KR20040053418A - System for Auto Guided Vehicle and Control Methode of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An automatic guided vehicle system and a method of controlling the system are provided to reduce a cassette guide waiting time in a substrate manufacturing apparatus to improve productivity. CONSTITUTION: An automatic guided vehicle system includes a cassette in which multiple substrates are loaded, a plurality of apparatuses(51,52,53) for manufacturing the substrates, a stocker(54) for temporarily storing the cassette, and a plurality of automatic guided vehicles for guiding the stocker and the cassette. The system further includes automatic guided vehicle moving lines(55,56) for automatically moving the automatic guided vehicles between the manufacturing apparatuses and the stocker, a central processing unit executing multiple guide reservation, and a vehicle controller that confirms the multiple guide reservation and allocates the multiple automatic guided vehicles to load multiple cassettes into the stocker.

Description

System for Auto Guided Vehicle and Control Method of the same}

The present invention relates to an automatic transfer balance system and a control method thereof, and to an automatic transfer balance system and a control method that can increase productivity by putting a plurality of cassettes in a stocker in a short time when the cassette stocker.

Recently, the liquid crystal display device has a high contrast ratio, is suitable for gray scale display or moving image display, and has low power consumption. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device has gradually been used as an alternative means to overcome the disadvantage of cathode ray tube (CRT). It is expanding.

In general, a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device includes a thin film transistor substrate having a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode in a pixel region defined by a gate wiring and a data wiring, a color filter substrate having a color filter layer and a common electrode; It consists of a liquid crystal layer interposed between board | substrates. In the case of an IPS mode liquid crystal display liquid crystal panel, the pixel electrode and the common electrode are formed on the thin film transistor substrate.

The manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device configured as described above may be divided into three processes, a substrate manufacturing process, a cell manufacturing process, and a module process.

First, the substrate manufacturing process is divided into thin film transistor manufacturing and color filter manufacturing using the cleaned glass substrate, respectively. Accordingly, the thin film transistor manufacturing process refers to a process of manufacturing a plurality of thin film transistors and pixel electrodes on the lower substrate, and the color filter manufacturing process is a color of RG B color using a dye or pigment on the upper substrate on which the light shielding film is formed. The process of forming a filter layer to form a common electrode (ITO).

In addition, the cell process is a process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display cell by dispersing and compressing spacers and injecting liquid crystal so that a constant distance is maintained between two substrates of the lower substrate where the thin film transistor process is completed and the upper substrate where the color filter process is completed. Finally, the module process is a process of manufacturing a module by manufacturing a circuit portion for signal processing and connecting the thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel and the signal processing circuit portion.

The liquid crystal display device manufacturing process must be conveyed or transported sequentially or in group form to the manufacturing equipment used in each process in order to go through the substrate manufacturing process, the cell process and the module process.

In addition, there is a need for a method of temporarily storing the substrate in the manufacturing apparatus because all manufacturing process lines cannot be stopped for failure or repair of some manufacturing apparatuses in the manufacturing process.

Accordingly, a matching cassette can be used to store and transport a plurality of the substrates (eg, liquid crystal panels, LCD glasses) in a single sheet. In addition, when the quantity of the substrate increases and the manufacturing process of the substrate is repeatedly performed for other reasons, a stocker for moving and storing the cassette is required.

On the other hand, in order to mass-produce liquid crystal panels that require such diverse and repetitive processes, a well-planned program is required in advance, and at the same time, manufacturing facilities that perform a batch process according to the program are required.

At this time, in order to maximize the process productivity, the object should be transferred as quickly as possible from the manufacturing equipment that performed the preceding process to the manufacturing equipment that performs the subsequent process.

For this purpose, an automatic guided vehicle system for transferring an object while reciprocating a manufacturing facility and a manufacturing facility by a recently designated program is essential.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an automatic transfer cart system of the prior art will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a view schematically showing a general automatic transfer balance system.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cassette (not shown) into which a plurality of substrates are inserted, and an automatic transport cart system, each of which includes a plurality of first to third manufacturing apparatuses arranged in a line for a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device. (1,2,3), stocker (11) for temporarily storing cassettes introduced or discharged to the first to third manufacturing apparatus (1,2,3), the stocker (11) and the first to A plurality of Auto-Guided Vehicles (hereinafter referred to as AGVs) for conveying cassettes located in the third manufacturing apparatuses (1, 2, 3), the AGV (19) is the first and second manufacturing apparatus ( A first and a second AGV moving line 4 for moving to the stocker 11 between 1,2 and 3 and for moving to the stocker 11 between the second and third manufacturing devices 2,3; 5) is made, including.

Although not shown, the AGVs are sequentially ordered by confirming all of the plurality of cassette priorities to be moved, identification of the first and second AGV moving lines 4 and 5, presence or absence of a transfer point cassette, and preparation for a return destination. A central traffic control unit (CSM) for reserving a vehicle and a vehicle traffic controller for allocating the cassette to an empty AGV after checking whether the transfer point is duplicated during the transfer reservation at the central controller; It is made to include more.

Here, the first and second manufacturing apparatuses 1 and 2 are sputter and PECVD equipment for depositing a metal, an active layer or an insulating film on the substrate, respectively, and the third manufacturing apparatus 3 is the first manufacturing apparatus. And a cleaning device for cleaning the substrate on which the manufacturing process is completed from the second manufacturing apparatus (1, 2).

In addition, a plurality of substrates having completed a predetermined manufacturing process or requiring a predetermined manufacturing process are inserted in the cassette, and the AGV is conveyed by the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1, 2, 3, and stocker 11. The cassette to be loaded can be loaded or unloaded.

Accordingly, in the conventional automatic transfer cart system, a plurality of AGVs are produced along the first AGV moving line 4 by the control of the central control unit and the vehicle running control unit, respectively, to manufacture the first manufacturing apparatus 1 and the third. The cassette is conveyed between the apparatuses 3 or entered into and out of the stocker 11, and between the second manufacturing apparatus 2 and the third manufacturing apparatus 3 along the second AGV moving line 5. The cassette can be conveyed or entered into and out of the stocker 11.

At this time, three to four AGVs move in the first and second AGV moving lines 4 and 5, respectively, and carry the cassette.

However, the automatic transfer balance system of the prior art can operate normally in the conveyance between the first to the third manufacturing apparatus (1, 2, 3), a plurality of AGVs at the same time in the case of the stocking or shipment of the stocker (11) Productivity decreases because of inability to gain control.

That is, the stocker 11 finishes the manufacturing process in the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1, 2 and 3, or the stocker 11 to be introduced into the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 1, 2 and 3. The cassette is temporarily stored, as shown in FIG. 2.

2 is a front view of a typical stocker, the stocker 11 is a CSM (Clean Sub Manager) (not shown) that controls an internal system, and a rock master robot for loading / unloading a cassette under the control of the SMC. (Rack Master Robot) (not shown), a plurality of shelves (17) for storing one each of the cassettes 15 loaded by the stacker robot, and the cassette (15) to automatically transport An AGV INPUT port 21 for putting down the cassette to allow the AGV (Auto Guided Vehicle) 19 to load the cassette 15 into the stocker 11, and the cassette stored in the stocker 11 ( 15) is configured to include an AGV OUTPUT port 23 for shipping to take over the AGV (19).

It further comprises a MGV IN / OUTPUT 29 port for entering and exiting the cassette 15 using a MGV (Manual Guided Vehicle) 27 manually moved by the operator 25.

Although not shown, the stocker 11 further includes a conveyor for moving the cassette 15 between the AGV 19 and the MGV 27 and the rock master robot (30 in FIG. 3).

At this time, there is one AGV INPUT port 21 and one AGV OUTPUT port 23 in the first AGV moving line 4, and one in the second AGV moving line 5, respectively.

Such a stocker 11 allows the cassette 15 to be loaded and unloaded in the following manner.

First, the stocker 11 first mounts the cassette 15 transferred through the AGV 19 on the conveyor at the AGV INPUT port 21 and transfers the same through the conveyor.

Next, the stacker robot loads the cassette 15 transferred to the conveyor and is then transported, and loading of the cassette 15 is completed by loading the cassette 15 on the shelf 17.

On the other hand, when the cassette 15 is to be shipped, first, the stacker robot 30 loads the selected cassette 15 from the shelf 17 and transfers it to the conveyor and then unloads the conveyor. The conveyor conveys to the AGV OUTPUT port 23, and the AGV 19 loads the cassette 15 conveyed by the conveyor, so that the delivery of the cassette 15 is completed.

The stocker 11 of the cassette 15 may be shown along the solid arrow 20 in the plan view of the general stocker of FIG. 3.

At this time, when a plurality of AGVs 19 are simultaneously received from the central control unit to receive a plurality of cassettes 15 into the stocker at one AGV INPUT port 21, the plurality of AGVs ( One of the 19) first moves to the AGV INPUT port 21, and the other AGV 19 waits in place.

Next, the AGV 19 first moved to the AGV INPUT port 21 receives the cassette 15, and the other AGV 19, which is waiting, moves to receive the cassette 15.

In addition, when the AGV 19 is already carrying out the goods return to the AGV INPUT port 21 of the stocker 11, another AGV 19 must wait without proceeding the goods return.

Therefore, in the prior art automatic transfer cart system, the waiting time of the AGV 19 may be increased when the cassette 15 is stocked and transported, and the first to third times as the waiting time of the AGV 19 is longer. It may cause a time delay of the manufacturing process of the manufacturing apparatus (1, 2, 3).

As described above, the conventional automatic transfer cart system has the following problems.

The prior art automatic transfer balance system is suitable for reservation and allocation of AGVs in case of cassette transfer between manufacturing apparatuses. However, when a plurality of AGVs receive a stock instruction simultaneously at one AGV INPUT port of the stocker, one of the plurality of AGVs is Productivity decreases because another AGV must wait in place until it enters the AGV INPUT port.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, an automatic transfer cart that can increase the productivity by reducing the cassette transfer waiting time in the manufacturing apparatus by multi-feeding a plurality of cassettes to be transferred to the stocker in the substrate manufacturing apparatus The purpose is to provide a system.

1 is a structural plan view of an automatic transport cart system according to the prior art.

2 is a front view of a typical stocker.

3 is a schematic structural plan view of a typical stocker.

4 is a structural plan view of an automatic transport cart system according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the stocking cassette of the stocker of the automatic transport balance system according to the present invention.

6 is a performance analysis graph of the automatic transfer balance system according to the present invention.

* Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings *

51, 52, 53: First to third manufacturing apparatus 54: Stocker

55,56: first to second AGV moving line

In order to achieve the above object, the automatic transport cart system of the present invention includes a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are inserted, a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses for performing the substrate manufacturing process, and a cassette inserted or discharged into the manufacturing apparatus. A stocker for storage, a plurality of automatic transport carts for transporting cassettes located in each of the stocker and a manufacturing apparatus, an automatic transport cart movement line for automatically transporting the automatic transport cart between a manufacturing apparatus and a stocker, and the cassettes Multi-transfer to confirm the priority of movement, the presence / absence of the cassette at the return point, and the return destination preparation status, and to simultaneously insert the plurality of cassettes into the stocker in the manufacturing apparatus or another cassette into the stocker while the cassette is in progress. Central control unit to reserve, and multiple classes of the central control unit After confirming the reservation is characterized in that it comprises a balance control station apparatus assigns a plurality of the multiple automatic conveyance truck to wear a plurality of cassettes in the stocker.

Here, the stocker is preferably provided with an input port and an output port of the automatic transfer cart.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is the step of accepting a cassette to be conveyed, checking the moving priority of the cassette, the presence or absence of the cassette at the transfer point, and the preparation of the return destination, and the plurality of cassettes in the manufacturing apparatus. Making a multi-feed reservation so as to simultaneously load into the stocker or to put another cassette into the stocker while the cassette is in progress; and after confirming the multi-feed reservation, a plurality of the cassettes to be put into the stocker. Allocating a plurality of carts, a plurality of said automatic transport carts conveying a plurality of said cassettes to said stocker, and storing said plurality of cassettes sequentially in said stocker. Control method.

Here, when there is only one cassette to be conveyed to the stocker in the manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable to allocate the cassette to one automatic transport cart, and to receive the cassette after the cassette is transported to the stocker by the assigned automatic transport cart.

It is preferable that a plurality of cassettes are multi-allocated so that a plurality of cassettes are conveyed to the stocker, even if there is the automatic conveyance trolley which first conveys the cassette to the stocker.

The automatic transfer cart system and its control method of the present invention can increase the productivity of the manufacturing apparatus by reducing the cassette waiting time in the manufacturing apparatus by multiple conveying a plurality of cassettes to be put into the stocker in the substrate manufacturing apparatus.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention.

4 is a view schematically showing an automatic transport cart system according to the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 4, the automatic transport cart system of the present invention comprises a cassette (not shown) with a plurality of substrates inserted therein, and a plurality of first to third manufactures each arranged in a row for the substrate manufacturing process. A device 51, 52, 53, a stocker 54 for temporarily storing a cassette inserted or discharged into the first to third manufacturing devices 51, 52, 53, the stocker 54 and the first And a plurality of AGVs (not shown) for conveying a plurality of cassettes located in each of the third to third manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52, and 53, and the AGV is formed of the first and third manufacturing apparatuses 51, 53, and the third manufacturing apparatus. Conveying the cassette between each of the second and third manufacturing apparatuses 52, 53, or automatically conveying the cassette between the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52, 53 and the stocker 54; And first and second AGV moving lines 55 and 56 for the same.

Although not shown, the moving priority of the cassette, the presence or absence of the cassette at the transfer point, and the destination for preparing the return destination are checked, and the plurality of cassettes are simultaneously loaded into the stocker 54 in the manufacturing apparatus or another while the cassette is in progress. A central control unit for multiple transfer reservations for storing cassettes in the stocker 54, and a plurality of AGVs for multi-allocation for storing multiple cassettes in the stocker 54 after confirming the multiple transfer reservations of the central controllers The vehicle further comprises a balance driving control device.

Here, the first manufacturing apparatus 51 and the second manufacturing apparatus 52 are sputter and PECVD equipment for depositing a metal, an active layer or an insulating film on the substrate, respectively, and the third manufacturing apparatus 53 is It is a cleaning device for cleaning the substrate from which the manufacturing process is completed from the first manufacturing device 51 and the second manufacturing device 52.

Therefore, the automatic conveyance balance system has a plurality of AGVs along the first AGV moving line 55 under the control of the central control apparatus and the conveyance balance control apparatus, respectively. The cassette between the second manufacturing apparatus 52 and the third manufacturing apparatus 53 along the second AGV moving line 56 and transferring the cassette to or from the stocker 54. It can be conveyed or sent to and received from the stocker 54.

At this time, three to four AGVs move on the first and second AGV moving lines 55 and 56, respectively, and carry the cassette.

In particular, when the automatic conveyance cart system of the present invention intends to store a plurality of cassettes in the stocker 54, a plurality of AGVs can carry the plurality of cassettes to the stocker 54 and store the productivity. You can increase it.

That is, in either of the first AGV moving line 55 or the second AGV moving line 56, before the first AGV carrying the cassette enters the cassette into the AGV INPUT port of the stocker 54, The second AGV carrying another cassette moves to the AGV INPUT port of the stocker 54, and when the cassette conveyed by the first AGV is received, the cassette carried by the second AGV is successively connected to the stocker (the stocker). 54) can increase the productivity.

Looking at the control method of the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the stocking cassette of the stocker of the automatic transport balance system according to the present invention.

First, if there is a cassette in which a substrate is to be conveyed to the stocker 54 after the manufacturing process is completed in the first and third manufacturing apparatuses 51 and 53 or the second and third manufacturing apparatuses 52 and 53, it should be conveyed. The cassette to be received is received by the central controller (S10), and the central controller determines the number of cassettes to be conveyed, the presence or absence of the cassette at the destination (the INPUT port of the stocker 54) to which the cassette is to be conveyed. Check the ready state (S20), and determine whether there are at least two cassettes to be returned to the stocker (S30).

At this time, when there is only one cassette to be returned to the stocker 54 from the first and third manufacturing apparatuses 51 and 53 or the second and third manufacturing apparatuses 52 and 53, the transfer of the cassette is reserved. (S40) Allocate an AGV to carry the cassette (S50), and then return the cassette to the stocker 54 by the assigned AGV (S60) and store it (S110).

On the other hand, when there are a plurality of cassettes to be conveyed to the stocker 54 in each of the first and third manufacturing apparatuses 51 and 53 or the second and third manufacturing apparatuses 52 and 53, the number of cassettes The order is determined according to (S70).

In addition, the central controller reserves the plurality of cassettes to be transported to the stocker 54 (S80).

Next, in accordance with the multi-carrier reservation in the central control unit, a plurality of AGVs are multi-allocated so that the plurality of cassettes can be simultaneously transported in the balance driving control unit (S90).

In this case, even if there is an AGV that first conveys the cassette to the stocker 54 INPUT port, a plurality of cassettes may be multiplied to be conveyed to the stocker 54 INPUT port.

Then, the plurality of cassettes are conveyed to the AGV INPUT port of the stocker 54 by the plurality of AGVs (S100).

Finally, the cassettes in the AGV that arrived first at the AGV INPUT port of the stocker 54 are received, and the cassettes conveyed by the AGV which arrives thereafter are loaded to finish the stocking of the plurality of cassettes in the stocker 54 (S11). .

Therefore, the control method of the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention, the time to wait before the substrate is finished in the first to third manufacturing apparatus (51, 52, 53) manufacturing process is received in the stocker 54 Since this becomes short, the manufacturing process of the said 1st-3rd manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52, 53 can be maximized.

A graph showing an average of 15 days of performance values in the manufacturing plant of the liquid crystal display device using the automatic transfer balance system and the control method thereof according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 6.

6 is a view showing the average performance value of the present invention and the conventional automatic transfer balance system, the average performance value of the automatic transfer balance system of the present invention is about 208.4 seconds, the average performance value of the conventional automatic transfer balance system is 308.5 seconds As a degree, it turns out that the average of the performance value of the automatic conveyance balance system of this invention is outstandingly excellent.

At this time, the horizontal axis of the graph showing the average value of the performance value is time (seconds), and the vertical axis is a value showing the cassette conveyance capacity of the AGV.

Accordingly, the cassette into which the substrate which has completed the manufacturing process in the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52 and 53 by using the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention is inserted into the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 51 and 52. In (53), it can be seen that the time to wait is shortened by about 100 seconds compared with the related art.

In addition, although the time for putting the cassette into the stocker 54 using the automatic transfer balance system of the present invention is concentrated within almost 100 to 150 seconds, when using the conventional automatic transfer balance system, it is within about 100 to 200 seconds. Since the cassette is received in the stocker 54, the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention can transfer the cassette accurately within a short time, thereby increasing the reliability.

As a result, the automatic transfer cart system of the present invention multi-feeds a plurality of cassettes into which the substrates, which have been manufactured in the first to third manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52, and 53, are inserted into the stocker 54, and the first to the third to 3 Since the cassette waiting time in the manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52 and 53 can be reduced, productivity can be improved.

As described above, the automatic transfer balance system and the control method of the present invention have the following effects.

The automatic transfer cart system of the present invention can increase productivity because multiple cassettes to be transferred from the substrate manufacturing apparatus to the stocker can be multiplexed to reduce the cassette waiting time in the substrate manufacturing apparatus.

Claims (5)

A cassette in which a plurality of substrates are inserted, A plurality of manufacturing apparatuses for performing the substrate manufacturing process; A stocker for temporarily storing a cassette inserted or discharged into the manufacturing apparatus; A plurality of automatic transport carts for transporting cassettes located in the stocker and the manufacturing apparatus, respectively; An automatic conveyance balance moving line for automatically conveying the automatic conveyance balance between the manufacturing apparatus and the stocker; Check the moving priority of the cassettes, the presence or absence of a cassette at a transfer point, and the ready destination for a transfer destination, and simultaneously insert a plurality of the cassettes into the stocker in the manufacturing apparatus or another cassette into the stocker while the cassette is in progress. Central control unit for multi-return reservation, And a balance driving control device for allocating a plurality of the automatic conveyance trucks in order to receive a plurality of cassettes into the stocker after confirming the multiple conveyance reservation of the central controller. The method of claim 1, And the stocker comprises an input port and an output port of the automatic transfer balance. Receiving a cassette to be returned; Checking the number of cassettes, priority of movement, presence or absence of a cassette at a transfer point, and a return destination ready state; Reserving a plurality of cassettes at the same time into the stocker at the manufacturing apparatus or reserving multiple cassettes so that another cassette is received at the stocker while the cassette is in progress; Allocating a plurality of the automatic transfer carts in order to store the plurality of cassettes in the stocker after confirming the multiple transfer reservations; Conveying a plurality of said cassettes to said stocker by a plurality of said automatic transport carts, And storing the conveyed plurality of cassettes sequentially into the stocker. The method of claim 3, wherein When there is only one cassette to be conveyed to the stocker in the manufacturing apparatus, the cassette is allocated to one automatic transport cart, and the automatic transport is transported to the stocker by the assigned automatic transport cart. Balance system control method. The method of claim 3, wherein And a plurality of cassettes are multiplied so that the cassettes are conveyed to the stocker, even if there is the automatic conveyance truck that is first conveying the cassettes to the stocker.