The Autostore Conveyor Interface Module (CIM) determines the ultimate destination of units on the conveyor and tracks every unit dynamically - deciding the route for each unit at every conveyor decision point.

The module has a set of standard configurable rules to control the detailed movement of units on a conveyor scheme.

Key features include:

Basic Decision Point Check ...
At every conveyor decision point, CIM checks the routes to the ultimate conveyor destination in the order detailed below and do the following checks:

  • Are all conveyor sections on the route in service?
  • Are all conveyor sections on the route working?

If the answer to either of these questions is 'no' then CIM will find the next available route.

Re-routing to another Aisle ...
When the destination is a crane input P/D, then CIM performs the following checks at a decision point:

  • Is the route completely in service with no faults?
  • Is the destination aisle in service?
  • When about to enter the final output spur to the crane, are there any spaces on the spur?

If the answer to any of these questions is 'no' then CIM will select an alternative aisle. The choice of alternative crane input P/D is based on the shortest route found.

Conveyor Merge ...
When two pallets on separate conveyors are about to merge to one location, the merge location must be empty before a move for one of the pallets is sent. The choice of which pallet is moved is based on a percentage bias defined for each merge location.

For more information about Autostore CIM, please contact us.