JPH0597205A - Warehousing of automated storage and retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To reduce the time required to process the stacking crane storage request in an automated warehouse that has multiple storage openings and is installed between processes. [Structure] In an automated warehouse where a stacker crane travels between two rows of shelves, the empty shelves and the empty pallets in the storage-only shelves are selected when processing a storage request from the storage entrance. If there is an empty pallet at the position of the shelf row facing
A stacker crane operation schedule is created in which a set of these empty shelves and empty pallets are selected with priority.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of preparing an operation schedule of a stacker crane when making a storage request in an automatic warehouse.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, due to the need for FA and CIM in manufacturing sites, there are an increasing number of cases where automatic warehouses are installed between processes for the purpose of arranging parts and the like for subsequent processes. In this type of automated warehouse, it is required to shorten the processing time for one entry or exit request as much as possible. As measures against this, a method of providing a plurality of entrances or exits, a method of creating an operation schedule that reduces the processing time of the stacker crane, and the like are performed. This is to prevent process confusion due to waiting for goods to be received in the front process of the automated warehouse or waiting for goods to be left in the latter process.

The following methods have been proposed and put into practical use as a schedule creation method for shortening the processing time of the loading / unloading operation of the stacker crane. 1) The dedicated storage shelves in the automatic warehouse are divided into a plurality of management zones, and articles with a high frequency of shipping are preferentially stored in the management zone near the exit or the entrance. 2) Based on the current position of the stacker crane, create an operation schedule that minimizes the time required to move to the next target shelf. According to this method, an optimal schedule is selected from a plurality of candidates based on the traveling characteristics and the moving distance of the stacker crane (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 55-7142 and 64-75307).

[0004]

In the stacker crane operation determining method as described above, the processing procedure becomes complicated, and therefore the soft capacity tends to increase. In particular, the automated warehouse installed between processes is a relatively small automated warehouse (with 20 shelves).
0-300) is often sufficient, so that the computer that creates the operation schedule of the stacker crane has a strong need to use an inexpensive single-board computer or personal computer rather than an expensive control minicomputer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for determining an operation schedule of a stacker crane when processing a storage request for an automated warehouse that solves the above problems.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a stacker crane travels between two rows of shelves, has a plurality of loading and unloading ports, and is loaded and unloaded in a state where articles are loaded on a pallet. While carrying out the storage request processing, after placing the pallet loaded with the articles placed in the storage port on the empty shelf, in the storage method of the automatic warehouse to issue the empty pallet to the storage port,
The empty shelves and empty pallets are selected when the receipt request is processed by selecting the empty shelves and empty pallets with priority if there is an empty pallet at the position of the shelf row facing the shelf position of the empty shelves. It is a method of loading an automatic warehouse that creates a stacker crane operation schedule.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram for implementing the present invention. In the figure, rack rows 1 and 2 are an automatic warehouse system installed between processes, and a stacker crane 3 travels between rack rows 1 and 2. A plurality of shelves dedicated to storage (hereinafter referred to as storage ports 1a, 1b, 1c ...) Are provided at the bottom of the shelf rows 1 and 2. At these storage entrances, storage request boards 4a,
4b, 4c, ... are installed. These warehousing request boards are provided with a product name code of a part for which a warehousing request is made, switches for setting the number of warehousing, etc., and a push button for an operator to register a warehousing request. Reference numeral 5 denotes a warehousing management device composed of a microcomputer, which is connected to a CRT and a keyboard (not shown). Reference numeral 6 denotes a central management device, which has a function of managing shelf information in the automatic warehouse, and creating an operation schedule of the stacker crane 3 when a request for warehousing or warehousing occurs. The central management unit 6 is composed of a personal computer or a microcomputer, and has a CRT 6a and a keyboard 6b.
Connect. 7 is a ground control device for the stacker crane 3, which is transmitted from the central control device 6.
The data of the operation schedule of (1) is converted into traveling and ascending / descending distance information from the origin position and transmitted to the stacker crane 3.

At the bottom of the shelf row 2, a plurality of dedicated shelves (delivery ports), ... Are installed, and each of the delivery ports is provided with a delivery request device 8a, 8b, 8c ,. .. This delivery request device is provided with a push button switch or the like for making a delivery request. Reference numeral 9 denotes a delivery management device composed of a macro computer, to which a CRT 9a and a keyboard 9b are connected. Near the entrances 1a, 1b, 1c, ...
Although not shown, a processing machine or the like which is a pre-process is installed.
In addition, an assembly machine, etc., which will be the next process, will be installed near the delivery port.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the shelf addresses of empty shelves stored in the central management unit 6. The data of this empty shelf is column, row,
Sorted in the order of columns. FIG. 3 shows a shelf address for storing empty pallets stored in the central management device 6. The data of this empty pallet is rearranged in the order of columns, rows, and columns as in the case of empty shelves.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. A flowchart of the processing procedure of the present invention is shown in FIG. For the operation of the storage request, after setting the product name code and the number of stored products using various switches of the storage request panels 4a, 4b, ..., The push button for the storage request is pushed. Then, the storage request data is transmitted from the storage management device 5 to the central management device 6. The central management unit 6 creates a stacker crane operation schedule for this storage request in the following procedure. 1) From the beginning of the empty shelf data shown in FIG. 2, it is searched from the empty pallet data shown in FIG. 3 whether there is an empty pallet at the position of the shelf row (the row and the row are the same) facing this empty shelf address. .. If found, the data of this empty shelf and empty pallet is stored. If there is no empty pallet facing the first empty shelf address, the same processing is performed for the second empty shelf. Then, this process is performed up to the last empty shelf. In the data shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, 1 column, 12 rows and 2 layers is selected for an empty shelf, and 2 columns, 12 rows and 2 layers are selected for an empty pallet. 2) In the process of 2) above, when only one pair of empty pallets facing the empty shelves is found, a stacker crane operation schedule for processing a storage request for the empty shelves and empty pallets To be adopted as. Further, when a plurality of retrievals are made, a shelf close to the entrance for which the storage request is made, for example, a shelf having the closest row among the shelf addresses, or a row having the same row difference is selected. .. 3) If the pair of empty pallets at the position opposite to the empty shelf is not found in the process of 1) above, search the empty shelf and empty pallet close to the receiving entrance that issued the receipt request by the processing procedure of 2) above. , The operation schedule of the stacker crane for the receipt request processing.

Subsequently, the central management unit 6 transmits to the stacker crane ground control unit 7 the shelf address of the entrance for which the above-mentioned storage request is made, the empty shelf address, and the shelf address for storing empty pallets. The ground control device 7 converts these shelf address data into distance information for controlling the stacker crane 3 and transmits the distance information to the onboard control device. As a result, the stacker crane 3 can process this warehousing request. Then, when the completion signal of the storage request is transmitted from the ground control device 7, the central management device 6 updates the empty rack, empty pallet, and inventory data.

The applicant has previously filed Japanese Patent Publication Sho 62
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 47-47, when the storage-only shelf is divided into a plurality of management zones and the method of selecting empty shelves and empty pallets according to the present invention is adopted for each management zone, the operation efficiency of the stacker crane 3 is increased. Can be further improved.

The present invention described above has the following effects. 1) Prioritize selection of an empty pallet at a position near the warehousing entrance that has made a warehousing request and at a position facing the vacant shelf. Therefore, when there is an empty pallet at a position facing the empty shelf, it is unnecessary to move the stacker crane from the empty shelf to the empty pallet, and the processing time required for the storage request can be significantly shortened. 2) The present invention is applied to a small-scale automatic warehouse composed of two rows of shelves. Therefore, the software capacity for realizing the present invention can be made relatively small, and a single board microcomputer or a personal computer can be used as a central management unit, and an inexpensive two-row automatic warehouse system can be provided. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format example of a shelf address file of an empty shelf stored in a central management device for carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format example of a shelf address file of an empty pallet which is also stored in the central management unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Shelf Line 1a Entry Gate 1b Entry Port 2 Shelf Queue 3 Stacker Crane 4a Entry Request Board 4b Entry Request Board 5 Entry Management Device 6 Central Management Device 9 Entry Management Device Entry / Exit Entry / Exit Entry / Exit Entry / Exit mouth

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stacker crane travels between two rows of shelves, has a plurality of loading and unloading ports, and loads and unloads articles while they are loaded on a pallet. Pallets, empty pallets, and empty shelves are mixed in the dedicated shelves for storage, and the stacker crane processes receipt requests.
In an automatic warehouse receiving method in which an empty pallet is loaded into an empty shelf after loading a pallet loaded with articles placed in the incoming entrance, the selection of an empty shelf and an empty pallet at the time of the receiving process is performed. , The empty shelving address stored in the storage device and the shelving address storing the empty pallet are sequentially searched, and if there is an empty pallet at the position of the shelving row that opposes the shelving position of the empty shelving, it is at the opposite position An automatic warehouse receiving method characterized by creating a stacker crane operation schedule that preferentially selects empty shelves and empty pallets.