Pallet-to-Person& Robotic Arm Picking

Pallet-to-Person is a flexible, scalable pallet-building system where AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) bring pallets to stationary workstations so associates can build customer pallets accurately, safely, and without forklift travel. When robotic arms handle the pallet building instead of people, this becomes Pallet-to-Robotic-Arm automation.

The concept inverts traditional warehouse flow. Instead of workers driving forklifts across the warehouse to find product, the product comes to the worker. AMRs autonomously navigate the facility, retrieve source pallets from storage, and deliver them to ergonomic put stations where the actual pallet building happens. This eliminates 70-80% of the travel time that dominates conventional forklift-based operations.

JASCI supports both GTP and GTA configurations — and the hybrid approach where associates and robotic arms work at different stations or different shifts within the same system. Run robotic arms at night when labor is scarce, then bring in associates during peak daytime hours. The software orchestration remains identical regardless of who (or what) performs the work.

The Problem with Traditional Forklift Operations

Traditional forklift-based picking creates excessive travel, inconsistent pallet quality, and high labor costs. Operators spend 60-70% of their time driving between locations rather than actually building pallets. This approach cannot scale quickly during demand peaks—you can't instantly add trained forklift drivers—and it increases compliance risk with retailers who demand specific pallet configurations, weight distributions, and documentation.

Forklift operations also carry significant safety risks. OSHA reports that forklifts cause approximately 85 deaths and 34,900 serious injuries annually in the United States. By removing most forklift travel and placing workers at stationary, ergonomic stations, Pallet-to-Person systems dramatically reduce both injury risk and workers' compensation costs.

How It Works: The AMR-Driven Flow

The JASCI system orchestrates a continuous flow of work. When customer orders require specific products, the software identifies the optimal source pallets based on FIFO/FEFO rules, lot requirements, and physical proximity. It then dispatches an AMR to retrieve that pallet from storage and deliver it to the appropriate put station.

At the station, the associate or robotic arm receives guided instructions: which product to pick, how many cases or layers, and exactly where to place them on the outbound pallet (heavy items on bottom, fragile items on top). Once the work is complete, the AMR returns the source pallet to storage or brings it to the next station that needs it. The result is a continuous, optimized flow with minimal idle time and maximum throughput.