Automated Put Wall Technology Options

In today’s fast-paced warehouse environment, the ongoing pursuit of improved efficiency, quick throughput, and precision is paramount. Especially with order consolidation and automated put walls.

Automated put walls come in a variety of types. They play a vital role in achieving order fulfillment goals. We concentrate on explaining how they work and the options available for today’s warehouses and distribution centers.

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Manual Put Walls

The core of manual put wall systems lies in the hands of warehouse associates. As the pulse of the operation, these associates play a key role in the system’s efficiency. Operators receive a wave or batch of orders for picking in warehouse zones or areas. Workers bring the partial orders to the put wall area for consolidation.

Workers place the picked partial orders in a designated put wall cell. They use a printed pick list or software-directed device. The interaction between associates and the manual put wall system is a blend of speed and accuracy.

Once all the items for the order arrive on the put wall, the order is complete. An operator picks the items from the wall and places it into a

Manual put wall systems are suitable for smaller warehouses or those with moderate throughput. Automated put walls are ideal for medium and large warehouses and distribution centers.

Operator Packing a Consolidated Order from a Put Wall with Lights

Put Wall with Lights

Definition and Core Functionality

Put walls with lights introduce automation to the order fulfillment process. In this system, each storage location or cell within the put wall system has pick-and-put lights. This provides visual guidance to warehouse associates on item placement. Displays can also help guide the associate with item, order, quantity, and location information.

Workers scan the tote and items when they arrive at the put wall system. A light illuminates on the put wall cell, guiding associates to place items in the location indicated by lights. They press the task complete button to shut the light off and move on to the next task.

Operators are often on the other side of the put-in wall. When the order is complete, a pick light indicates that the order is ready for picking, packing, and shipping. 

This system integrates with Warehouse Management System (WMS) and/or Warehouse Execution Systems software (WES). This helps ensure real-time visibility in the order fulfillment process.

The integration of lights into put wall systems significantly enhances accuracy. The clear visual indicators assist precise item placement and achieve up to 99.9% accuracy levels. This technology is effective in high-throughput environments where speed and accuracy are crucial.

Warehouses dealing with a high SKU count or frequent order changes benefit from these systems. Businesses that onboard many new associates benefit from this easy-to-use system.

Put Wall Systems with Voice

For organizations already using voice-controlled systems, voice-directed picking systems emerge as a solution. Warehouse associates receive verbal instructions through headsets. This directs them to clearly marked designated bins or shelves on the put wall for SKU placement. This hands-free approach enhances efficiency and minimizes errors, allowing associates to focus on tasks without constant visual confirmation.

Voice-directed systems use speech recognition technology, enabling associates to confirm actions verbally, ensuring real-time accuracy in the sorting process. This technology adds sophistication to manual put wall systems, combining human judgment with technological guidance. This style of put wall provides less accuracy and throughput than a light-directed system. However, it is also less costly, especially for organizations already utilizing voice technologies.

Automated Systems

Definition and Functionality

Automated put wall systems are increasing in use from the demand for faster and more accurate order fulfillment. Automated put wall systems use more advanced technologies. These technologies streamline the sorting process, reduce reliance on manual labor, and create a step change in warehouse productivity.

These automated systems employ sophisticated sorting systems that integrate robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced algorithms. They automate the placement of items into designated storage locations, reducing human intervention and minimizing errors, significantly boosting throughput. The systems integrate with WMS and WES systems for clear visibility.

Automated Put Wall 

Automated put wall with scan tunnel and multiple cells

An automated put wall is a scalable, configurable, and cost-effective automated small item sorting solution. It dramatically increases throughput while reducing labor requirements associated with other put wall system types. An integrated conveyor feeds the system to induct SKUs and singulate them.

An integrated scan tunnel identifies the SKU and assigns it to an open or existing cell for its order. The system places the SKU on a tray and routes it to its designated cell. The automated system routes and buffers the SKUs for the order to be completed. A light signifies that the order is complete to the operator and ready for packaging and shipping.

This system significantly reduces the number of touches and excessive footprint associated with manual and automated sorters. It manages single items in a variety of shapes and sizes. This technology delivers SKUs up to 5 lbs. to specific sort locations at rates of up to 2,400 items per hour.

Robotic Put Wall

Robotic Put Wall System Delivering Items

Another automated put wall solution is a robotic 3D sorter. This system can scale up to 20,000 items an hour in a single system with thousands of sort destinations. It deploys a combination of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and a three-dimensional robotic sorter for high-speed sorting.

The system uses a unique inserter/extractor system. The 3D sorter optimizes space use and ensures accurate sorting of items into designated totes or gaylords. It excels at managing a large variety of item sizes and thousands of open sort positions.

Automated put wall systems offer an array of advantages, from increased throughput to reduced labor costs and enhanced accuracy. These systems thrive in distribution centers to generate greater throughput and accuracy in order fulfillment. They improve speed, use less labor, and significantly reduce conveyor requirements.

System Selection

Selecting the right automated put wall system for warehouses and distribution centers is complex. Achieving enhanced productivity, throughput, and accuracy that meet budget and ROI is important, as is how we RightFIT your situation.

• Manual systems, while cost-effective, have limitations in medium and high throughput environments.
• Put walls with lights and voice strikes a balance between manual and more automated systems. They enhance accuracy and productivity with visual or audio cues.
• Automated put walls and robotic 3D models stand out as benchmarks for efficiency by leveraging innovative technology.

Choosing the best system depends on the specific needs and scale of the warehouse. Conveyco technical experts are ready to assist warehouse and distribution center managers in navigating the complexities of system selection. We ensure the implementation of a RightFIT solution aligned with their unique requirements.

As warehouses evolve, integrating advanced technologies becomes imperative for staying competitive in the rapidly changing landscape of modern supply chain management. Click today to schedule a free consultation.