Automated method and system for loading book mail bundles onto a pallet

摘要

In order to automate the palletizing of bundles of books in an efficient manner, an automated method and system is provided for achieving the objective of having mail bundle positions of substantially equal accumulative height. The method includes dividing the pallet into a grid consisting of a plurality of mail bundle positions adapted to receive one or more book mail bundles in rows and columns. The books are gathered into book mail bundles for placement on the grid of the pallet in accordance with a book gathering program. The books are gathered to form book mail bundles having a preselected minimum and maximum number of books with any grouping of books in numbers between the minimum and maximum number being divided into one or more book mail bundles of various sizes. The books are also gathered such that any grouping of books in numbers greater than the maximum number is divided into one or more book mail bundles having a number of books between the minimum and maximum. With this understanding, the method further includes placing the book mail bundles so formed onto the pallet in the mail bundle positions set forth in rows and columns such that each of the positions is of substantially equal accumulative height.