The challenge owner, a manufacturer of extruded aluminum profiles is looking for a new basket design for their high rack warehouse. The new baskets’ design shall allow the automatic as well as the manual picking (easy and ergonomic).

In the central high rack warehouse 6.700mm long profiles get shifted in transport-baskets (=t-basket). The material is placed in t-baskets in layers; the layers are separated by panels. These panels are being hold by grips on the inner side of the basket. The on-loading of the material on the baskets is an automated process.

For the production process, the material sometimes needs to be picked manually. Today this is only feasible via an intermediate step; the material gets transferred in another basket allowing manual access –this intermediate step consumes time and resources in production. This situation is highly undesirable and shall be resolved by this challenge.

The challenge owner is looking for a new basket construction which allows for an equally well use in the high rack storage as for hand-picking of material. The challenge’s task concentrates on the basket design only. For the later use in production one may assume a sub-construction on which the basket is placed on and allows for an individual height adjustment.

For a better understanding of the production process in which the current basket is used please read the work-description including photos and videos.

Construction proposals for the high rack warehouse transportation basket which should keep the following features:

• Automated loading
• Use in high rack warehouse
• Material is held in layers

But in addition:

• Allows for an easy, ergonomic manual picking of the material.

We accept hand-sketches as ideas, if they have measures and a description. Ideas may qualify maximum for prize 4-10, if not enough concepts are submitted.

Desired submissions are concepts including technical drawings or CAD with a description of their context, static calculation, a rough calculation of costs (for 400 baskets). Ideally the concept is precise enough that a prototype can be realized – budget 1.500 Euros. The prototype is not part of the challenge. Only concepts will be nominated for the prizes 1-3.

• Give a rough drawing (3D, 2D, freehand sketch)
• Dimension of the relevant elements and parameters (relevant for the working principle and rough structural calculations)
• Describe the working principle
• Optionally: give additional suggestions for possible working principles apart from the basket itself – that include additional/extended devices
• Describe which target requirements can be met and point out which ones are not met
• Please describe which points are solved with your idea and which ones cannot be solved.

• Unchanged outer geometry (length, width, height, features for use in high rack warehouse are considered)
• Unchanged inner geometry (Height for grip, -distance, -amount) was considered.
• Access for manual hand-picking every 2 m. (Sometimes the length may be short enough to place the material behind each other)
• Easy handling automated loading remains feasible.
• Human force required to handle the basket (not the weight of the panel) may not exceed 15kg
• Cost-price: 1.000€ in series (rough estimate if possible, required volume 400 pieces)
• Static calculations
• Payload: 2,5t
• Weight per layer: 0,5t max
• Weight of basket: 0,5t max
• Informative details on the material – for a better understanding
  • Weight of a single panel: 4kg – 40kg
  • Length of a single panel: 3.000mm – 6.700mm

We accept ideas and concept as submissions:

Prizes 4-10:

• Prizes will be

given to ideas and concepts

• , which show the potential to meet the requirements described in “Awarding Criteria”

• Are complete and understandable, as described in “Deliverables”. Accepted Languages are German and English.

• The contributor is the owner of the idea described in the submission, no copy past.

Prizes 1-3:
Will be given to concepts detailed enough to allow building a proof of concept prototype for max. 1.500Euro, include static calculations and workflow descriptions. The complete package is required. The prototype itself is not part of the challenge.

Prize Money in total 6.000CHF:
1st prize     2.000CHF
2nd prize    1.000CHF
3rd prize       600CHF
4.-10. each   200 CHF

2.10.2017   Start
22.12.2017 Deadline for Contribution
10.01.2018 Jury communicates awards; money prizes will be transferred to winners.