JPH01308302A - Automatic storehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive the promptness of work enabling cell-unit setting to be attained and eliminating limitation of a setting spot by providing two or more racks, having two or more shelves, to be arranged surrounding a crane, which is able to rotate and vertically move further having a transfer loading machine, in the case of an automatic storehouse for a machining cell material in a machining shop or the like. CONSTITUTION:An automatic storehouse 2, connected by a machining cell 1 and a traverser 5 moving on a track 6, is constituted of four racks 10a to 10d, rotatable and vertically movable crane 11, transfer loading device 12, driving means and an arithmetic control unit 14. In this constitution, for instance in the case of storage, a workpiece 8, carried to an in-out-stock port 7 by the traverser 5, is received by an arm 12a of the transfer loading machine 12 and lifted to a predetermined rack step by the crane 11. Next the crane 11 is turned so as to oppose the arm 12a facing to a predetermined rack, thereafter the arm 12a is advanced storing the workpiece.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse capable of compactly storing materials in each processing cell of, for example, a machine processing factory.

(Conventional technology) In unmanned factories, materials delivered to the factory are
First, the materials are stored in a material warehouse, and then, if necessary, they are taken out from this warehouse and transported by automatic guided vehicles to a processing cell, where they are stored in a parts warehouse located near the processing cell.

In addition, this material is sequentially taken out from the parts warehouse and processed in response to requests for processing work, and the processed workpieces are transported to the parts warehouse again by automatic guided vehicles. and,
Depending on the demands of assembly work, etc., they are taken out one after another and transported to the next process.

These operations are managed by a central management device and a central monitoring device, and are also controlled at the request of the worker in charge from a terminal located at the site.

Note that the automated warehouse here refers to the above-mentioned parts warehouse and warehouses similar to these.

In such an automated warehouse structure, there are a stacker crane method, a rotary rack method, and the like for the loading and unloading methods.

The stacker crane system is equipped with a crane that moves back and forth and up and down, and racks are placed on both sides of the crane to store workpieces.

This rack has a plurality of shelves arranged above and below, and a number is assigned to each column. On the other hand, the crane is equipped with a transfer machine that moves left and right, and this transfer machine allows workpieces to be stored and taken out from predetermined shelves in each rack.・For retrieval, the transfer machine is moved to the shelf at a predetermined location under control via a central management device, etc.
Storage and retrieval are performed on the shelf at this address.

On the other hand, the rotary rack type is equipped with a crane that moves up and down, a transfer machine that loads the workpiece and moves it left and right, and the rack that stores the workpiece rotates around this crane. will be installed. In addition, this rack also has multiple shelves assigned with addresses, and the transfer machine is moved to the shelf at a predetermined address by rotating the rack itself and moving the crane, and the workpiece is placed on the shelf at the desired address. is stored and retrieved.

Furthermore, these automatic Ω-connection structures are relatively large-scale and expensive. Therefore, when there are multiple cells, central management is performed by installing one automated warehouse instead of each cell.

For this reason, a large space is required to install a large automated warehouse, which poses a problem in that the installation location is restricted.

Furthermore, when an automated warehouse is shared by a plurality of cells, interference occurs between the cells, which impedes speeding up of warehouse loading and unloading operations. This has caused problems in that it has a negative impact on the work in each process and increases costs.

Furthermore, if the inventory is shared by multiple cells, management responsibilities become unclear, leading to problems such as unneeded inventory remaining.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, conventional automated warehouses require a large space to install a large automated warehouse, resulting in the problem of being restricted in the installation location. In addition, when sharing between multiple cells, it is difficult to speed up the process due to restrictions on loading and unloading work between each cell, which creates a negative C[ between each process and introduces a decrease in work efficiency, resulting in increased costs. There was a problem with high levels.

Furthermore, when multiple cells share the same, management responsibilities become unclear, creating the problem that unnecessary inventory tends to remain.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to enable installation on a cell-by-cell basis without being restricted by installation location, speed up loading/unloading work, and manage each cell terminal individually. The objective is to provide an automated warehouse structure that can clarify responsibility.

[Structure of the invention] The warehouse includes a crane that rotates and moves vertically;
A plurality of racks each having a plurality of shelves divided by addresses and arranged around the crane, and an arm on which a workpiece is placed and which can move forward and backward, are moved together with the crane. The crane is configured to include a transfer device, and a drive means for applying rotational and vertical movement force to the crane.

<Function> According to the above configuration, the rack, the transfer machine, and the crane are provided integrally, and the racks are arranged surrounding the crane, so that each cell can be installed compactly.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a processing cell to which the present invention is applied.

In the figure, the processing cell 1 includes an automatic warehouse 2 and
Processing machines 3, 4, a traverser 5, etc. are arranged, and the traverser 5 is movable along a track 6. Also,
The automatic warehouse 2 and the processing machines 3 and 4 are arranged side by side along the track 6,
Moreover, the loading/unloading lower of the automatic warehouse jiit 2 is in a state facing toward the track 6 side.

Then, the workpiece 8 is transported to the automatic warehouse 2 from the material warehouse by the traverser 5, and is stored for - hours. Further, the works 8 stored in the automatic warehouse 2 are transferred from the automatic n-wheel 2 under the control of the arithmetic and control device 14 operated by the worker in charge of the site, the central management device, the central monitoring device, etc. It is taken out again onto the traverser 5 and further transported to processing fl13.4, where it is subjected to predetermined processing.

The above is a description of the overall schematic configuration of the processing cell 1.

Next, the structure of the automated warehouse 2 will be further explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows the general structure of the automated warehouse 2 in principle, and FIG. 3 shows the main parts thereof.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, the automatic warehouse JA2 includes four racks 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, one crane 11, a transfer machine 12, a driving means 13, and an operational crime charge M14.
It consists of four racks 10a and 10b.
, 10c, and 10d are arranged surrounding the outer periphery of the crane 11. Further, at the lowest stage of the shelf 10a disposed on the side facing the track 6, the above-mentioned loading/unloading lower is provided.

The crane 11 is equipped with a support body 15 on the lower surface,
Together with this support column 15, it is possible to rotate around the center and move in the vertical direction. Note that a rotation motor (not shown) that provides driving force for rotating the crane 11 and the support support 15 is provided at the lower part of the support support 15, and a rotation motor (not shown) that provides a driving force for rotating the crane 11 and support support 15;
A driving means 13 is provided, which includes a vertical movement motor (not shown) that provides a driving force for vertically moving the support column 15.
The above-mentioned rotation and vertical movement of are controlled.

Each rack 10a, 10b, 10c t-106 is
There are multiple shelves arranged above and below, and each column is numbered. Each column also has a pair of supporting parts 1 spaced apart on both sides.
0A and 10B are provided.

The transfer Ia12 is placed on the crane 11, and
1 and can rotate and move up and down. The transfer machine 12 also has a pair of arms 12a, 12a.
is provided. The pair of arms 12a, 12a are driven by a drive means (not shown) disposed within the transfer machine 12.
It can be moved between a position where it is evacuated onto the crane 11 and a position where it is projected from the crane 11.

The arithmetic and control device 14 connects the driving means 1 via a cable 16.
Connected to 3. This arithmetic and control unit 14 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and when an external command signal is input, the transfer machine 12 .
Controls the driving means 13 and the like. An example of this program is shown as a flowchart in FIGS. 4'(a) and 4(b).

Next, the operation of the automated warehouse 2 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the reset state, the crane 11 is moved to the lowest position, and the arm 12a of the transfer machine 12 faces toward the loading/unloading lower side, and the arm 12a is retracted above the crane 11. Note that the reset position of the crane 11 is set according to the position of the loading/unloading lower, and in this embodiment, the loading/unloading lower is provided at the lowest side.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 4(a) is a processing program for storing the work 8 in the automated warehouse 2. This processing program starts when the workpiece 8 is carried by the traverser 5 to a position corresponding to the loading/unloading lower.

Now, assuming that an instruction to store this work 8 on the Nth shelf of the Nth row rack is input from the outside, the transfer machine 12 is first operated and the arm 12a is moved into the loading/unloading lower. (Step 5T1), and the workpiece 8 is placed on the arm 12a from the traverser 5 (Step 5T1).
2).

Next, the arm 12a is retracted onto the crane 11 (Step ST3. Step 5T4), so that the work 8 is placed on the crane 11.

Next, the vertical movement motor (not shown) of the driving means 13 is operated to move the crane 11 upward together with the support column 15 (step 5T5). This movement is made to the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2, that is, slightly above the Nth shelf (step 5T6).

When it is moved to this position, the vertical movement motor is stopped (step 5T7).

Also, when this upper machine is stopped (step 5T8), 9
Then, the rotation motor (not shown) is operated (step 5).
T9), the crane 11 is rotated together with the support column 15. This rotation is continued until the arm 12a is in a state corresponding to the nth column (step 5TIO), and is stopped when the arm 12a is in a state corresponding to the nth column (step ST11).

When the rotation motor stops (step 5T12), the arm 12a on which the work 8 is placed is projected from the crane 11 (steps 5T13, 5TI4). Further, in this state, the workpiece Sh<h is placed in the Nth shelf of the nth column rack.

Next, the lowering motor is driven at -, and the support body 12a is moved downward until the arm 12a is slightly lowered at - with respect to the Nth shelf.
5 and lower the crane 11 (step S T 15
), the vertical movement motor is stopped again in this state (step STI 6.STI 7.5T18).

Then, in this state, only work 8 is in the rack N of the nth row.
The workpiece 8 is placed on the supports 10A and 10B of the shelf of the third stage, and then the arm 12a is retracted onto the 1st node 11 (step 5T19.20>. At this time, the workpiece 8 is
Since arm 12a is not above crane 11,
Back to top.

Next, the vertical movement motor is operated again (step 5T).
21), the crane 11 is moved downward together with the support column 15 and returned to the reset position (step 5T22).

Then, the vertical movement motor is stopped (step S'r
23,5T24).

Next, the rotation motor is driven (step 5T25).
>, the arm 12a is rotated until it faces the core side (step 5T26>, and the rotation motor stops again (step 5T27>). This completes one cycle of storing the workpiece 8, It has the following instructions.

FIG. 4(b) shows that the work 8 stored in the rack 10 is taken out again and placed on the rubbers 1 to 5 for processing 113.
．． FIG.

This flowchart starts when an external command signal is provided. Now, assume that an instruction is given to take out the Nth workpiece 8 of the Nth column rack.

First, the vertical movement motor (not shown) of the drive means 13
is operated, and the crane 11 is moved upward together with the support column 15 (step ST31). This movement is made to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, that is, slightly below the Nth shelf (step 5T32).

When it is moved to this position, the vertical movement motor is stopped (step 5T33). Further, when this motor is stopped (step 5T34), the rotation motor is then driven (step 5T35), and the crane 11 is rotated together with the support column 15.

This rotation is continued until the arm 12a is in a state corresponding to the nth column (step 5T36), and is stopped when the arm 12a is in a state corresponding to the nth column (step 5T37).

When the rotation motor stops (step 5T38), the arm 12a is extended (steps 5T39, 5T).
40). Further, in this state, the arm 12a is placed below the workpiece placed in the Nth shelf of the Nth rack.

Next, the vertical movement motor is driven, and the crane 11 is moved until the arm 12a is slightly raised relative to the Nth shelf.
(Step 5T41.S)
T4.2), and in this state, the vertical movement motor is stopped again (steps 5T43 to 5T44). Then, arm 12
The workpiece 8 is placed on the support part 10A and separated from the IOB.

Next, the arm 12a is retracted onto the crane 11 (step 5T45), and the work 8 placed on the Nth shelf of the nth row of racks is taken out by the arm 12a and placed on the crane 11.

Next, the vertical movement motor is driven again (step 5T46).
, 5T47), the crane 11 is moved downward together with the support column 15 and returned to the reset position (step 5T4).
8). Then, the vertical movement motor is stopped (step 5).
T49.5T50).

Then, the rotation motor is driven again (step 5T
51), the arm 12a is rotated until it faces the loading/unloading lower side (step S 1'' 52), and the rotation motor stops again (step 5T53). Also, in this state, the arm 12a is rotated again. It is protruded into the delivery lower (
Step 5T54.3T55), the workpiece 8 on the arm 12a is transferred to the traverser 5 side and placed in the predetermined machining area 3.
, 4.

On the other hand, the arm 12a is retracted onto the crane 11 (step 5T56) and enters the reset state.

This completes one cycle of the process of taking out the workpieces 8 from the racks 10a to 10d, and waits for the next instruction.

In addition, although the said Example demonstrated the case where it applied to a processing cell, it is not limited to this and can be similarly applied also to other cells.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to this automated warehouse, the rack, crane, transfer machine, and drive means are integrally provided, and a plurality of racks are arranged surrounding the crane, so that each This automatic warehouse can be installed for each cell, reducing restrictions on the installation location.

Furthermore, since each cell can be controlled individually, it can be operated independently without interference from other cells. This speeds up the work.

Furthermore, since components can be managed on a cell-by-cell basis, management responsibilities can be clarified, unnecessary components will not be left unattended, and costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a layout diagram of main parts schematically showing an example of a processing cell to which the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a schematic structural perspective view of an automated warehouse according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a side view of main parts of the same warehouse. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing program incorporated in the arithmetic and control unit for operating the above-mentioned warehouse. 1... Processing cell 2... Automated warehouse 10...
Rack 11... Crane 12... Transfer m
13...Driving means 14...Arithmetic and control unit agent Patent attorney Noriyuki Chika Agent Patent attorney Yamashita - Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A crane that rotates and moves vertically; a plurality of racks each having a plurality of partitioned shelves with addresses assigned thereto and arranged in positions surrounding the crane; a workpiece placed on the crane; The present invention is characterized by comprising: a transfer device that has an arm that can be moved forward and backward by the crane and is moved together with the crane; and a drive means for applying rotational and vertical movement force to the crane. Automatic warehouse.