TW201913472A - Operation method for automated warehousing suitable for handling the pick-and-place operations of small quantity and diverse materials - Google Patents

Abstract

An operation method for automated warehousing comprises the following steps: (a) returning to a reset position; (b) scanning a tray position; (c) stocking and unstocking operations. Thereby, both large size materials and small size materials can be placed on the tray and carried by a stacker. The step of scanning the tray position can record the position of each tray before the stocking and unstocking operations. This invention is suitable for handling the pick-and-place operations of small quantity and diverse materials.

Description

Automated warehousing method

The present invention relates to automated warehousing, and in particular to an automated warehousing operation method that can accommodate small and diverse material handling operations.

With the continuous development of industrial automation, manufacturers have a tendency to use robots instead of manpower for repetitive and simple operations, such as loading and unloading of numerical control machine tools (CNC), which only complete the processing. The placement of the material in the predetermined position, or the operation of the numerical control machine on the unprocessed material rack, is quite suitable for the manual operation of the robot arm. In addition, if it is necessary to effectively reduce the manpower, the robotic arm must be equipped with the automatic storage equipment to complete the processing of the materials into the warehouse and out of the warehouse after the completion of the material loading and unloading operations, in order to effectively reduce the manual work.

However, various automated storage equipment on the market mostly use a fixed space to set the storage space of the materials. For small and diverse materials, if the material size is larger than the storage space, it will not be able to accommodate; if the material is much smaller than the storage space, the storage space will be wasted. In this regard, the design of the automated storage method that can accommodate the size of the material and the mechanical arm pick-and-place to improve the aforementioned problems is still the solution required by the market.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an automated storage operation method that can accommodate small and diverse pieces of material handling operations.

According to the present invention, an automated storage operation method according to the present invention is applied to a storage system, the storage system including a silo having an opening, and a lifting module disposed at the silo and located adjacent to the opening. The lifting module has a moving platform and a motor, the moving platform is driven by the motor to move between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and a reset position is reserved between the upper limit position and the lower limit position; The seat is fixed on the mobile platform; a pick-and-place module is disposed in the carrier, and can enter and receive the object from the opening; a sensor is disposed at the opening facing the opening; a controller electrically connecting the lifting module, the pick-and-place module, the sensor; a skip is placed in the silo; the plurality of trays are respectively disposed in the skip; the automatic storage The operation method comprises the following steps: (a) returning to the reset position: operating the controller to control the lift module, causing the motor to drive the mobile platform back to the reset position; (b) scanning the tray position: the controller controls Lift module Having the motor drive the movement of the mobile platform, and driving the carrier to move. During the process, the sensor senses each of the trays located on the skip, and the controller records the position information of each of the trays to record the plurality of positions; (c) Outbound and warehousing operations: When the warehouse operation is to be performed, the controller controls the lifting module according to the position information, so that the motor drives the mobile platform to move to the tray position, and then controls the pick-and-place module. The tray is taken out; when the warehousing operation is to be performed, the controller controls the pick-and-place module to take the tray, and controls the lifting module according to the position information, so that the motor drives the mobile platform to move to the tray position. The pick-and-place module is then controlled to place the tray to the skip.

Thereby, whether the large material or the small material can be placed on the tray and carried by the skip, and the step of scanning the position of the tray can record the position of each tray, and then carry out the loading and warehousing operations. Handling and handling of small and diverse materials.

It is worth mentioning that in step (b), the mobile platform moves from the reset position to the upper limit position or the lower limit position, and step (b) scans the tray position.

In addition, in step (b), the controller is input with an upper limit of the number of trays. After the position information is generated, the controller determines whether the position information exceeds the upper limit of the number of trays; if yes, an error message is generated and paused. Subsequent operations; otherwise proceed to step (c). This will prevent the number of trays from exceeding the upper limit.

Also, in the step (b), the position information is recorded in the array format in the controller, and the position of each tray can be clearly recorded.

In addition, it is more suitable to cooperate with a mechanical arm, the mechanical arm is electrically connected to the controller; a pick-and-place position is further predetermined between the upper limit position and the lower limit position; and in step (c), after the unloading operation is performed, Having the controller control the mobile platform to move to the pick-and-place position, and then notifying the robot arm to take the material; before the warehousing operation is performed, the controller is required to control the mobile platform to move to the pick-and-place position, and let the The pick-and-place module takes the take-up tray, and after the robot arm releases the material, notifies the controller, and then performs the warehousing operation. By matching the robot arm, an automatic loading and unloading system is formed.

In order to explain the technical features of the present invention in detail, the following preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, wherein:

As shown in Figures 1-2, an automated storage operation method provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention is utilized in a storage system 10. The warehousing system 10 includes:

A silo 11 has an opening 111.

A lifting module 12 is disposed at the bin 11 and located beside the opening 111. The lifting module 12 has a moving platform (not shown) and a motor 122. The moving platform is driven by the motor 122 to an upper limit. A position is moved between the position and a lower limit position, and a reset position is reserved between the upper limit position and the lower limit position. It should be noted that in the embodiment, the motor 122 of the lifting module 12 uses a servo motor for precise control of the actuation and drives the mobile platform through the ball screw.

A carrier 13 is fixed to the moving platform and moves up and down with the moving platform.

A pick-and-place module 14 is disposed in the carrier 13 and can enter and receive the object from the opening 111. Here, the pick-and-place module 14 is driven from the opening 111 into the silo 11 by using a pneumatic cylinder, and then moved up by the carrier 13 to allow the carrier 141 to support the object. Take the effect. In addition, it is also possible to use a robot arm and a jaw-type end effector to directly grip the object. The device capable of achieving the pick-and-place function can be used as the pick-and-place module 14 without limitation.

A sensor 15 is disposed at the carrier 13 facing the opening 111 for sensing an object in the magazine 11.

A controller 16 (not shown) is electrically connected to the lifting module 12, the pick-and-place module 14, and the sensor 15.

A skip 17 is placed in the bin 11.

The plurality of trays 171 are respectively disposed in the skip 17.

As shown in Figure 3, the automatic storage operation method includes the following steps:

(a) Returning to the reset position: operating the controller 16 to control the lift module 12 to cause the motor 122 to drive the mobile platform back to the reset position. As such, the controller 16 will produce a zeroing effect.

(b) scanning tray position: the controller 16 controls the lifting module 12, and the motor 122 drives the moving platform to move, and also drives the carrier 13 to move. During the process, the sensor 15 senses the position. Each of the trays 171 on the cart 17 records the position information of each of the trays 171.

(c) Outbound and warehousing operations: When the warehouse operation is to be performed, the controller 16 controls the lifting module 12 according to the position information, and the motor 122 drives the mobile platform to move to the position of the tray 171, and then controls the The pick-and-place module 14 takes out the tray 171; when the warehousing operation is to be performed, the controller 16 controls the pick-and-place module 14 to take the tray 171, and controls the lifting module 12 according to the position information to make the motor 122 After the mobile platform is driven to move to the position of the tray 171, the pick-and-place module 14 is controlled to place the tray 171 to the skip 17.

Thereby, whether the large material or the small material can be placed on the tray 171 and carried by the skip 17 , and the step of scanning the position of the tray can record the position of each tray 171, and then carry out and store the tray. The work can be handled in response to small and diverse materials.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is worth mentioning that, in step (b), the controller 16 is input with an upper limit of the number of trays. After the position information is generated, the controller 16 determines whether the position information is Exceeding the upper limit of the number of trays; if so, an error message is generated and the subsequent operation is suspended; otherwise, step (c) is continued. Further, in the step (b), the position information is recorded in the array format in the controller 16, and the position of each tray can be clearly recorded.

In addition, the present invention can further cooperate with a mechanical arm (not shown) that is electrically connected to the controller 16. Between the upper limit position and the lower limit position, a pick-and-place position is further predetermined; in step (c), after the outbound operation, the controller 16 is further controlled to move the mobile platform to the pick-and-place position, and then notify the The robot arm takes the material; before the warehousing operation is performed, the controller 16 is first controlled to move the mobile platform to the pick-and-place position, and the pick-and-place module 14 is taken to take the tray 171, and the robot arm is discharged. The controller 16 is then notified and the warehousing operation is performed. By matching the robot arm, an automatic loading and unloading system is formed.

10‧‧‧Warehouse system

11‧‧‧ silo

111‧‧‧ openings

12‧‧‧ Lifting module

122‧‧‧Motor

13‧‧‧Terrace

14‧‧‧ pick and place module

141‧‧‧ Carrier Board

15‧‧‧ Sensor

16‧‧‧ Controller

17‧‧‧Car

171‧‧‧Tray

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a storage system. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a storage system. Figure 3 is a block flow diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing an automated storage operation method. Figure 4 is a block flow diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing an automated storage operation method.

Claims (5)

An automated storage operation method is applied to a storage system, the storage system comprising a silo having an opening; a lifting module disposed at the silo and located adjacent to the opening, the lifting module having a mobile platform and a motor, the mobile platform is driven by the motor to move between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and a reset position is reserved between the upper limit position and the lower limit position; a carrier is fixed on the mobile platform; a pick-and-place module is disposed in the carrier, and can enter and receive the object from the opening; a sensor is disposed on the carrier facing the opening; a controller is electrically connected The lifting module, the pick-and-place module, the sensor; a skip is placed in the silo; the plurality of trays are respectively disposed in the skip; the automatic storage operation method comprises the following steps: a) returning to the reset position: operating the controller to control the lift module to cause the motor to drive the mobile platform back to the reset position; (b) scanning the tray position: the controller controls the lift module to allow the motor Drive the move The movement of the table also drives the movement of the carrier. During the process, the sensor senses each of the trays located on the skip, and the controller records the position information of each of the trays; (c) exiting and storing Homework: When the warehouse operation is to be performed, the controller controls the lifting module according to each position information, so that the motor drives the mobile platform to move to the tray position, and then controls the pick-and-place module to take out the tray; When performing the warehousing operation, the controller controls the pick-and-place module to take the tray, and controls the lifting module according to the position information, so that the motor drives the moving platform to move to the tray position, and then controls the pick-and-place module. The group places the tray to the skip. According to the operation method of the automated storage according to the first aspect of the patent application, in the step (b), the mobile platform moves from the reset position to the upper limit position or the lower limit position. According to the operation method of the automated warehousing in the first application of the patent scope, in the step (b), the controller is input with an upper limit of the number of trays. After the position information is generated, the controller determines whether the position information exceeds the tray. The upper limit; if yes, an error message is generated and the subsequent job is suspended; otherwise, step (c) is continued. According to the operation method of the automated warehousing according to item 1 of the patent application, in step (b), the position information is recorded in the array format in the controller. According to the operation method of the automated warehousing according to claim 1, the robot arm is electrically connected to the controller; and a pick-and-place position is predetermined between the upper limit position and the lower limit position; c), after performing the unloading operation, the controller is further controlled to move the mobile platform to the pick-and-place position, and then the robot arm is notified to take the material; before the warehousing operation is performed, the controller is required to control the movement first. The platform is moved to the pick-and-place position, and the pick-and-place module is taken to take the tray, and the controller is notified after the robot arm is discharged, and then the storage operation is performed.