JP2007290076A - Carrier control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To treat a plurality of kinds of members inexpensively supplied with high productivity in a mixed state. <P>SOLUTION: The carrier control system 1 is equipped with a member take-out port 2 capable of taking out the plurality kinds of members supplied in the mixed state in the order of arrival, a buffer part 3 capable of temporarily storing the member taken out from the member take-out port 2, carrier devices 4a, 4b which take out the member from the member take-out port 2 or the buffer part 3 and carry the member to the carrier destination set by a control part 6, and a control part 6 which determines a member take-out source between the member take-out port 2 and the buffer part 3, and a member carrier destination between production facilities 5a, 5b for using the member and the buffer part 3 and controls the carrier treatment of the member by the carrier devices 4a, 4b according to a storage situation of the member in the member take-out port 2 and the buffer part 3 and the operation situation of the carrier devices 4a, 4b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyance control system suitable for application to a production line for carrying out processing such as processing on a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state and then carrying them out to a subsequent process.

Conventionally, multiple types of members supplied in a mixed state are allocated to the previous stock line by type, and the members supplied from the previous stock line are processed and then processed. A transfer control system that distributes to a stock line and then carries it out is known (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-154721 A

  According to the conventional conveyance control system, since the front stock line must be provided for each type of member, the production line cannot be configured at low cost. Furthermore, according to the conventional transport control system, the productivity is improved by controlling the number of members distributed to the front stock line, so that the control of the transport device that transports the members to the front stock line is complicated. become.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport control system that can process a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state at a low cost and with high productivity. There is.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the conveyance control system according to the present invention is characterized by a member outlet capable of taking out a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state in the order of arrival, and a member taken out from the member outlet. A buffer unit that can be temporarily stored, a conveying device that takes out the member from the member outlet or the buffer unit, and conveys the extracted member to a set conveying destination, and the member outlet and the storage status of the member in the buffer unit; In accordance with the operation status of the transfer device, the member removal source is set between the member take-out port and the buffer unit, the member transfer destination is set between the production facility using the member and the buffer unit, and the member is transferred by the transfer device. And a control unit for controlling processing.

  According to the transport control system of the present invention, it is possible to take out, process, and carry out members regardless of the arrival order of a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state, so it is necessary to provide a front stock line for each type of member. As a result, there is no need to control the number of members distributed to the previous stock line. Therefore, according to the transport control system of the present invention, it is possible to process a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state at a low cost and with high productivity.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a transport control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of transport control system]
The conveyance control system 1 which becomes one Embodiment of this invention is connected to conveyance apparatus edge parts, such as a belt conveyor, The member extraction port 2 which can take out the member carried in from the conveyance apparatus in order of carrying-in, and the member extraction port 2 The transfer unit set by the control unit 6 by taking out the member from the buffer unit 3 capable of temporarily storing the taken-out member and the member outlet 2 or the buffer unit 3 and moving on the same transfer track such as a rail. A plurality of transport devices 4a and 4b that transport members first, and a plurality of production facilities 5a and 5b that are supplied to a belt conveyor in a subsequent process after performing processing such as processing on the members transported from the transport devices 4a and 4b. And a control unit 6 that controls the conveying process of the conveying devices 4a and 4b as main components.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there is an upper limit value such as 10 for the amount of members that can be stored in the buffer unit 3. In addition, unlike the member outlet 2, the member stored in the buffer unit 3 can be taken out regardless of the member storage order. In addition, although the number of production facilities is two, the number may be any number as long as the number is equal to or more than the number of transfer devices. Moreover, the control part 6 discriminate | determines the kind of member in member outlet 2, buffer part 3, and production equipment 5a, 5b by communicating with member outlet 2, buffer part 3, and production equipment 5a, 5b. Suppose it is possible. The type of member can be determined, for example, by attaching an IC tag storing type information to the member and communicating with the IC tag.

[Transport control processing]
In the said conveyance control system, the control part 6 performs the conveyance control process shown below, and after supplying the multiple types of member carried in the mixed state to a post process. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation of the control unit 6 when executing the conveyance control process will be described.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 2 starts when the control unit 6 acquires information on a member (hereinafter referred to as a request member) that the production facilities 5a and 5b process, and the conveyance control process is performed in step S1. move on.

  In the process of step S <b> 1, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the request member exists in the component outlet 2 or the buffer unit 3 by communicating with the component outlet 2 and the buffer unit 3. If the requested member does not exist in either the component outlet 2 or the buffer unit 3 as a result of determination, the control unit 6 waits until the requested member is supplied to the component outlet 2. On the other hand, when the requested member is present in the component outlet 2 or the buffer unit 3, the control unit 6 advances the conveyance control process to the process of step S2.

  In the process of step S <b> 2, the control unit 6 sets the extraction source of the requested member between the component outlet 2 and the buffer unit 3. In the present embodiment, the control unit 6 sets the component take-out port 2 as a take-out source of the request member when the request member exists in both the component take-out port 2 and the buffer unit 3. Thereby, the process of step S2 is completed, and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S3.

  In the process of step S3, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the request member take-out source set in the process of step S3 is the component take-out port 2. As a result of the determination, when the request member is extracted from the buffer unit 3 instead of the component outlet 2, the control unit 6 advances the conveyance control process to the process of step S6. On the other hand, when the request member is taken out from the member outlet 2, the control unit 6 advances the transport control process to the process of step S4.

  In the process of step S <b> 4, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the request member is the leading member of the member outlet 2. And as a result of discrimination | determination, when a request | requirement member is the head member of the member extraction port 2, the control part 6 advances a conveyance control process to the process of step S6. On the other hand, when the request member is not the leading member of the member outlet 2, the control unit 6 advances the conveyance control process to the process of step S5.

  In the process of step S <b> 5, the control unit 6 sets the conveyance destination of the member in the buffer unit 3 so that the leading member of the component outlet 2 is conveyed to the buffer unit 3. Thereby, the process of step S5 is completed, and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S7.

  In the process of step S6, the control unit 6 sets the transport destination of the members in the production facilities 5a and 5b so as to transport the requested member stored in the buffer unit 3 to the production facilities 5a and 5b. Thereby, the process of step 6 is completed, and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S7.

  In the process of step S7, the control unit 6 refers to the information on the transport apparatus that is currently performing the transport process and the transport apparatus that is reserved for the transport process, and the operation status and transport reservation status of the transport apparatuses 4a and 4b. Confirm. Thereby, the process of step S7 is completed, and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S8.

  In the process of step S8, the control unit 6 determines whether there is a transport apparatus that can perform the transport process based on the processing result of step S7. If the result of determination is that there is no transport device capable of performing the transport process, the controller 6 returns the transport control process to the process of step S7. On the other hand, when there is a transport apparatus capable of performing the transport process, the control unit 6 advances the transport control process to the process of step S9.

  In the process of step S9, the control unit 6 refers to the operation history of the transfer device to extract the transfer device having the shortest operation time from the transfer devices capable of executing the transfer process in order to increase the transfer efficiency of the members. To do. Thereby, the process of step S9 is completed, and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S10.

  In the process of step S10, the control unit 6 determines whether or not a plurality of transport apparatuses have been extracted in the process of step S9. As a result of the determination, if a plurality of transfer devices are not extracted, the control unit 6 determines that the extracted transfer device is a transfer device that executes the transfer process, and then advances the transfer control process to the process of step S12. On the other hand, when a plurality of transport apparatuses are extracted, the control unit 6 advances the transport control process to the process of step S11.

  In the process of step S11, the control unit 6 refers to the operation history of the transfer apparatus so as to increase the transfer efficiency of the members, and from the end of the previous transfer process from among the transfer apparatuses extracted by the process of step S9. Is selected, and the selected transfer device is determined as the transfer device that executes the transfer process. Thereby, the process of step S11 is completed and the conveyance control process proceeds to the process of step S12.

  In the process of step S12, the control unit 6 reserves and instructs execution of the transport process by transmitting information on the request member take-out source and the transport destination set by the above-described process to the transport device that executes the transport process. . Thereby, the process of step S12 is completed and a series of conveyance control processes are complete | finished.

  As is apparent from the above description, the transport control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a member outlet 2 that can take out a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state in the order of arrival, and a member outlet 2. A buffer unit 3 capable of temporarily storing a member taken out from the member, and conveying devices 4a and 4b that take out the member from the member outlet 2 or the buffer unit 3 and convey the member to a conveying destination set by the control unit 6; In accordance with the storage state of the members in the member outlet 2 and the buffer unit 3 and the operating states of the transfer devices 4a and 4b, the member extraction source and the production facility using the member between the member outlet 2 and the buffer unit 3 The control part 6 which determines the conveyance destination of a member between 5a, 5b and the buffer part 3, and controls the conveyance process of the member by the conveying apparatuses 4a and 4b is provided.

  According to such a system configuration, members can be taken out, processed, and transported regardless of the arrival order of a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state, so there is no need to provide a front stock line for each type of member. As a result, there is no need to control the number of members distributed to the previous stock line. Therefore, according to the conveyance control system 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to process a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state with low cost and high productivity.

  Moreover, according to the conveyance control system 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the leading member of the member outlet 2 is a member different from the required members of the production facilities 5a and 5b. However, if the leading member is different from the required member, the conveying device 4a, 4b is controlled so that the leading member is taken out from the member outlet 2 and the removed leading member is conveyed to the buffer unit 3. It is not necessary to provide a separate stock line, and the production line can be constructed at low cost.

  Moreover, according to the conveyance control system 1 which becomes one Embodiment of this invention, since the conveying apparatuses 4a and 4b move a member by moving on the same conveyance track | orbit, a conveyance system can be constructed | assembled cheaply. When giving a conveyance instruction to one of the conveyance devices 4a and 4b moving on the same track, the control unit 6 performs a conveyance process when one of the conveyance devices performs a conveyance process in order to avoid problems such as a collision of the conveyance device. It is desirable to give a transport instruction at a timing when the transport trajectory area to be used does not overlap the transport trajectory area used by the other device for transport processing.

  Specifically, in this case, the control unit 5 first divides the transport track 7 on which the transport device moves as shown in FIG. 4 into a plurality of regions. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance track 7 is divided into six regions, and the regions (2), (3), (4), and (5) are the member outlet 2, the production facility 5a, and the buffer unit 3, respectively. , And the position of the production facility 5b. Further, the areas (1) and (6) are set as standby points for the transfer apparatuses 4a and 4b, respectively.

  Next, when the conveyance device 4a waiting at the standby point (1) is instructed to convey the member at the member outlet 2 to the production facility 5b and return to the standby point (1) again, the control unit 6 generates a sequence of area numbers indicating the transport route of the transport apparatus 4a as shown in FIG. Then, every time the transport device 4a passes through the area, the control unit 6 sets the area number corresponding to the area that has passed as shown in FIGS. It is determined that the conveyance process is completed at the timing when the area number is set to pass. In addition, the area | region which the conveying apparatus passed can be discriminate | determined by providing a sensor for every area | region.

  On the other hand, after the transfer process of the transfer device 4a, the member of the buffer unit 3 is transferred to the production facility 5b with respect to the transfer device 4b waiting at the standby point (6), and returns to the standby point (6) again. When giving a conveyance instruction | indication, the control part 6 also produces | generates the numerical sequence of the area number which shows the conveyance route of the conveying apparatus 4b as shown to Fig.6 (a). And the timing (FIG.6 (c)) by which the area number contained in the numerical sequence produced | generated about the conveying apparatus 4b was set to pass in the numerical sequence produced | generated about the conveying apparatus 4b, ie, when the conveying apparatus 4b performs a conveyance process. The transfer process of the transfer device 4b is started at the timing when the transfer track area used for the transfer device 4a does not overlap the transfer track area used by the transfer device 4a for the transfer process, and the same process as that of the transfer device 4a is performed. Execute.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which applied the invention made by the present inventors was described, this invention is not limited by the description and drawing which make a part of indication of this invention by this embodiment. That is, it should be added that other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on the above-described embodiments are all included in the scope of the present invention.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the conveyance control system used as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the conveyance control process used as one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the conveyance control process shown in FIG. 2. It is a schematic diagram which shows the system structure for avoiding the collision of the some conveying apparatus which moves on the same conveyance track | orbit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of the process for controlling the conveyance route of one conveyance apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of the process for controlling the conveyance route of two conveying apparatuses.

Explanation of symbols

1: Conveyance control system 2: Parts outlet 3: Buffer units 4a, 4b: Conveying devices 5a, 5b: Production equipment 6: Control unit

Claims (3)

A member outlet that can take out a plurality of types of members supplied in a mixed state in the order of arrival;
A buffer unit capable of temporarily storing a member taken out from the member outlet;
A conveying device that takes out the member from the member outlet or the buffer unit and conveys the removed member to a set conveying destination;
According to the member outlet and the storage state of the member in the buffer unit and the operating state of the transfer device, the member is taken out between the member outlet and the buffer unit, and between the production equipment using the member and the buffer unit. And a control unit for setting a member transport destination and controlling a member transport process by the transport device. The transport control system according to claim 1,
The control unit determines whether or not the leading member of the member outlet is a member different from the required member of the production facility, and when the leading member is different from the required member, takes out the leading member from the member outlet, A transport control system, wherein the transport device is controlled so as to transport the extracted leading member to a buffer unit. The conveyance control system according to claim 1 or 2,
The transport device includes a plurality of devices that move on the same transport track, and the control unit uses the device for transport processing when giving a transport instruction to one of the devices. A conveyance control system characterized in that a conveyance instruction is given at a timing when a conveyance orbit area to be overlapped with a conveyance orbit area used by another apparatus for conveyance processing.

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