JPH0218207A - Inventory control system for automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve warehousing work efficiency by warehousing loads on empty shelves based on self-judgement of a stacker crane which carries means of recognizing the article number of a load and controlling empty shelf information. CONSTITUTION:Information of shelf addresses and empty shelves are preset in the control unit 41 in a crane controller 4. And warehousing execution command from a host computer 5 determines whether or not any empty shelf exists based on the information of shelf addresses and empty shelves. If any empty shelf exists, the empty shelf's address is numerated and the article number data is read out from load discrimination device 2. And after the completion of picking work is confirmed, a stacker crane 7 is driven to move to a empty shelf and stores, loads therein. In this way, the efficiency improvement can be materialized, since the stacker crane determines and controls those by itself.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an inventory management system for an automated warehouse that uses a simple system configuration to manage inventory in an automated warehouse in which a plurality of shelves are arranged three-dimensionally.

As a conventional example of an inventory management system for this type of automated warehouse,
There was one with the following system configuration.

In other words, a host that controls the entire inventory management system through reading means, key manual operations, etc., of data such as vendor codes and product numbers related to parts (baggage) such as screws and bolts recorded on recording media such as magnetic cards and punch cards. When reported to the computer, the host computer receives warehousing information such as shelf addresses (positions of shelves where parts are to be stored) and other warehousing information according to a pre-stored control program, as well as warehousing cycle information that causes multiple stacker cranes to specifically carry out this warehousing information. The information is sent to a control unit (for example, a microcomputer) mounted on each stacker crane, and the control unit that receives this information controls the operation of the stacker crane and stores parts in each column. Note that when the warehousing work is completed, data after warehousing, that is, inventory data, is input to the host computer.

However, in the conventional example described above, the operation of each stacker crane was controlled based on the warehousing cycle information transmitted from the host computer to each control unit, so there were the following drawbacks.

In other words, in the event that an input error occurs in the stacker crane or a failure occurs in any of the stacker cranes, the control program and management data will need to be reviewed or reworked, so warehousing operations will be temporarily suspended. As a result, efficient stocking operations could not be carried out.

The present invention was made in order to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art, and provides an inventory management system for an automated warehouse that allows efficient stocking operations by having a stacker crane share the role of a host computer. The purpose is to provide.

The present invention is an inventory management system for an automated warehouse that operates a stacker crane and stores cargo on a plurality of shelves arranged three-dimensionally, which recognizes the product number of the cargo and stores empty shelves. Means for managing shelf information is mounted on the stacker crane, and the stacker crane is operated based on product number information and empty shelf information to store the cargo at the empty shelf position. There is.

Work-m-■ In case of punishment, at the stacker crane's own discretion,
The cargo will be reliably stored at the empty shelf position.

EXAMPLE An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an inventory management system for an automated warehouse according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an automated warehouse and a stacker crane, FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 5 is a front view thereof.

The outline of this system is shown in FIG. That is, a container (packet) 1 containing a predetermined number of parts such as screws and bolts is transported to the installation position of the chrysanthemum discrimination device (for example, a barcode reader) 2 (near the installation position of a loading station 82 to be described later). and the identification tag (e.g. barcode) provided on the side of the container 1 by the chrysanthemum identification device 2.
The product number data recorded in the stacker crane 10 is read and the read data is reported to the crane controller 4 (installed in the stacker crane 7 as described later). Note that the chrysanthemum discrimination device 2 may be mounted on the stanker crane 7 or may be installed at a predetermined position.

Then, the crane controller 4 calculates the address of the empty shelf where the part should be stored based on the product number data and the shelf address information preset in the crane controller 4, and stores the part at the position of this empty shelf. The operation of the stunker crane 7 is controlled to carry out the warehousing cycle.

The general configuration is such that the inventory data after storage is reported to the host computer 5. Note that the specific control contents of the crane controller 4 will be described later.

Next, details of the automated warehouse and its surrounding configuration will be explained based on FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. The automatic warehouse 8 is configured with shelves 80 arranged in a three-dimensional manner. That is, a plurality of columns A (a subscript is added when a column is indicated individually) are arranged along the column direction a, and each column A is arranged in multiple rows and consecutively along the column direction. A plurality of series are arranged in a matrix along the direction C. Therefore, by specifying the column, series, and stage, the shelf atris is determined. Incidentally, when the fifth column, second series, and third stage are specified, the shelf 80 shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 3 is specified. A storage case 81 containing a predetermined number of the above-mentioned parts is placed on the shelf 80.

A loading station 82 is installed in front of each column 80 for picking a predetermined number of parts from the container 1 and transferring them into the storage case 81. It should be noted that when the picking work is completed, the operator manually enters the number of picking items into the control unit 4. This number of items picked is reported to the host computer 5 as inventory data after the warehousing operation is completed.

Of the plurality of rows A, the rows on both sides are independent, and the rows interposed between the rows on both sides are arranged two adjacently each other. That is, the first row A1 and the sixth row A6 are arranged independently, the second row A2 and the third row A3 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the fourth row A4 and the fifth row A
5 is located adjacent to. A stanker crane 7 for loading and unloading storage cases 81 placed on shelves 80 is arranged between these rows.

The stacker crane 7 can be moved up and down along the support column 70 by a lifting drive means (not shown), and the stacker crane 7 and the support support 70 are connected to an upper rail 7 provided on the ceiling.
1a and a lower rail 71b provided on the floor by a travel drive means (not shown). The stacker crane 7 includes a lifting platform 72, a means 73 for carrying out and obtaining cargo provided on the lifting platform 72, and a stacker crane 7.
The crane controller 4 controls the operation and inventory management of the crane, and a workbench 74. The cargo carrying-out/obtaining means 73 is realized by a telescopic three-stage sliding fork or the like. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the crane controller 4 receives drive command signals from a management control unit (microcomputer) 41 and the lifting drive means, travel drive means, and load carrying out/obtaining means 7.
and a control unit 42 that controls a drive device 43 that drives the drive unit 3.

Now, in the standby state, the stunker crane 7 is located at a standby position (home position) indicated by reference numeral 7' (see Fig. 4), and this standby position is determined by a warehousing cycle execution command signal from the crane controller 4. The robot then travels along the linking direction C to the shelf address of the empty shelf, and moves up and down along the support column 70 to reach the designated shelf address.

Then, in this state, the baggage unloading/obtaining means 73 is driven,
Stocking the storage case 81 on the designated shelf 80,
After that, the staff car crane 7 returns to its original standby position,
This completes the parts inventory work.

Next, the control contents regarding the warehousing cycle of the crane controller 4 will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG. The crane controller 4 has the shelf address and empty shelf information of the shelf 80 set and inputted in advance, and when the host computer 5 receives the warehousing execution command signal, it reads this (step Sl, hereinafter simply 81, S2...
). Next, it is determined from the shelf address and empty shelf information whether there is an empty shelf at the present time (S2), and if there is an empty shelf, the address of the empty shelf is calculated (S3).

Next, read out the product number data from the low profit margin device 2 (S4) and store it. Then, when the above-mentioned pinking work is performed and the completion of the pinking work and the number of pickings are reported by the operator's key power, this is read out and the number of pinkings is stored (S5).

Next, the stacker crane 7 is driven to store the parts at the calculated empty shelf position, and the warehousing cycle is executed (S
6), reports the number of parts in stock, that is, the number of pinking, and the above-mentioned part number data to the host computer 5 as inventory information (37
), complete the warehousing work.

Then, the stacker crane 7 performs the unloading operation shown in FIG. 7 in addition to the above-mentioned warehousing operation. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the shipping work.

That is, the crane controller 4 is activated manually by the operator (or by a delivery command signal from the host computer 5).
When a delivery command (product number command) is issued to (38), the management control unit 41 controls the control unit 42 and the drive device 4.
3, the stunker crane 7 is operated and moved from the corresponding shelf 80 (for example, the nearest shelf 80) to the storage case 81.
is delivered (S9). Next, the operator pinks a predetermined number of parts from the storage case 81, inputs the pinking data to the crane controller 4, and completes the unloading operation (SIO). This picking data is then reported to the host computer 5 as inventory data (Sll).

Therefore, when performing such warehousing work, even if a trouble such as a breakdown occurs in the stunker crane 7 during the warehousing cycle, maintenance only needs to be performed on the stacker crane 7. Similarly, there is no need to review the host computer 5 side (however, only when step 8 is executed). Therefore, it goes without saying that the burden on the host computer 5 can be similarly reduced, and since the management system is activated, unloading work can be carried out immediately at a familiar location in an automated warehouse, for example.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a line in which parts are taken out from a container and placed in a storage case of a stacker crane, but the present invention can also be applied to a line in which parts are transported by a conveyor. Similarly applicable.

According to the present invention described above, the stanker crane that receives the warehousing execution command from the host computer performs the warehousing operation based on its own judgment. There is no need to instruct the warehousing cycle information for each stunker crane individually. Therefore, not only can the burden on the host computer that controls the entire inventory management system be reduced, but even if a failure occurs in one of the stacker cranes, there is no need to review the entire inventory management system, and inventory work by other stacker cranes can be interrupted. In other words, it is possible to quickly respond to emergencies, which results in more efficient warehousing operations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an inventory management system for an automated warehouse according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an automated warehouse and a stacker crane, FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view, FIG. 5 is a front view thereof, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control contents regarding the loading 1tf operation of the crane controller, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the unloading operation. 2...Cargo sorting device 4...Crane controller 7...Stanker crane 8...Automated warehouse 80...Shelf

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an inventory management system for an automated warehouse that operates a stacker crane and stores cargo on a plurality of shelves arranged three-dimensionally, means for recognizing the product number of the cargo and managing empty shelf information of the shelf. is mounted on the stacker crane, and the stacker crane is operated based on product number information and empty shelf information to store the cargo at the empty shelf position.