WO2022157217A1

WO2022157217A1 - Order-picking system

Info

Publication number: WO2022157217A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/051174
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Krumbholz; Jonas Groh; Udo Herrmann; Michael Hildebrandt
Original assignee: Linde Material Handling Gmbh
Priority date: 2021-01-21
Filing date: 2022-01-20
Publication date: 2022-07-28
Also published as: EP4281257A1; DE102021101213A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an order-picking system (S) for automatically picking objects (9), the order-picking system (S) comprising a mobile order-picking robot (R) and a receiving tool magazine (M), in which are mounted receiving tools (8) provided to receive different objects (9), and the order-picking robot (R) has a load handling manipulator (L) with a robot arm (A), which has an interface (11), to which the receiving tool (8) can be attached and from which the receiving tool (8) can be removed, whereby the attached receiving tool (8) can be exchanged for another receiving tool (8) from the receiving tool magazine (M). According to the invention, identification systems (11, 12) are installed at the interface (11) of the robot arm (A) and/or at the receiving tool magazine (M) and make it possible to distinguish between the receiving tools (8).

Description

description

picking system

The invention relates to a picking system for the automatic picking of objects, the picking system comprising a mobile picking robot and a pick-up tool magazine in which pick-up tools intended for picking up different objects are stored, and the picking robot has a load-handling manipulator with a robot arm that has a Has interface to which the recording tool can be attached and from which the recording tool can be removed, whereby the attached recording tool can be replaced with another recording tool from the recording tool magazine.

Order picking is understood to mean all methods for putting together specific objects, in particular goods in warehouses or goods distribution centers, for example a warehouse, from a provided overall range. The composition should be based on orders, eg customer orders or production orders. Recently, automatic systems have increasingly been used for this purpose. In this case, for example, packages are picked up as objects to be picked by autonomously or automatically operated transport vehicles from a source position, for example a source pallet, and placed on a target pallet transported on the vehicle. In particular, mobile picking robots are used for this purpose, which can independently pick up the packages to be picked using robot arms. These picking robots automatically receive the order data such as order number, coordinates of the storage location, number of items and weight of the goods from a central computer. For example, you can move to specific shelves in rack storage and remove the desired object from the shelf using a gripping system that has a pick-up tool. The pick-up tool can be designed as a gripper, for example as an adhesion gripper or vacuum gripper. Mobile picking robots have a load handling manipulator, which usually includes a lifting mast or another lifting device for vertical positioning of the gripper on the shelf and on the target container. Special kinematics of the robot arm are often used for the fully autonomous, mobile picking process. Robots with standard kinematics, especially 6-axis industrial robots, are often too heavy, not designed for mobile use and have kinematic limitations that make use in this area difficult. Robot arms with flat kinematics that can be moved vertically on a lifting mast are more advantageous. Such robot arms have several arm elements arranged flat, ie horizontally, which span a cylindrical gripping space which is ideally suited for working in narrow warehouses.

Mobile picking robots with flat arm kinematics are known, for example, from DE 10 2017 129 468 A1 and DE 10 2017 130 577 A1.

When picking from the shelf using autonomous vehicles, such as picking robots, the variety of packages to be handled is a major challenge. The variance is caused by different sizes, surfaces, materials, air permeability, weights and shapes of the different packages.

The automated order picking system has to react to this with very expensive universal grippers or with specialized but interchangeable grippers.

An autonomous picking system should be able to pick up a large proportion of the packages in the warehouse in order to be able to operate profitably. Although hybrid systems of machine and human are conceivable, with a machine picking the first half of the target pallet and a human picking the target pallet, a large majority of the packages must be able to be handled automatically in order to even get into the technology of autonomous picking.

EP 2 987 761 A1 discloses an industrial truck for picking with at least one load handling device for a transport container for goods, in particular a load fork, and a travel drive for the industrial truck and with sensor means known for detecting the environment. A robot manipulator arm with a gripper is arranged on the industrial truck, which can reach the area of the load handling device and at least one area outside the base area of the industrial truck with the gripper and can be controlled by a controller based on the data from the sensor means.

This publication also addresses the fact that it can make sense to use different grippers for different goods. For this purpose, a holder or storage position for further grippers can be provided on the industrial truck, for example in the case of a pallet truck on the top of the drive part. The robot manipulator arm can independently exchange a gripper that is connected to it, for example via an interchangeable mount, for one of the other grippers if this is necessary because of the goods that are to be handled.

The present invention is based on the object of designing an order-picking system of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that it is easier to exchange the pick-up tools as required.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that identification systems are installed at the interface of the robot arm and/or on the receiving tool magazine, which enable the receiving tools to be distinguished.

What is achieved with the invention is that the different pick-up tools, which can be designed in particular as specialized grippers, can be recognized more easily, which also makes it much easier to automate the exchange process. It is no longer necessary for an operator to go through the different grippers himself and select the appropriate gripper.

This makes it possible to use different grippers on the same autonomous picking system and to switch between these grippers without increased personnel costs.

The identification systems are advantageously installed both at the interface of the robot arm and at the receiving tool magazine. This enables both information about what is currently on the picking robot recording tool in use as well as information about the stock of recording tools stored in the recording tool magazine can be called up, so that a needs-based replacement of the recording tool is further facilitated.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the identification systems are set up to recognize different codings of the mounting tools.

The coding of the receiving tools can include mechanical markings.

Alternatively or additionally, the coding of the pick-up tools can also include electronic and/or optical markings, in particular barcodes.

In order to be able to reliably identify the different pick-up tools, it is provided according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention that the identification systems include optical and/or radio-based sensor devices. The optical sensor devices can be cameras or laser scanners, for example. For example, RFID devices can be used in the radio-based sensor devices.

The tool holder magazine preferably has an electronic data processing device in which a computer program is stored that is set up for automatic management of the tool holder magazine.

In this case, the automatic management of the holding tool magazine includes, in particular, checking the holding tools in and out of the holding tool magazine.

According to a development of the idea of the invention, the automatic management of the pick-up tool magazine can also include a selection of the pick-up tools in anticipation of future picking processes. Thus, in particular in anticipation of the next gripping process, the correspondingly suitable grippers can be selected. The computer program for the automatic management of the recording tool magazine must be designed to be correspondingly more complex if the recording tools in the magazine have to be shared between several mobile picking robots because the recording tool magazine is on an escort vehicle, for example. In this case, it must be ensured that the pick-up tool magazine is available in good time near the mobile picking robot in order to avoid waiting times.

In order to enable coordination between the mobile picking robot and the picking tool magazine, in particular for automated management of the picking tool magazine, the electronic data processing device of the picking tool magazine is advantageously operatively connected to an electronic control device of the mobile picking robot. The mobile picking robot can thus communicate with the pick-up tool magazine, so that the pick-up tools suitable for the particular needs of the mobile picking robot can be made available in a targeted manner in the pick-up tool magazine.

The pick-up tool magazine is expediently accommodated on the mobile picking robot. Good accessibility of the magazine with the robot arm of the picking robot is to be ensured here. In addition, the pick-up tool magazine must not hinder the picking robot when it reaches the shelf. In the case of autonomous picking robots, which have a lifting mast and kinematics attached thereto, it is explicitly proposed to attach the magazine to the lifting mast or next to the lifting mast in order to meet the requirements mentioned. The picking robot remains accessible to the shelves on both sides of a shelf aisle. In particular, it is proposed to arrange the pick-up tool magazine locally next to or above or below a package buffer of the mobile picking robot.

Another advantageous embodiment provides that the pick-up tool magazine is accommodated on an escort vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the receiving tool magazine can also be installed in a stationary manner on the infrastructure. Then the autonomous picking system has to drive to the tool magazine to change the pick-up tool.

The tool magazine is expediently constructed like a shelf with storage spaces for the tool holders arranged one behind the other and/or one above the other and/or next to one another. Care must be taken to ensure that all parking spaces are easily accessible. The receiving tool magazine can also be managed according to a FiFo (first-in-first-out) system or a FiLo (first-in-last-out) system. Appropriate logic must be stored in the computer program for managing the tool holder magazine.

A further advantageous embodiment provides that the receiving tool magazine has a drive device which enables the receiving tool to be made available at a transfer position. For this purpose, the receiving tool magazine can be designed, for example, in the manner of a revolver magazine.

The interface of the robot arm of the mobile picking robot can preferably be locked and opened. The interface can thus be locked for picking operations, but can also be opened to change the pick-up tool.

The opening and locking can be done manually or automatically. Both variants offer advantages:

In a picking system that includes a mobile picking robot and an accompanying vehicle that transports the target plate to be picked - the so-called twin truck concept - an autonomous picking robot can be assigned to each aisle in the warehouse or aisle/warehouse section. The escort vehicle then drives back and forth between these picking robots until the target pallet is ready. A spatial division of the packages makes sense here, so that each autonomous picking robot can use a pick-up tool that is specialized for the respective package category. A manual tool change is sufficient for this. Those at the interface of the robotic arm In this case, the identification systems installed on the receiving tool magazine can be operatively connected to a display device that shows the operator that the suitable receiving tool has been selected.

On the other hand, in the case of autonomous picking systems, in which different packages are to be handled with different pick-up tools in close succession, an automated change of the pick-up tool makes sense.

In both cases it is advantageous if an actuator device arranged at the interface is provided for locking and opening the interface.

Alternatively, a rotary device of the load handling manipulator can also be provided for locking and opening the interface. For this purpose, the possibility of rotating the pick-up tool can be used by the load handling manipulator. This is an advantageous embodiment because no additional actuator has to be installed. A rotary axis in the load handling manipulator is often already installed in autonomous picking robots because it is necessary for the process.

According to a preferred development of the idea of the invention, the interface of the robot arm of the mobile picking robot is connected upstream or downstream of a compensating element of the robot arm. If the interface is located above the compensating element and is therefore upstream of the compensating element, the compensating element is also changed with the receiving tool. This offers advantages if other pick-up tools are intended for heavier packages, which then also require compensating elements with greater restoring forces. If the interface is below the compensating element and is therefore connected downstream of the compensating element, this can offer cost advantages because only one such compensating element has to be kept available for each picking robot.

A further advantageous embodiment provides that the interface of the robot arm of the mobile picking robot has passages for cables and for supplying media to the pick-up tool. This always makes sense when the recording tools use technologies that support a medium (e.g. with vacuum grippers) or require energy or sensors. The interface must be designed in such a way that existing tool turning systems continue to function.

Preferably, the receiving tool magazine can also be locked and opened. An actuator device arranged on the receiving tool magazine is expediently provided for locking and opening the receiving tool magazine. In particular, the receiving tool magazine has a locking option for the positions for the receiving tools. For this purpose, parking space interfaces can be provided in the receiving tool magazine. The parking space interfaces can also be designed in a simplified manner compared to the interfaces of the robot arm of the picking robot, since a pick-up tool located in the pick-up tool magazine does not have to be supplied with energy, data or media. The parking space interfaces located in the receiving tool magazine can be the same for different receiving tools, but can also be adapted to the individual circumstances of the respective receiving tool.

At least two different mounting tools can be stored in the mounting tool magazine. This can involve pick-up tools, in particular grippers, of the same technology, for example vacuum suction grippers, which are designed for different weights and/or sizes of the packages, or else pick-up tools that use different technologies, in particular gripper technologies.

Furthermore, special tools for removing a slipsheet from the source pallet, for removing a film, e.g. a stretch wrapping film, or for wrapping, i.e. wrapping the finished target pallet, can also be stored in the tool magazine.

The invention offers a whole range of advantages:

With the invention, greater coverage of the packages in the warehouse can be achieved, so that more packages can be managed by the autonomous picking system. Standardized picking systems can be used that have specialized pick-up tools, in particular grippers.

Several simple, specialized grippers can be used instead of a highly complex gripper system. This results in lower costs, a lower weight and a smaller size of the individual gripper.

In addition, the range of standard grippers can be supplemented with customer-specific variants.

Another advantage is the possibility of using standard interfaces and standard grippers.

The invention is suitable for all conceivable arm kinematics of robot arms, in particular for the flat arm kinematics frequently used in order-picking robots. However, it can also be used with six-axis industrial robot kinematics.

Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the schematic figures. show here

FIG. 1 shows a picking system according to the invention with a picking robot and an integrated pick-up tool magazine,

FIG. 2 an escort vehicle with a packed target pallet,

Figure 3 two alternative versions of the picking system with picking robot and integrated pick-up tool magazine,

FIG. 4 a picking robot without an integrated pick-up tool magazine, FIG. 5 shows two alternative versions of an escort vehicle with a pick-up tool magazine, and

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the receiving tool, on the left in the state mounted on the robot arm and on the right in the state stored in the receiving tool magazine.

In the figures, the same features are denoted by the same reference numbers.

FIG. 1 shows a picking system S according to the invention with a mobile picking robot R and an integrated pick-up tool magazine M.

The mobile picking robot R has a flat arm kinematics of a load handling manipulator L according to the so-called Scara principle. This design is characterized by an autonomous vehicle 1 with a vertical lifting mast 2 and a carriage 3 that can be moved vertically thereon, to which the flat kinematics of the robot arm A is attached. The lifting mast 2 represents the first vertical axis i1 of the load handling manipulator L. The first arm element 4 of the arm kinematics of the robot arm A is attached to the carriage 3 . The arm element 5 is fastened to this via the vertical axis i2. There, in turn, the arm element 6 is fastened via the vertical axis i3 and the foremost arm element 7 is fastened to it via the vertical axis i4, which carries the receiving tool 8 designed as a gripper 8 . In the present example, the gripper 8 is designed as a vacuum gripper 8 which, for example, grips objects 9 designed as packages 9 from above, as shown in FIG.

The gripper 8 is attached to a compensating element 10 . The compensating element 10 allows flexibility for several degrees of freedom.

An interface 11 is provided between the compensating element 10 and the foremost arm element 7 . The compensating element 10 with the gripper 8 can be attached to this interface 11 or removed from it. The interface 11 can be locked for the picking operation, but can also be opened for the gripper change. The opening and locking can be done manually or automatically. The pick-up tool magazine M housed on the vehicle 1 is provided for storing different grippers 8, so that the load handling manipulator L can place the gripper 8 attached to the foremost arm element 7 in the pick-up tool magazine M and replace it with another gripper 8. In FIG. 1, the receiving tool magazine M is empty.

Identification systems 11 and 12 are installed at the interface 11 of the robot arm A and in the receiving tool magazine M. The grippers 8 can thus be distinguished from one another. Different grippers 8 are coded differently. The identification systems 11 and I2 can recognize the different codes of the grippers 8. The codes can be, for example, optical codes using a barcode. In this case, the identification systems 11 and 12 include optical sensors, for example cameras or laser scanners, in order to recognize the codes.

The tool magazine M has an electronic data processing device D1 in which a computer program is stored that is set up for automatic management of the tool magazine M. The data processing device D1 is operatively connected to an electronic control device D2 of the mobile picking robot R.

In the present case, the data processing device D1 is integrated into the control device D2 of the mobile picking robot R.

The control device D2 of the autonomous picking system communicates with the data processing device D1 of the receiving tool magazine M. There the grippers 8 are booked into and out of the receiving tool magazine M. Any faults can also be stored and processed here. In addition, the correspondingly suitable grippers 8 can be selected in anticipation of the next pick.

FIG. 2 shows an escort vehicle 12 of the picking system S with a target pallet packed with packages 9 . In the figure on the left, the support vehicle 12 is shown in a perspective view, while it is shown in plan view in the figure on the right. In Figure 2 it is indicated how a package 9 is deposited by means of the gripper 8 attached to the arm element 7 of the picking robot R, not shown in FIG.

Two alternative versions of the picking system S with a picking robot R and an integrated pick-up tool magazine M are shown in FIG. In the illustration on the left in FIG. In the right-hand image of FIG. 3, the pick-up tool magazine M is attached to the lifting mast 2. The recording tool magazine M can be arranged above the package buffer 13, on the other side of the mast 2 or on both sides of the mast 2.

FIG. 4 shows a picking robot R of the picking system S according to FIG. 1 without an integrated pick-up tool magazine M.

In this case, the pick-up tool magazine M is accommodated on a separate escort vehicle 14 of the order-picking system S, as shown in FIG. The support vehicle 14 can supply one picking robot 1 or several picking robots 1 with pick-up tools 8 .

In the illustration on the left of FIG. 5, the support vehicle 14 is shown with an empty pick-up tool magazine M. In the image on the right in FIG. It is also indicated here how a gripper 8 is inserted into the receiving tool magazine M by means of the robot arm A of the picking robot R, not shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the pick-up tool 8 designed as a gripper 8 . In the illustration on the left in FIG. 6, the gripper 8 is shown in the mounted state on the robot arm A. The gripper 8 is attached to the compensating element 10 . The compensating element 10 is fastened to the robot arm A with the gripper 8 via the interface 11 . The identification system 11 is arranged in the area of the interface 11 and can be used to identify different grippers 8 . In the right-hand image of FIG. 6, the gripper 8 with the compensating element 10 is placed in a holder 15 of the receiving tool magazine M.

Claims

Claims Picking system (S) for the automatic picking of objects (9), the picking system (S) comprising a mobile picking robot (R) and a pick-up tool magazine (M) in which pick-up tools ( 8) are stored, and the picking robot (R) has a load handling manipulator (L) with a robot arm (A) which has an interface (11) to which the pick-up tool (8) can be attached and from which the pick-up tool (8) can be removed is, whereby the attached pick-up tool (8) by another pick-up tool (8) from the pick-up tool magazine (M) is interchangeable, characterized in that at the interface (11) of the robot arm (A) and / or on the pick-up tool magazine ( M) identification systems (11, I2) are installed, which allow the recording tools (8) to be distinguished. Picking system (S) according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification systems (11, I2) are set up to recognize different coding of the recording tools (8). Picking system (S) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the coding of the receiving tools (8) comprises mechanical markings. Picking system (S) according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the coding of the pick-up tools (8) comprises electronic and/or optical markings, in particular barcodes. Picking system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the identification systems (11, I2) comprise optical and / or radio-based sensor devices. Picking system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the receiving tool magazine (M) has an electronic data processing device (D2) in which a Computer program is stored, which is set up for automatic management of the recording tool magazine (M). Order-picking system (S) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the automatic management of the holding tool magazine (M) includes checking the holding tools (8) in and out of the holding tool magazine (M). Picking system (S) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the automatic management of the pick-up tool magazine (M) includes a selection of the pick-up tools (8) in anticipation of future picking processes. Picking system (S) according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the electronic data processing device (D2) of the receiving tool magazine (M) is operatively connected to an electronic control device (D1) of the mobile picking robot (R). Picking system (S) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the pick-up tool magazine (M) is accommodated on the mobile picking robot (R). Picking system (S) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the receiving tool magazine (M) is accommodated on an escort vehicle (14). Picking system (S) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the receiving tool magazine (M) is accommodated in a stationary manner. Picking system (S) according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the tool magazine (M) is constructed like a shelf with spaces for the tools (8) arranged one behind the other and/or one above the other and/or next to one another. 16

14. Order-picking system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the receiving tool magazine (M) has a drive device which enables the receiving tool (8) to be provided at a transfer position.

15. Picking system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the interface (11) of the robot arm (A) of the mobile picking robot (R) can be locked and opened.

16. Order-picking system (S) according to claim 15, characterized in that for locking and opening the interface (11) at the interface (11) arranged actuator device is provided.

17. Order-picking system (S) according to claim 15, characterized in that for locking and opening the interface (11) a rotating device of the load handling manipulator (L) is provided. 8. picking system (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the receiving tool magazine (M) can be locked and opened. 9. Picking system (S) according to claim 18, characterized in that for locking and opening the receiving tool magazine (M) on the receiving tool magazine (M) arranged actuator device is provided. 0. Picking system (S) according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the interface (11) of the robot arm (A) of the mobile picking robot (R) is connected upstream or downstream of a compensating element (10) of the robot arm (A). 1. Picking system (S) according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the interface (11) of the robot arm (A) of the mobile picking robot (R) has bushings for cables and for supplying the recording tool (8) with media.