JP3661901B2 - Automatic warehouse control system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to a control system for an automatic warehouse, and more particularly to processing of a delivery instruction accompanied by a shortage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an automatic warehouse, a host computer may be instructed to issue goods that are not actually in stock. This often occurs when the host computer has already been arranged to receive the item into the automated warehouse. If a missing item occurs, the control of the automatic warehouse is confused. For example, if the delivery instruction is not processed until the missing item is resolved, shipping will be extremely delayed if picking after delivery is necessary.
[0003]
[Problems of the Invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable shipment immediately after arrival of a missing item in response to a shipping instruction accompanied by a missing item.
[0004]
[Structure of the invention]
The invention of claim 1 is an automatic warehouse control system comprising a warehouse computer that controls a crane and is connected to a host computer in order to control an automatic warehouse comprising a crane and a shelf. At least three types of files, inventory file, delivery file, and missing item file are prepared, the warehouse computer records the delivery instruction from the host computer in the delivery file, and the delivery instruction is compared with the inventory file to detect the missing item. , Record the missing item in the missing item file, match it with the received item, and if the issue date from the automatic warehouse has already arrived in response to the issue instruction with the missing item, start the crane and make the item other than the missing item. It manages the retrieval operation status of the automatic warehouse body relative unloading to and issuing instructions to, goods issue instructions to the pair shortage comprises the shortage upon Receipt in the automated warehouse Determine been started or not the crane for unloading Te, a shortage that receipts if already started instructs the crane to immediately issuing further if the shortage was receipts against goods issue instructions of the crane not activated, It is characterized in that the crane is instructed to allocate the missing item received to the inventory file and store the missing item on the shelf of the automatic warehouse body .
[0005]
Preferably, the automatic warehouse is provided with a plurality of loading / unloading stations. In the immediate loading / unloading process described above, the immediate loading / unloading process of the missing item is interrupted in the crane process, and the predetermined loading / unloading station is used for the shortage processing. A warehouse computer controls the crane to deliver goods.
[0007]
Here, the inventory file, the delivery file, the missing item file, and the like are effective files, and it is not necessary for these files to be separated and exist literally. The progress of processing at the automatic warehouse in response to a delivery instruction with a missing item may be recorded as a delivery status (actual result) in a delivery file, for example, or may be recorded in a missing product file, etc. What is necessary is just to be able to discriminate whether the progress status of the unloading process is before or after the crane is started upon arrival.
[0008]
[Operation and effect of the invention]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is understood that a missing item file is created in response to a delivery instruction accompanied by a missing item, and that a missing item has arrived by collating with the missing item file for subsequent receipts. In addition, the warehouse computer manages the processing status for the issue instruction with missing items . And when the delivery time from the automatic warehouse body has already arrived in response to the delivery instruction with the missing item, the crane is started to deliver the goods other than the missing item , the missing item arrives and the said delivery instruction If the crane has already been started to issue items other than missing items, it will be immediately released without being stored on the shelf at the time of receipt. For this reason, it is possible to take out other articles in advance in anticipation of the arrival of the missing item, and the item is delivered immediately when the missing item arrives. In this way, the shortage can be quickly eliminated. When a missing item is received in response to an exit instruction when the crane is not activated, the missing item is allocated to an inventory file and temporarily stored in a shelf of an automatic warehouse. For this reason, when a shortage occurs, only the shortage is not issued prior to other items, and the interruption of the crane can be reduced.
[0009]
In the invention of claim 2, the stockout process of the arrived shortage is performed by interrupting the other processing of the crane, and the stockout is immediately delivered in a so-called emergency stocking process. In addition, a specific loading / unloading station is assigned for the delivery of missing items so that processing can be performed without being confused with other articles even if an interruption occurs.
[0011]
【Example】
1 to 3 show an embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a warehouse main body, which includes a crane such as a stacker crane and shelves arranged on both sides of the warehouse, for example, and includes storage stations 4 and 6 and a picking station 10 for storing new articles. This is a general-purpose station that performs picking of articles delivered from the shelf of the main body 2 and performs delivery and inventory in addition. The unloading station 8 is a station for unloading articles when a shortage occurs in response to a unloading command as will be described later. Each of the stations 4 to 10 automatically conveys articles to and from the automatic warehouse main body 2 by an automatic guided vehicle or a conveyor, 12 is a floor waiting for shipment, and 14 is a general-purpose floor used for inspection and other purposes. 16 is a packing area, and 18 is a truck yard.
[0012]
The automatic warehouse is controlled by the warehouse computer 20, and the warehouse computer 20 is provided with at least four types of files: a delivery file 22, a stock file 24, a stock allocation file 26 and a stockout file 28, and the stock allocation file 26 is a delivery file. 22 can also be integrated. These files are dynamically reconstructed files. For example, when there is no missing item, the missing item file 28 does not exist. The missing item file 28 has a missing item list 30, which is a file indicating the item number and quantity of the missing item, a delivery instruction number to which the missing item should be allocated, and the like. There are setting terminals 32 to 38 in the vicinity of each station 4 to 10, and the crane of the automatic warehouse main body 2 operates under the control of the warehouse computer 20. The warehouse computer 20 and the setting terminals 32 to 38 each include a display unit such as a CRT and a printer. A host computer 40 is connected to the warehouse computer 20 via a communication line or the like, and the host computer 40 has at least two types of files, that is, a delivery file 42 and an inventory file 44. The contents of the delivery file 42 are transmitted to the warehouse computer 20 by communication. And instruct to leave. The commanded delivery instruction is recorded in the delivery file 22 of the warehouse computer 20.
[0013]
FIG. 2 shows a stockout process in the embodiment. When a delivery command is input from the host computer 40 to the warehouse computer 20, the contents are stored in the delivery file 22, inventory is allocated against the inventory file 24, and the allocation result is stored in the inventory allocation file 26. The At this time, it is determined whether or not there is a missing item, and if there is no missing item, the process ends when the item is delivered to the picking station 10 or the like after waiting for the delivery, for example, picked and shipped.
[0014]
If there is a missing item, a missing item file 28 is created, and the missing item list can be displayed on each of the terminals 32 to 38. Now, when a shortage arrives before the time of delivery for a stocking instruction with a shortage, the warehouse computer checks the stocking setting against the shortage list and confirms the stocking of the shortage. At the same time, it is detected from the delivery file 22 that the crane has not been activated, and the missing item is sent from the warehousing stations 4 and 6 to the automatic warehouse body 2 and stored on the shelf. The missing item received on the file is allocated to the inventory file. At the same time, it is applied to the inventory allocation file in response to the issue instruction. In addition, the missing item file 28 is canceled when the missing item arrives. Thereafter, when the delivery time comes, the crane is activated, and the product is delivered to the picking station 10 and shipped.
[0015]
When the delivery time from the automatic warehouse body 2 has already arrived in response to a delivery instruction with a missing item, the warehouse body 2 is delivered without waiting for the arrival of the missing item. This makes it unnecessary to cancel a track that has already been arranged, and has important implications for ensuring delivery to the user. In this case, unloading articles other than the shortage are unloaded to, for example, the unloading station 8 and are transported to the shipment waiting floor 12 by a forklift or the like. At the same time, for example, the fact that the crane has been activated for delivery is recorded in the delivery file 22. The presence or absence of the start of the delivery is determined, for example, at the time when the crane is activated for the delivery. In addition, in FIG. 2, it is shown that the processing of the missing item changes with the transportation to the shipping waiting floor as a boundary, but this is to make it easier to see the figure. Whether or not is already started. Articles other than the missing item conveyed to the floor 12 wait on the shipment waiting floor 12 until the missing item is received.
[0016]
Here, when the missing item is received at the receiving stations 4 and 6, it is determined that the missing item has been received by collating the missing item file 28 with the received item at the time of setting the receiving. Then, the shortage stocked on the file is allocated to the inventory file, and at the same time, it is allocated to the inventory allocation file. In addition, the missing item file 28 is canceled when the missing item arrives. Thereafter, the warehouse computer 20 issues an interrupt command to the crane of the automatic warehouse body 2 for immediate delivery of the incoming goods, and the shortage is immediately delivered to a predetermined station, for example, the delivery station 8. During this time, the shortage is not stored on the shelf of the automatic warehouse body 2. The terminal 38 of the delivery station 8 displays that an out-of-stock item is immediately delivered, and the out-of-stock item is picked if necessary, transported to the shipment waiting floor 12 and shipped. Further, for example, a product slip for a missing item is issued at the terminal 38 of the delivery station 8. After that, packing is performed, and if a truck arrives, shipping is performed, and the processing of the shortage is completed.
[0017]
FIG. 3 shows the operation of the crane in the immediate delivery process. When a delivery time comes in response to a delivery instruction with a missing item, the automatic warehouse main body 2 issues a product other than the missing item. Thereafter, another job is performed while waiting for the arrival of the missing item, and when the missing item is received, the fact is confirmed by collation with the missing item list 30. Therefore, the other job is interrupted, and the receiving stations 4 and 6 to the leaving station 8 A crane is assigned to the immediate delivery process to, and when the interruption ends, the original job is returned.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the arrangement of an automatic warehouse. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an automatic warehouse control algorithm in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an operational characteristic diagram of a crane showing an immediate delivery process in the embodiment.
2 Automatic warehouse body 4, 6 Warehousing station 8 Dispatching station 10 Picking station 12 Waiting shipment floor 14 General purpose floor 16 Packing area 18 Truck yard 20 Warehouse computer 22 Dispatch file 24 Stock file 26 Stock allocation file 28 Missing file 30 Missing list 32 ~ 38 Setting terminal 40 Host computer 42 Shipping file 44 Inventory file

Claims (2)

To control an automated warehouse with cranes and shelves, in an automated warehouse control system with a warehouse computer that controls the crane and is connected to a host computer,
The warehouse computer is provided with at least three types of files, an inventory file, a delivery file, and a stockout file. The warehouse computer records a delivery instruction from the host computer in the delivery file, and compares the delivery instruction with the inventory file. Detect missing item, record missing item in missing item file, match with goods received,
In response to a delivery instruction with a missing item, if the delivery time from the main body of the automatic warehouse has already arrived, start the crane and issue the goods other than the missing item,
In addition, it manages the delivery processing status in the automatic warehouse body for the delivery instruction, and determines whether the crane has been activated for delivery in response to the delivery instruction including the missing item when the missing item enters the automatic warehouse. , If it has been activated, the crane is instructed to immediately take out the missing items .
In addition, when a missing item is received in response to an exit instruction when the crane is not activated, the crane is instructed to allocate the missing item to the inventory file and store the missing item on the shelf of the automatic warehouse. An automatic warehouse control system characterized by   The automatic warehouse has a plurality of loading / unloading stations. In the above-mentioned immediate loading / unloading processing, the crane's processing interrupts the short-running immediate loading / unloading processing and unloads the missing items to a predetermined loading / unloading station. The automatic warehouse control system according to claim 1, wherein the warehouse computer controls the crane.

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