Storage and retrieval system with automated order make up

Apparatus for temporarily storing surges of product and retrieving the product comprising an input conveyor connected to a source of product-loaded baskets, an identification station connected to the input conveyor for checking identification of the loaded baskets, a rejection conveyor connected to the identification station for receiving loaded baskets with no or improper identification, a storage rack having multiple rows of storage arranged in multiple tiers, multiple storage locations roughly equivalent to a number of tiers times a number of rows, each of the storage locations having an elongation capable of receiving and storing multiple loaded baskets or stacks of loaded baskets, an aisle adjacent the storage rack, each of the storage locations opening into the aisle for access from the aisle, a stacker retriever mounted in the aisle and having at least one vertical member for moving horizontally along the aisle in front of the openings of the storage locations, a carriage movable up and down the at least one vertical member for aligning with the storage locations and at least one carrier mounted on the carriage for moving from the carriage into the storage locations for depositing loaded baskets into the storage locations and for retrieving loaded baskets from the storage locations, at least one robotic input lane connected to the rack, an input transfer conveyor connected between the input conveyor and the robotic input lane, at least one robotic output lane connected to the rack, an output transfer conveyor connected between the output conveyor and a robotic output lane, an output tag station connected to the output transfer conveyor for tagging and/or reading loaded baskets moving onto the output transfer conveyor, an output conveyor connected to the output transfer conveyor and a loading output connected to the output conveyor for moving the loaded baskets away from the storage apparatus.

A method of storing and retrieving production run product surges comprising loading baskets with product, identifying the baskets according to product within the baskets, checking identification of the baskets and rejecting baskets without identification, moving the baskets on an input conveyor and moving the baskets from the input conveyor to an input transfer conveyor and moving the baskets from the input transfer conveyor to a robotic input lane, moving the baskets from a robotic input lane to carriers on a stacker retriever carriage, moving the carriage to a predetermined storage location, loading baskets with other products and identifying the baskets according to the other products, moving the identified baskets with the other product on the input conveyor, moving the loaded baskets with the other products on the input transfer conveyor to the robotic input lane and moving the baskets with the other products from the robotic input lane onto the carriers and moving the product from the carriers into other predetermined storage locations, repeating the method steps for inputting loaded baskets with third and fourth products into the storage locations, retrieving loaded baskets from storage locations with the carriers according to orders for loading products on trucks, moving the loaded baskets from the carriers onto a robotic output lane, moving the baskets from a robotic output lane to an output transfer conveyor, tagging and/or reading destinations on the loaded baskets, moving the loaded baskets from the output transfer conveyor to an output conveyor and moving the loaded baskets from the output conveyor to dollies or conveyor loops for loading the loaded baskets or stacks onto trucks.