RFI Questions.pdf

Solicitation 3A-24-A-0054 Amendment 1 – Attachment 1

Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) – RFI Questions & Answers

1. Would like to request clarification on the dimensions of the “standard Postal Material Transport

Containers (MTE)” required under 4. General System Requirements of the document

Autonomous Mobile Robot Sorter Statement of Objectives (SOO)

Cardboard Gaylord: 40”W x 42”H x 48D” including Height of the plastic pallet that the Gaylord sits on.

Wire container: 48”W x 40”H x 38 D

2. Is it a requirement to have the sorting system quickly deployable and the ability to be relocated to accommodate changing parcel volumes or facility layouts? If so, what would be the required/expected timing to have a system live?

Yes. The intent is to provide processing continuity.

3. Could you describe any specific challenges you face with your current infrastructure that a flexible sorting system could address?

This equipment is intended to sort Non Machinable Parcels that do not fit onto traditional sorters. Our mail mix can be assumed to be mixed: machinable, Non machinable, rolls & tubes, Poly bags, etc.

4. Is there a need to interface with existing infrastructure?

No. This is an intended to be a stand-alone system. Connection to Postal Network and

Databases are required. Electrical Power and Air are available and can be provided by Postal.

5. What are the type of buildings these systems need to operate in?

Our large parcel processing facilities and potentially our larger Delivery Units. Our processing facilities have concrete floors with nonstandard column spacing that is site dependent. Our older facilities have asphalt tile flooring.

6. How frequently do you anticipate the need to adjust or scale your sorting operations due to fluctuations in parcel volumes or changing operational requirements?

For volume fluctuations, typically once a year would before our Peak Season, Nov – December.

A site may want to adjust scale, up or down, to accommodate our network modernization efforts.

7. Is there a need to relocate robots/robotic system(s) in response to changing volume changes across systems? Yes

8. Is there need to adjust sort plans based on changed parcel routing and origin-destination demand? Not currently needed but the added flexibility is beneficial

9. Is there a need to adjust the system layout based on changed parcel routing and origin-destination demand? Not currently needed but the added flexibility is beneficial

10. Does the customer have information on the distribution of parcels across the destinations

Yes and does the vendor need to take into account this distribution in the sort plan? No

11. How does your current system handle the integration with existing infrastructure, and would an automated handover system be beneficial for streamlining your operations?

No plans to integrate this equipment with other sorting equipment

12. To what extent is reducing manual labor on the interface of the system a priority for your sorting operations? The goal is streamline this operation as much as possible.

13. Do non machinables include cylindrical or spherical objects and does the robotic sorting system need to handle these? Rolls and Tubes yes. Spherical objects yes.

14. How important is improving accuracy and reducing error rates in your sorting processes, and what current limitations do you experience in this area?

Sorting accuracy and minimum error rates are very important. As well as accurate Dimensioning and Weight Capture.

15. Is there a need to increase the accuracy of sorting instructions based on the labels/barcodes of parcels that are fed onto the system? The goal is 100% sorting accuracy at all times.

16. Are there any processes that take place inside the sorting area while the system is not sorting?

Other than clearing and sweeping the bins. The sorting area may double as walk-off area for parcels and items that are unable to be sorted with the system. The goal is to have virtually zero walk-off except for the extreme pieces, large car exhaust and other true non-machinable.

17. Would fencing or barriers impact foreseeable ancillary operations such as staging mail and transporting sorted goods?

This would be site specific and depending on the equipment layout.

18. How are parcels fed into the system?

Manually placed from bulk feed belt but we are interested in auto induction options.

19. If equipment is used to automatically place parcels onto the robots, does this equipment need to be flexible (ie. not fixed in a single location) in any way?

No. It can be fixed

20. Are there any requirements for the staging of new mail and should these be included in the footprint?

This would be site specific and depending on the equipment layout.

21. How are full load carriers/containers handled?

With Pallet Jack or fork truck.

22. Does the space the system operates in need to be available to ancillary processes such as transport of load carriers, and placing new load carriers outside normal operating times?

Other than clearing and sweeping the bins. The sorting area may double as walk-off area for parcels and items that are unable to be sorted with the system. The goal is to have virtually zero walk-off except for the extreme pieces, large car exhaust and other true non-machinable.

23. What is the productivity rate of a person feeding parcels onto the system?

This is product dependent and the USPS in advancing the productivity rates.

24. Can the vendor assume a uniform distribution across the sort destinations?

No. it will be non-uniform distribution

25. Does the customer have information on the distribution of parcels over the sort destinations?

Historical data exist for volume distribution

26. What is the average rate at which the load carriers are filled? What is the max and minimum rate?

This is product dependent and the USPS in advancing the productivity rates.

27. Are there large fluctuations in the supply of parcels onto the system does the design and the system need to accommodate these?

The USPS is interested in all aspects of parcel flow design as it pertains to the AMR Sorter.

28. Number of infeeds? In relation to the productivity of person at induction site.

The USPS is open to design alternatives that improve the productivity of the system.

29. Are there any specialized infeeds for different types of parcels or can we assume uniformity across the infeeds?

The mail will be homogenous across all in feeds.

30. Same question for the sort destinations (understood the assumption is 300 destinations per the

General System Requirements)

The container type will vary across Postal facilities, the USPS is open to system improvements that leverage parcel dimensions, weight, and characteristic.