KR20060045368A - System for supporting design of transporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention eliminates the gap between the design of the conveying apparatus based on the required conveying path and conveying capability and the capability verification of the equipment, and enables the smooth transition from the design stage to the real operation stage, It is an object of the present invention to provide a design support system for conveying devices that enables the estimation and evaluation of the effects of operational changes, number of devices, layout changes, etc. in the operation stage.

On the basis of this, the virtual conveying device designed based on the required conveying path and conveying capacity is reflected in the test result of the performance of the manufactured real device and the test result of the actual device's performance in a real operating environment. Perform the actual operation process.

Description

Design support system of conveying equipment {SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING DESIGN OF TRANSPORTING DEVICE}

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows one Example of the design support system of the conveying apparatus of this invention.

2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a conveying apparatus for design.

3 is a configuration diagram of a control system of the conveying apparatus.

4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation flow of a system.

5 is a configuration diagram of an operation simulation control system for a transport vehicle.

6 is an explanatory diagram of an operation simulation of a transport vehicle.

7 is a configuration diagram of a control system for simulating the operation of the stocker.

It is explanatory drawing of the copper film simulation of a stocker.

9 is an explanatory diagram of dividing an operation simulation of a transport vehicle into a simulation of a mechanical portion and a simulation of an information control portion.

10 is an explanatory diagram of dividing an operation simulation of the stocker into a simulation of the mechanical portion and a simulation of the information control portion.

11 is an explanatory diagram of a software modification work flow.

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

1: CIM (Computer Integrated Production) 2: Carrier Control Device

3a, 3b,... , 3p: Inter-process transfer control device

4a, 4b,... , 4q: In-process transport control device

5a, 5b,... , 5r: Stocker control device

6,7,8,9: simulator

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a design support system for a conveying apparatus, and in particular, eliminates the gap between the design of the conveying apparatus and the actual operating state performed on the basis of the required conveying path and conveying capacity, and smoothly from the design stage to the real operating stage. The present invention relates to a design support system of a conveying apparatus for implementation.

Conventionally, the conveying apparatus designs based on the required conveying path and conveyance capability, manufactures individual actual apparatuses constituting the conveying apparatus, and individually tests the performance of the actual apparatus, and then carries out the actual apparatus in a real operating environment. It is brought in to make a real working environment.

By the way, in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal or a semiconductor, processes, such as washing | cleaning, film-forming, application | coating, exposure, image development, etching, resist peeling, and inspection, are repeated several times. It is not practical to arrange a manufacturing apparatus to pass all the processes once, because the volume of the clean room and the cost of the manufacturing apparatus are not practical, and because the same apparatus is used multiple times, the arrangement of the apparatus, the frequency of use of the apparatus, and the treatment at once The transfer requirements vary depending on the number of materials that can be made and the processing time. Moreover, the processing process differs according to the varieties to be produced, and the required amount of conveyance and the form / to of conveyance are not constant and change every day.

Since it is difficult to verify the required amount of conveyance and the form / to of conveyance after construction at the planning point of the plant construction, it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate the conveyance capacity and the facility capacity under actual operating conditions.

In addition, there is a need for a method for smoothly expanding the system by estimating the result of adding or updating the number of production facilities or changing the layout after actual operation.

However, after the performance of the actual equipment is individually tested, the actual equipment is brought into the actual operating environment to establish a real operating environment. , The design performance of the conveying device does not come out in the actual operation state, etc., and it is not possible to directly compare the conveying capacity in the planning stage with the conveying capacity in the actual operating situation. There was a problem that there were many problems in the delivery of Ee.

The present invention eliminates the difference between the design of the conveying apparatus performed based on the required conveying path and conveying capability and the capability verification of the equipment, in consideration of the problems of the conventional conveying apparatus, and from the design stage to the actual operation stage. It is an object of the present invention to provide a design support system for a conveying device that enables a smooth transition to the system and estimates and evaluates the effects of the operation change, the number of devices, and the layout change of the device in the actual operation stage. .

In order to achieve the above object, the design support system of the transport apparatus of the first invention is mainly a design support system at the first stage of the transport apparatus.

(1) a first design simulation step of setting a predetermined parameter on a virtual conveying device designed on the basis of the required conveying path and conveying capacity and testing the conveying capability of the virtual conveying device on a computer;

(2) A real device simulation step of designing and manufacturing individual real devices constituting a conveying device based on the test result of the first design simulation step and testing the performance of the real device in the step of manufacturing the real device. and,

(3) A second design simulation step of reflecting the test result of the actual device simulation step in the virtual transport device of the first design simulation to test the carrying capacity of the virtual transport device on a computer.

In this case, the first design simulation step simulates a combination of a simulator that simulates the operating states of a plurality of carriers by software, and a simulator that simulates a plurality of systems of a carrier control device that commands the vehicle by software. I can do it.

In addition, the first design simulation process may be performed by combining a simulator that simulates the operation status of a plurality of stocker facilities by software, and a simulator that simulates a plurality of systems of the stocker control device which commands the stocker facilities by software. have.

Moreover, in order to achieve the same objective, the design support system of the conveying apparatus of this 2nd invention is mainly a design support system in a real operating environment,

(4) a real operating environment real device verification process for testing the performance of each real device constituting a conveying device in a real operating environment;

(5) A predetermined parameter is set on the virtual conveying apparatus designed based on the required conveying path and conveying capability of the test result of the actual operating environment real device verification process, and the conveying capability of the virtual conveying apparatus is computerized. A third design simulation process of reflecting on the virtual conveying apparatus of the design simulation to be tested on the computer to test the conveying capability of the virtual conveying apparatus on a computer;

(6) It is characterized by consisting of a real operation process performed based on the test result of a said 3rd design simulation process.

In this case, the virtual transport apparatus of the design simulation can be used as the virtual transport apparatus of the second design simulation of the first invention.

likewise,

(7) a fourth design simulation step of reflecting the result of the actual operation step on the virtual transfer device of the third design simulation step to test the transfer capability of the virtual transfer device on a computer;

(8) A real starting step performed based on the test result of the fourth design simulation step can be added.

In this case, the parameter set in the said 1st design simulation process can be corrected sequentially based on the test result of a previous step in the design simulation process after a 2nd design simulation process.

In addition, the above parameters can be used to test the performance of the software used for the transfer control on a computer.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of the design support system of the conveying apparatus of this invention is described based on drawing.

Example 1

1, the schematic explanatory drawing of one Embodiment of the design support system of the conveying apparatus of this invention is shown.

The design support system of this conveying apparatus is, for example, a complicated conveying path such as a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal or a semiconductor as shown in FIG. 2, and many kinds and a large number of conveying machines (in the example shown in FIG. A plurality of reciprocating carriers (RGVs) to be carried out, a plurality of circumferentially movable carriers (OHVs) for carrying a ceiling and a stacker crane arranged in an automatic warehouse are connected to a transfer controller via a transfer system Ethernet, It is possible to smoothly move from the design stage to the real operation stage for the transfer apparatus provided with the above.

And the design support system of this conveying apparatus designs a conveying apparatus with respect to the conveying apparatus as shown in FIG.

(1) first design simulation process

On the virtual conveying apparatus designed based on the conveying path and conveying capacity (FIG. 1 (a)) required for the conveying apparatus, a predetermined parameter P0 is set (FIG. 1 (b)), and the virtual conveying apparatus Test the return ability on the computer.

The main considerations in this stage are that, in the construction of a new factory, the transfer facility has sufficient capacity for the planned production capacity, the number of manufacturing units, and the arrangement of the units, but the bottleneck of the transfer is found. It is a step of refining the construction plan by repeating the calculation, the device arrangement, the number of units, and the simulation again.

This engineering simulator requires a simulator specialized in the transfer device that can be arranged in a short time and corrects the number of units, and outputs the correspondence between the input conditions and the results in a clear manner. The possibility of returning data that can be reused is essential.

(2) Real device simulation process

Based on the test results of the first design simulation process, the individual devices constituting the conveying device are designed and manufactured (FIG. 1 (c) and 1 (d)), and in the step of manufacturing the actual device, Test the performance of [Fig. 1 (e)].

In this step, the main purpose is to check the performance of the hardware of the device, and to collect the input data of the second design simulation and the actual device simulation process described later.

In principle, the performance of each device is basically achieved by design. However, the items that were not originally expected in the time of the correction of the machine operation or the communication time, or the individual devices are operating according to the plan, Therefore, the operation time distribution may be different from the plan due to the connection between the devices. By measuring this data, the operation of the device is visualized.

(3) second design simulation process

The test result of the actual device simulation process is reflected in the virtual transport device of the first design simulation to test the carrying capacity of the virtual transport device on a computer (FIG. 1 (f)).

In the input conditions of the first design simulation performed in the planning stage, by replacing the individual device performance data with the actual measurement data from the planned values on the desk, the equivalence between the simulation and the actual system can be improved, and the reliability and reliability of the simulation can be improved. have.

(4) Actual operating environment verification process

Measure the performance of the individual devices that make up the transfer device in a real operating environment.

The measurement items include the contents of the work instruction, the start position of the operation, the start time, the operation end position, the end time, the time required for the operation, the non-working time between the operation and the operation, and the result of the operation for each conveying device. Is recorded by the monitoring device (Fig. 1 (g)).

The monitoring device is configured to add recording performance to the control device of each device, or to be independent from the control device, and to monitor the communication such as a work order to the device and to record the operation speed of the motors driving the device. There are two types of device type monitoring devices. The method of adding a recording function to the control device is suitable for a new delivery object, while the recording device type is suitable for the operation status of an already stored facility or the operation monitoring of a third-party product.

The real operation verification measures the behavior of the mechanical equipment, visualizes the differences between the design goals, design specifications and actual equipment, reveals the problems, and corrects the problems.

(5) third design simulation process

The test result of the actual operating environment actual device verification process is reflected in the virtual transport device of the second design simulation, and the transport capacity of the virtual transport device is tested on a computer (Fig. 1 (h)).

Real operating environment The actual device verification simulates the actual machine behavior on the computer, refines the software of the command system device that macro-controls each device, and operates efficiently by eliminating the related waste of multiple devices. Support to let

(6) Real operation process

Based on the test results of the third design simulation process, the conveying apparatus is actually started, the operating status is monitored, and the operating time and the like are measured (Fig. 1 (i)).

(7) fourth design simulation process

The result of the real operation process is reflected in the virtual conveyance apparatus of the 3rd design simulation process, and the conveyance capability of the virtual conveyance apparatus is tested on a computer (FIG. 1 (j)).

Normally, it takes several months to one year from the start of construction and production of a new plant to the full operation of the plant. However, since the potential of the conveying equipment can be estimated from the monitoring results of the actual operation, highly accurate simulation results Can be obtained and can be smoothly transferred to the full running state.

(8) Real operation process

The fourth design simulation process actually starts the conveying apparatus based on the test result (Fig. 1 (k)).

By the way, the said process is only what showed the typical example, Each process can be subdivided into several processes which perform the same operation, etc. Moreover, it is comprised so that feedback may be carried out to the process of a previous step, or specified as needed. The steps (for example, (7) fourth design simulation step and (8) real operation step) may be repeatedly performed.

In addition, although the said (7) 4th design simulation process and (8) real operation process can also be abbreviate | omitted, the virtual conveyance is carried out by reflecting the result of a real operation process to the virtual conveyance apparatus of a 3rd design simulation process in order. The equivalence between the apparatus and the real operation process can be further increased, and the management, verification, and design change of the real operation process can be easily performed by using the virtual transfer device.

In this case, as the parameter P0 to be set in the first design simulation step, the type and number of conveying apparatuses (including stacker cranes, which will be the same below), the moving speed of the conveying apparatus, and the conveyance of the conveyed object Equipment conditions such as the layout of speed, conveying distance, etc., supply demand from manufacturing equipment to which the conveying apparatus supplies conveyed goods, processing time of manufacturing apparatus, processing sequence from manufacturing apparatus to manufacturing apparatus (product manufacturing process), conveyance There are process conditions such as the amount of water input.

Then, the parameter P0 set in the first design simulation step is visualized as a result of the correction of the problems occurring in the previous step and the refinement of the software in the design simulation step after the second design simulation step. On the basis of the result, a sequential correction of P0-> P1-> P2-> P3-> P4 is made to reflect the test result of the performance of the actual device to the virtual transport apparatus.

In addition, the design support system of this conveying apparatus can test the performance of the software used for conveyance control on a computer using the parameters P0, P1, ... which are corrected in order (FIG. 1 (l), FIG. 1). (m), FIG. 1 (n), FIG. 1 (o)].

Since the design support system simulates the machine operation part of the conveying device by using a computer, it does not use the actual mechanical equipment. Therefore, the period during which the device is manufactured, installed and adjusted is also used by the virtual device to debug the command system software. By refinement, the conveying apparatus after installation can be actually operated in a short time, and the process time can be shortened.

Thereby, the performance of the software used for conveyance control can be easily verified (including debug of software).

According to the design support system of this conveying apparatus, a test result of the performance of the actual apparatus manufactured by the virtual conveying apparatus designed based on the required conveyance path and conveyance capability, and the test of the performance of the actual apparatus in a real operating environment Since the results are reflected one by one and the actual operation process is performed based on this, the difference between the design and the actual operation state of the conveying apparatus based on the required conveying path and conveying capacity is eliminated, and the actual actuation step is performed from the design stage. This can be done smoothly.

Next, the more detailed content of the said 1st design simulation is demonstrated based on the specific conveyance apparatus shown in FIG.

The inter-process conveyance consists of several conveyance systems by a ceiling conveyance etc., and conveys the cassette which accommodated the glass substrate by the conveyance vehicle of about 10-20, for example in each system. Each system is provided with the inter-process conveyance control apparatus 3a, 3b, ..., 3p which distribute | arrange the conveyance of the conveyance vehicle of the said system. Depending on the size of the factory, the transfer between processes has a configuration ranging from one to ten lines in accordance with a linear layout and an annular layout.

In-process conveyance is an in-process conveyance control apparatus 4a, 4b, ..., 4q which consists of about 1 to 3 conveying vehicles per system, and conveys the order of the said system to each system by the conveyance vehicle which reciprocates on a track. ).

The stocker is composed of about 10 to 40 units, and each stocker has one or two stacker cranes, and functions as an automatic warehouse for storing cassettes on a shelf. It also has the function of an in-process conveying apparatus for carrying out the process. Each stocker is provided with control devices 5a, 5b, ..., 5r that perform inventory management or man machine operation.

An example of the flow which simulates operation of this conveying apparatus is shown in FIG.

By the transfer request from the CIM (computer integrated production) 1 of the production management system, the transfer control device 2 gives instructions to the control devices of the inter-process transfer device, the in-process transfer device and the stocker control device, respectively.

In actual control, the machine is operated for this instruction, and the result is reported.

In the simulation, the operation is simulated by the computer system work instruction, the report of the status of the instruction, the end report, and the like without simulating each operation, and the effect similar to the actual system is transferred to the transfer control device 2. Give it.

When the target of software verification is an inter-process transfer apparatus, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation | movement of the conveyance vehicle seen from the inter-process conveyance apparatus is simulated operation | movement of the conveyance vehicle with the software of the simulator 6. As shown in FIG.

The simulator 6 is logically connected with the inter-process transfer control apparatus of each system. The physical connection has no inherent problem, and it does not matter whether it is connected to a carrier LAN or another LAN.

Moreover, the operation | movement can be simulated similarly also about in-process conveyance.

Next, an example of the simulation operation | movement of a conveyance vehicle (transport mechanism) is shown in FIG.

Carriers are difficult to predict their behavior in many driving operations in order to perform the inter-vehicle distance control for avoiding collision between the carriages and the closing control in the curve section in which the inter-vehicle distance control is not performed.

Therefore, the speed and position are calculated for each minute time Δt for each vehicle, and the collision avoidance behavior of the vehicle (deceleration or stop when the distance between the vehicle is below a certain level is avoided and the collision is accelerated if there is a vehicle). ), And the state transition processing of the closing process (since only one vehicle can enter the closing section, the subsequent vehicle will pause and wait at the entrance of the closing section until the preceding vehicle leaves the closing section).

When the carrier arrives at the station indicated, a work completion report is reported for the work order.

In addition, the process of periodically reporting the position of the carrier as tracking information also performs the result of the position calculation of the carrier as a state transition process.

In addition, an example of the operation simulation of the stocker is shown in FIG. 7.

A stocker logically connects each stocker and the simulator 7, and simulates the mechanical operation of the stacker crane of each stocker.

In the operation simulation of the stacker crane, when the stocker and the logical connection are formed by the simulator, the operation of the plurality of stacker cranes can be configured by one simulator 7 and the number of simulators can be reduced.

In this way, by configuring the operation of the machine control with the simulator 7, it is possible to replace the lowermost mechanical equipment with a device such as a personal computer to simulate the operation between the inter-process transfer device, the in-process transfer device, and the stocker.

Here, simulation of the operation of the stocker is different from that of the transport vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 8, the operation time can be determined by a combination of the current position of the stacker crane to be controlled and the From / To of the target position of the movement. .

The operation time for the corresponding From / To is obtained from the combination table of the start position (From) and the target position (To) of the operation, and the speed pattern of the stacker's traveling time, elevation time, and transfer time is calculated. Create and simulate an action. After the operation time determined by the speed pattern has elapsed, the work completion report for the work instruction is performed. In addition, the position calculated from the speed of the stacker crane is periodically reported as tracking information.

In a stacker crane stocker of two or more (usually two), the stacker crane is checked for interference before the work is performed by the combination of From / To, and in the combination where the operating ranges overlap each other, the work start is temporarily delayed and the interference is The stacker crane which carries out the process of starting work after moving away from the interference range is performed before a work instruction is issued.

On the other hand, when focusing on the conveyance control apparatus 2 located above each conveying apparatus and performing software verification, the lowermost mechanical equipment does not need to be comprised by the simulator 6 or the simulator 7. As shown in FIG. The inter-process conveying equipment 3a, 3b, ..., 3p, the in-process conveying apparatus 4a, 4b, ..., 4q and the stocker 5a, 5b, 5r which are lower layers of the conveyance control apparatus 2 are simulators. It may be simulated and operation | movement is simulated with the simulator 8 of the inter-process conveyance apparatus of several systems.

The in-process transporting device is also configured in the same manner as the inter-process transporting device.

A plurality of stockers are also simulated by the simulator 9 for the stockers.

9 and 10 show a configuration in which the inter-process transfer and the stocker are replaced with a simulator.

The simulators 8 and 9 of the intermediate layer need only realize functions viewed from the host system, in other words, functions viewed through communication, and do not require manipulator parts or maintenance functions in the product software, and transfer control. The time required for conveyance is estimated at the time of conveyance from the apparatus 2, and the work completion report is returned after the time elapses.

When the cassette moves in the middle of the conveyance, the tracking information from the transport vehicle and the stacker crane is reported to the conveyance control device 2 as it was.

In the stocker, the inventory control of the shelves is also performed by the simulator 9 on the middle floor.

The four types of simulators with different hierarchies are mixed, and the functional verification such as the part following manmming such as double-sided operation, the detailed operation of the machine control, the operation log of the machine operation and the like is performed by the lower level simulations (6, 7).

When the job completion report is performed by the simulator of each level, the normal end is reported by default unless otherwise specified.

By estimating the end code to be reported or the end timing (abnormal report immediately after reception of the work order, end report during work, end report at the end of the work, etc.), various abnormal conditions are generated by the simulator to verify the abnormality processing. .

For the verification of the format, order, response time, etc. for returning a response to the instruction of the conveyance control device 2, the simulators 8 and 9 perform an inter-process conveying device or stocker which is not replaced by the simulator. The control device responds to the transfer control device 2 in association with the control device of the actual system similar to the actual device and the simulators 6 and 7 at the lower level.

In the actual system, the total number of inter-process conveyances, in-process conveyances, and stocker components is about 20 to 60 units, and the lowermost simulators 6 and 7 and the actual layer are not used without using the intermediate simulators 8 and 9. When the control system is configured, a large amount of human resources are put into operation for the setup and operation during operation of such a large number of devices, resulting in an economic burden.

In the operation flow of Fig. 4, since the operator performs operations inherent to the control device of the actual device, for example, origin return processing or manual / automatic switching processing, the operation becomes complicated when there are a large number.

On the other hand, in the mixture of the middle floor simulator, it is also possible to automate an operation part performed by a person, and the operation amount can be greatly reduced.

The inter-process transfer device, the in-process transfer device, and the stocker viewed from the transfer control device 2 are devices that are loosely coupled by communication, and give instructions from the transfer control device 2, and report the report for a predetermined time. Respond internally and externally

Moreover, it is a software structure which reports the device status and the tracking information of a cassette from time to time from the lower control apparatus.

Although the transfer control device 2 monitors the response of the subordinate devices in time, the upper limit thereof is determined, but the lower limit is not particularly limited. In such a system, the response returned by the simulator is made faster than the actual system while maintaining the causal relationship of time, or at a random time, so that the various timings generated after the system is started can be tested in a short period of time. The reliability of the software can be improved.

The control device to be verified between the simulator and the software may be logically connected, and does not have to have the same communication mode as the actual system.

In an actual system, individual control devices are installed in remote locations, and the communication lines are replaced by communication means capable of maintaining a wired or wireless connection therebetween, for example, connecting the entire transport apparatus to the same LAN. To verify the software.

In order to apply to a real system, hardware can be implemented by switching a communication part into a software switch for simulation and actual operation, or by implementing a communication interface that performs both operations by changing a definition statement of a source code by a program condition compilation function. The software does not depend on the software, and the function check of the software can be verified by the software of the simulator and the actual control device and software without depending on the hardware manufacturing process.

The simulator is software, and suitably uses a personal computer and the like that are independent of the actual control device. Alternatively, the real control software and the simulator software can coexist in the control unit if it can be guaranteed to operate in parallel with the real control software.

11 shows an example of a flow of modification work of software using simulation.

In the conveying apparatus which is already running, the software modification verifies the effect by simulation. As a result, if there is no problem in function or performance, the actual system is temporarily stopped and the correction software is installed in the actual system.

If a problem occurs as a result of the trial run, the correction is invalidated and the original state is returned. If no abnormality occurs, continue operation to monitor the operation.

As a result, when the validity of the correction cannot be confirmed, the cause is identified, the software is corrected again, and the simulation is performed. If the validity is verifiable, the software modification is complete.

In this flow, the software can be pre-verified by simulation, and the simulator can be tested as a replacement for the subsystem, except for the functions that depend on the difference between the simulator and the actual system. Risk can be reduced.

As mentioned above, although the design support system of the conveying apparatus of this invention was demonstrated based on the Example, this invention is not limited to the structure described in the said Example, Comprising: The structure suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning. Can be changed.

Since the design support system of the conveying apparatus of the present invention can smoothly move from the design stage to the real operation stage, eliminating the gap between the design of the conveying apparatus and the actual running state performed on the basis of the required conveying path and conveying capacity. And the complicated conveyance path | route, such as a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal or a semiconductor, and the use of the design of the conveying apparatus provided with many kinds and a large number of conveyers can be used suitably.

In addition, the design support system can be used as a training facility for operation for a user who is unfamiliar with the operation because the software of each conveying apparatus can be operated without using actual mechanical equipment. In particular, in the case of facility failure, the training of the recovery method is assumed to not occur in daily life, and by repeatedly training, the locally generated failure can be restored in a short time without expanding the entire transport apparatus to a stoppage. It can increase availability.

According to the design support system of the conveying apparatus of the present invention, the virtual conveying apparatus designed based on the required conveying path and conveying capability, the test results of the performance of the actual apparatus manufactured, and the performance of the actual apparatus in the actual operating environment The test results of the test results are sequentially reflected, and the actual operation process is performed based on this, thereby eliminating the deviation between the design of the transfer device and the actual operation state based on the required transfer path and transfer capacity. The transition to the operation phase can be smooth.

Further, the first design simulation step is to simulate a combination of a simulator that simulates the operation status of a plurality of carriers by software, and a simulator that simulates a plurality of systems of a carrier control device that commands the vehicle by software. The software process and the hardware process can be simulated by combining a simulator that simulates the operation status of a plurality of stocker facilities by software, and a simulator that simulates a plurality of systems of the stocker control device which commands the stocker facilities by software. Can be separated from the hardware, and the function verification of the software of each device and the function verification of the entire system can be performed.

In addition, by reflecting the results of the actual operation process in the virtual transport apparatus of the design simulation process, the virtual transport apparatus and the real operation process are more equivalent, and the virtual transport apparatus is managed for verification, design change, etc. of the real operation process. It can be implemented easily.

In addition, in the design simulation process after the second design simulation process, the parameters set in the first design simulation process are sequentially corrected based on the test results of the previous stages, whereby the test results of the performance of the actual device can be obtained. Can be reflected in the virtual transport device.

Further, by using the above parameters to test the performance of the software used for the transfer control on a computer, it is possible to easily verify the performance of the software used for the transfer control.

Claims (8)

(1) a first design simulation step of setting a predetermined parameter on a virtual conveying device designed on the basis of the required conveying path and conveying capacity and testing the conveying capability of the virtual conveying device on a computer; (2) A real device simulation step of designing and manufacturing individual real devices constituting a conveying device based on the test result of the first design simulation step and testing the performance of the real device in the step of manufacturing the real device. ; And (3) A conveying apparatus comprising a second design simulation process for reflecting the test result of the actual apparatus simulation process to the virtual conveying apparatus of the first design simulation to test the conveyance capability of the virtual conveying apparatus on a computer. Design support system. The method of claim 1, wherein the first design simulation step comprises a combination of a simulator for simulating the operating conditions of a plurality of trucks in software and a simulator for simulating a plurality of systems of a carrier control device for giving instructions to the truck. Design support system of a conveying apparatus, characterized in that to simulate. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first design simulation step is performed by combining a simulator for simulating the operation of a plurality of stocker facilities by software, and a simulator for simulating a plurality of systems of the stocker control device which commands the stocker facilities by software. Design support system for a conveying device, characterized in that. (4) a real operating environment real device verification step of testing the performance of each real device constituting a conveying device in a real operating environment; (5) A predetermined parameter is set on the virtual conveying apparatus designed based on the required conveying path and conveying capability of the test result of the actual operating environment real device verification process, and the conveying capability of the virtual conveying apparatus is computerized. A third design simulation process of reflecting on the virtual conveying apparatus of the design simulation to be tested on the computer to test the conveying capability of the virtual conveying apparatus on a computer; And (6) A design support system for a conveying apparatus, comprising a real operation process performed based on a test result of the third design simulation process. The design support system of a conveyance apparatus of Claim 4 whose virtual conveyance apparatus of a design simulation is a virtual conveyance apparatus of the 2nd design simulation of Claim 1. The fourth design simulation according to claim 4 or 5, wherein (7) the result of the actual operation process is reflected in the virtual transport apparatus of the third design simulation process to test the transport capability of the virtual transport apparatus on a computer. fair; And (8) The design support system of the conveying apparatus characterized by adding the real operation process performed based on the test result of the said 4th design simulation process. The parameter set in the said 1st design simulation process is sequentially correct | amended based on the test result of a previous step in the design simulation process after a 2nd design simulation process. Design support system for a conveying device, characterized in that the. 8. The design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the parameters are used to test the performance of software used for conveyance control on a computer.

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