Pick-by-Cart is the term used to describe a picking trolley on which a mobile Pick-to-Light system is permanently installed. This picking method is perfectly suited for Multi-Order-Picking picking. The picker is guided through the warehouse in a route-optimised manner and picks several orders at the same time.
Multi-Order-Picking on the picking trolley
The simultaneous picking of several orders onto one picking cart significantly accelerates the process. The path-optimized control enables the completion of the complete picking cart in one pass. The correct and fast distribution of the articles to several order compartments is the problem. Here a pick slip, Pick-by-Scan or even Voice Picking is overtaxed. Other picking systems are not optimal either. In order to design an efficient operation, the Pick-by-Cart or Pick-by-Frame® described here is used.
Pick-by-Cart vs. Pick-by-Frame® ?
The two methods hardly differ in terms of process. The main difference lies in the distribution of the work steps in the warehouse.
The Pick-by-Cart with fixed Pick-to-Light displays is used when an employee always keeps his trolley at work and performs the complete process, from preparation, picking and packing by himself. At Pick-by-Cart the number of pickers and the number of picking trolleys in the warehouse is the same.
The Pick-by-Frame® is used when several employees are involved in preparation, picking and packing. The frame is only used for picking. The supporting technology with Pick-to-Light, Wifi and batteries is mounted on a separately travelling frame and "docked" to a trolley. Via scanner or RFID the trolley and the frame are registered and controlled to the order management system. Preparation and packing is done by other employees. The picker always keeps his technique and the marked picking cart is passed on. With the Frame system, the same picking cart can also be handled by several employees in different aisles or floors. With Pick-by-Frame® the number of frames and the number of pickers are the same. The number of frames to picking trolleys should be > 1:2.
The picking process
With Pick-by-Cart , only the docking at the picking cart is omitted. Otherwise, the process is the same with Pick-by-Frame®.