallet layer and heuristically resolve the corresponding void, based on optimization of the measure of stability to equal or exceed a predetermined threshold, from at least one of:
• repose, relative to the corresponding void, at least one adjacent package adjacent the corresponding void in the initial pallet load plan, and
• swapping, at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the corresponding void for the scratch package;
• and
• the pallet load generator generates a pallet load re-plan for the automated palletizer as defined by resolution of each corresponding void for each scratch packages in the initial pallet load plan.