JPH05186004A - Part supplying method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently supply parts from an automated warehouse to a plurality of stations where parts are housed. CONSTITUTION:Parts stored in an automated warehouse 20 are supplied respectively to a plurality of stations for housing the parts, by means of a conveying vehicle 30. A parts residual quantity data is transmitted from each station to a control part 21, and based on average parts consumption data of each station the stock running-out time of the parts at the station is calculated. A supply traveling path of the conveying vehicle 30 is selected among supply path patterns stored in advance in a memory part in accordance with the order of priority of parts supply to respective stations. Parts deleivery is commanded to the conveying vehicle 30 from the automated warehouse 20, and a selected supply traveling path pattern is indicated to the conveying vehicle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a parts replenishing method for replenishing parts to each station when a plurality of parts are assembled to a work as in a car production line and the work is assembled. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a main body process in a vehicle body assembly line, a main body as a work is transferred to a large number of stations arranged at predetermined intervals along a transfer line, and parts are assembled at each station. I am trying to do. In a vehicle assembly line, interior and exterior outfitting parts such as an engine and a seat are assembled to the vehicle body after being assembled and painted through the vehicle body assembly line. While the work is being conveyed to the line, the parts accommodated in the stations arranged along the line are assembled to the work by a machine or manually.

As described above, various work assembling apparatuses are provided in which a transfer line for transferring a work is provided along each station for accommodating the parts, and the parts of each station are assembled to the work to be conveyed. Since there is a limit to the number of parts that can be stored in each station, a large number of parts are stored in an automated warehouse that is located away from each station, and the parts are sequentially transferred by a transport vehicle. I am trying to replenish the station.

Conventionally, each station is provided with a red, yellow, blue, etc. lamp, and a predetermined lamp is turned on according to the remaining amount of parts. By looking at the lamps at each station and observing the actual remaining amount of parts, the worker can
We are informed that shortage of parts will occur soon due to wireless communication. After receiving the communication, the replenishment staff instructs the transport staff to carry out and carry in the parts in order to replenish the parts in the order of the stations informed.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional parts replenishment method, since the parts are unloaded in the order in which they are contacted from each station, the urgency of replenishment at each station is high. There was a lot of waste in the replenishment operation of the parts because the parts and the transportation route of the parts were not taken into consideration. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to enable efficient supply of parts to each station in which each part is housed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention is to replenish a plurality of stations for accommodating parts, respectively, by using a carrier to replenish the parts from an automated warehouse in which the parts are stored. In the above-mentioned parts replenishment method, the parts remaining amount data is transmitted from each of the stations to the control unit, and the parts out time of each of the stations is calculated based on an average part usage amount in each of the stations. The control unit calculates the priority of component supply to each of the stations based on the calculation result, and selects the replenishment travel route of the transport vehicle from the replenishment route patterns stored in advance in the storage unit. Then, the automatic warehouse is instructed to issue the parts to the transport vehicle, and the transport route pattern selected is instructed to the transport vehicle. It is a method of supplying parts.

[0007]

The data of the remaining amount of the parts accommodated in each station is sent to the control part, and this control part calculates the part out time of each station. The priority order of component supply to each station is obtained from the component run-out time, and the optimum pattern is selected from the supply route patterns stored in the storage unit in advance. Based on this selected pattern, parts are delivered from the automated warehouse to the guided vehicle, and the guided vehicle travels according to the replenishment pattern,
Parts are supplied to a predetermined station.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a view showing the basic concept of the present invention, and for convenience sake, three stations ST1 to ST3 are shown among a large number of stations arranged along a line for assembling a work. Predetermined parts are accommodated in each of these stations, and an automatic warehouse 20 in which a large amount of parts are stored is provided at a position distant from the station. This automated warehouse 2
The loading of parts from 0 to each station is performed by an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 30 that travels between the automated warehouse 20 and each station 10.

Each of the stations ST1 to ST3 is equipped with an inventory status detecting device 11 for detecting the number of remaining parts according to the weight of the parts housed therein.
From the signal from, one of a plurality of lamps for lighting and indicating the necessity of replenishment is turned on according to the number of the remaining amount, and the worker is displayed an outline of the remaining amount. Furthermore, this inventory status detection device 1
From 1, the component remaining amount data is wirelessly transmitted to the control unit 21 of the automated warehouse 20. However, this data may be transmitted by wire via a cable.
As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 21 is provided with a reception unit 22 that receives data wirelessly transmitted from each station, and the component remaining amount data of each station is stored in the CPU 23 in the control unit 21. Sent to. This CP
A storage unit 24 such as a ROM connected to the U23 stores in advance data of the average amount of used parts for each of the stations ST1 to ST3. Therefore, in the CPU 23, the data of the average component usage amount stored in the storage unit 24 is read out for each station, and the component out time T1 to T3 for each station SR1 to ST3 is calculated. The part run-out time T (min) is calculated by T = (stock amount) / (average part usage amount).

Further, in the storage unit 24, the automatic warehouse 20
And a plurality of replenishment route patterns of the automatic guided vehicle 30 traveling between each station and each station are stored. FIG. 3 is a replenishment route pattern 31 for transporting the automatic guided vehicle 30 toward the three stations ST1 to ST3 shown in FIG.
32 is a schematic diagram showing 32, in which case the first pattern 3
1 and the second pattern 32. The first supply route pattern 31 is a pattern in which the unmanned guided vehicle 30 travels in the order of the stations ST2, ST1, ST3, and the second supply route pattern 32 is the stations ST3, ST1, S.
It is a pattern in which the automated guided vehicle 30 is run in the order of T2. Further, in consideration of a case where a lot of troubles occur in each station or a sudden use of parts, an emergency route pattern that goes straight to a specific station is also stored in the storage unit 24.

Which supply route pattern is selected is
This is done by calculating the priority order of parts supply based on the parts shortage time T of each station. For example, FIG. 4 (A)
(B) is a part out time T at three stations
In each of the figures, time T1 indicates the out-of-part time of station ST1, time T2 is of station ST2, and time T3 is of station ST.
3 shows the part out time. The first replenishment route pattern is selected in the case of the pattern of the parts out time as shown in FIG. 4 (A), and the second replenishment is made in the case of the pattern of the parts out time as shown in FIG. 4 (B). The route pattern is selected, and the unmanned guided vehicle 3 is finally sent to the station with the longest time.
A supply route pattern such that 0 arrives is selected. Therefore, the replenishment route that can delay the departure time of the automatic guided vehicle 30 most is selected, so that the automatic warehouse 2 is sequentially operated.
It is possible to set a long departure time interval between the unmanned guided vehicles 30 starting from 0, which not only improves the transportation efficiency, but also suppresses the work on the worker in the work assembly line as much as possible.

For the automatic guided vehicle 30, the automatic warehouse 20
A delivery instruction signal is sent from the CPU 23 to the delivery instruction circuit 25 for the delivery device therein, and a predetermined number of predetermined components are mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 30. The traveling control for the automated guided vehicle 30 is controlled by sending a control signal from the CPU 23 to the transmission unit 26 so that the automated guided vehicle 30 on which the components are mounted travels according to the selected supply route pattern.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a replenishing process in the above-described component replenishing method, and the timer is turned on in step S1 after the control section 21 and the like are initialized at the time of starting the assembly line. This timer is a timer for setting a time interval for taking in the component remaining amount data in each station, and the component remaining amount is detected at every predetermined time. Therefore, each time the timer is timed up, the data of the remaining amount of components is wirelessly transmitted from the stations ST1 to ST3 to the receiving unit 22 of the automatic warehouse 20 in step S3. In step S4, the above-described component out time T is calculated for each station, and it is determined in step S5 whether or not it is necessary to replenish components in at least one of the stations. In step S6, the priority order of component supply is calculated based on the component run-out time, and the supply route pattern is selected. As a result of this selection, parts are unloaded from the automated warehouse 20 in the automated guided vehicle 30, and the automated guided vehicle 30 travels by itself toward each station while being controlled by the radio signal from the transmission unit 26. When the position of the station or the parts to be replenished is changed, it may be necessary to change the replenishment route pattern. In this case, it is only necessary to correct the data stored in the storage unit 24. It becomes possible to respond.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are views showing another specific example of the method of replenishing parts according to the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, parts are transferred from the unmanned warehouse 20 to each station by an unmanned carrier 30. However, in this case, the worker 33 operates the forklift 34 to replenish it. The CRT 3 shown in FIG. 7 provided on the panel of the forklift 34
5, a control signal is wirelessly sent from the transmission unit 26 shown in FIG. 2, and the supply route pattern is displayed on the CRT 35. Therefore, the worker 33 operates the forklift 34 according to the displayed course map, route, and stop position to perform the delivery work. The illustrated embodiment is a diagram showing the basic concept of the present invention, in which a large number of stations in an actual work assembly line are arranged along the line, and the preset replenishment route pattern is limited to two systems. However, a large number of patterns may be set and stored.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the route for replenishing parts is automatically selected, so that it is possible to set a long traveling interval for the transport vehicle traveling from the automatic warehouse to each station. As a result, the effect of being able to significantly improve the replenishment efficiency of parts while reducing hindrance to work was obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a basic concept of a supply device embodying a component supply method of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit of a control unit provided in the automatic warehouse,

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a supply route pattern,

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of a pattern of part out time,

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a supply process of a component supply method,

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a component supply method according to another embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a CRT of the forklift shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

ST1 to ST3 ... Station, 20 ... Automatic warehouse, 21
... Control unit, 24 ... Storage unit, 30 ... Transport vehicle, 31, 32 ...
Replenishment route pattern, T ... Parts out time.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A parts replenishment method for replenishing parts to a plurality of stations for accommodating parts, respectively, using an automatic warehouse in which the parts are stored, using a carrier vehicle. The component remaining amount data is transmitted to the control unit, the component out time of each of the stations is calculated by the control unit based on the average component usage amount at each of the stations, and each of the above-mentioned components is calculated based on the calculation result. The priority order of parts supply to the station is calculated, the supply travel route of the transport vehicle is selected from the supply route patterns stored in advance in the storage unit, and the delivery of the components from the automated warehouse to the transport vehicle is instructed. In addition, the method of replenishing parts, in which the selected replenishment travel route pattern is instructed to the transport vehicle.