WO2023067718A1

WO2023067718A1 - Automatic transport vehicle allocation device, automatic transport system, automatic transport vehicle allocation program, and automatic transport vehicle allocation method

Info

Publication number: WO2023067718A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/038720
Authority: WO
Inventors: 喜之辻本
Original assignee: ヤマハ発動機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-10-20
Filing date: 2021-10-20
Publication date: 2023-04-27
Also published as: CN118076928A; JPWO2023067718A1

Abstract

An automatic transport vehicle allocation device 15 for allocating automatic transport vehicles V to transport supplies to surface mounting machines M, wherein: the surface mounting machines M include automatic-replenishment-compatible mounting machines M that support automatic replenishment of supplies, and non-automatic-replenishment mounting machines M that do not support automatic replenishment of supplies; and the automatic transport vehicles V include automatic replenishment vehicles V that have a function for automatically replenishing the automatic-replenishment-compatible mounting machines M with supplies, and manual replenishment vehicles V that do not have a function for automatically replenishing the automatic-replenishment-compatible mounting machines M with supplies. The automatic transport vehicle allocation device 15 is provided with a communication unit 32 that communicates with the surface mounting machines M, and a control unit 30, wherein the control unit 30 performs: a reception process for receiving a request to replenish supplies from a surface mounting machine M via the communication unit 32; and an allocation process for allocating an automatic transport vehicle V to transport supplies to the surface mounting machine M requesting the replenishment, wherein in the allocation process, if the requesting surface mounting machine M is an automatic-replenishment-compatible mounting machine M, an automatic replenishment vehicle V is allocated preferentially.

Description

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE ALLOCATION APPARATUS, AUTOMATIC VEHICLE SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC VEHICLE ALLOCATION PROGRAM, AND AUTOMATIC VEHICLE ALLOCATION METHOD

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an automatic guided vehicle allocation device, an automatic guided vehicle system, an automatic guided vehicle allocation program, and an automatic guided vehicle allocation method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in factories and the like, automatic transport vehicles are used to automatically transport supplies to equipment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Specifically, the manufacturing system described in Patent Literature 1 is a system for manufacturing a mounting board in which components are mounted on the board, and includes a plurality of manufacturing facilities including a printer and a component mounter. In the manufacturing system, the materials stored in the material storage are transported to the manufacturing facility by the automatic guided vehicle, and the replenishment worker takes out the materials from the automated guided vehicle and replenishes the manufacturing facility with the materials. The document also states that the worker does not have to be a person, and that a work means such as an articulated robot can be substituted.

JP 2019-61310 A

In the manufacturing system described in Patent Literature 1 described above, the work of supplying the manufacturing equipment with the materials conveyed by the automatic guided vehicle is performed by a person or an alternative means, and the automatic guided vehicle itself automatically supplies the materials to the manufacturing equipment. It does not have the function of replenishing with
On the other hand, in recent years, by making equipment compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies and giving automatic guided vehicles the function of automatically replenishing such equipment, supplies can be supplied to equipment by automatic guided vehicles. Automatic replenishment is being considered. In the following description, equipment that supports automatic replenishment of replenishment items will be referred to as automatic replenishment compatible equipment, and an automatic transport vehicle that has the function of automatically replenishing replenishment items will be referred to as an automatic replenishment vehicle.

However, not all facilities will be replaced with automatic replenishment compatible facilities all at once, and it is possible that there will be a mixture of automatic replenishment compatible facilities and non-automatic replenishment compatible facilities that do not support automatic replenishment. In that case, it is assumed that the automatic transport vehicle will be mixed with an automatic supply vehicle and a manual supply vehicle that is an automatic transport vehicle that does not have a function of automatically supplying supplies.

In this specification, when automatic replenishment compatible equipment and automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment are mixed and automatic replenishment vehicles and manual replenishment vehicles are mixed, replenishment of supplies to automatic replenishment compatible equipment is performed as automatically as possible. Disclosed is a technique for reducing the possibility that the automatic replenishment response facility will stop due to the lack of an automatic replenishment vehicle that can be assigned while suppressing an increase in the number of automatic replenishment vehicles.

An automatic guided vehicle allocation device for allocating an automatic guided vehicle to transport supplies to equipment, wherein the equipment includes an automatic supply compatible facility compatible with automatic supply of supplies and an automatic supply compatible with automatic supply of supplies. The automatic transport vehicle includes an automatic replenishment vehicle having a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment-compatible equipment, and an automatic replenishment-compatible equipment to automatically supply supplies to the automatic replenishment-compatible equipment. There is a manual replenishment vehicle that does not have the function of receiving a replenishment request for replenishment; If the facility is the facility for automatic replenishment, the automatic replenishment vehicle is preferentially assigned.

According to the above configuration, when the automatic replenishment compatible equipment and the automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment are mixed, and the automatic replenishment vehicle and the manual replenishment vehicle are mixed, replenishment of the automatic replenishment compatible equipment is performed as much as possible. It is possible to reduce the possibility that the automatic replenishment equipment stops due to the lack of automatic replenishment vehicles that can be assigned while the operation is being performed automatically, while suppressing the increase in the number of the automatic replenishment vehicles.

Schematic diagram of a manufacturing plant according to Embodiment 1 Schematic diagram of automatic transport system Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the automatic guided vehicle assignment device Flowchart of automated guided vehicle allocation process Flowchart of automated guided vehicle allocation process Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the flowchart and specific examples 1 to 6 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 1 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 2 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 3 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 4 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 5 Schematic diagram of various tables according to specific example 6 Schematic diagram for explaining the flow of loading supplies Schematic diagram for explaining the flow of replenishment of supplies

(Outline of this embodiment)
(1) An automatic guided vehicle assignment device according to the present disclosure is an automatic guided vehicle assignment device that assigns an automatic guided vehicle to transport supplies to a facility, and the facility has a There is an automatic replenishment compatible facility that is equipped with automatic replenishment equipment and an automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment that does not support automatic replenishment of supplies, and the automatic transport vehicle has a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment. There are a vehicle and a manual replenishment vehicle that does not have a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment, and the automatic guided vehicle allocation device includes a communication unit that communicates with the equipment and a control unit, The control unit performs a reception process of receiving a replenishment request for supplies from the facility via the communication unit, and an assignment process of allocating the automatic guided vehicle to transport the supplies to the facility that requested the replenishment request. , and in the allocation process, if the facility of the requesting source is the automatic replenishment compatible facility, the automatic replenishment vehicle is preferentially allocated.

In the following explanation, "automatic supply vehicle that can be assigned" refers to an automatic supply vehicle that can supply supplies before the automatic supply support equipment runs out of supplies. An automatic supply vehicle capable of replenishing supplies before an automatic supply facility runs out of supplies is specifically, for example, an automatic supply vehicle on standby. If there are no automatic supply vehicles on standby, any automatic supply vehicle capable of replenishing supplies before the automatic supply vehicle runs out of supplies, among the automatic supply vehicles in operation, the automatic supply vehicle runs out of supplies. It may be an automatic replenishment vehicle capable of replenishing supplies in advance. The same is true for the manual supply vehicle.

When automatic replenishment compatible equipment and non-automatic replenishment compatible equipment are mixed, and automatic replenishment vehicles and manual replenishment vehicles are mixed, supplies are transported to automatic replenishment compatible equipment by automatic replenishment vehicles, and automatic replenishment is not supported. It is conceivable to divide the roles of the equipment, such as transporting supplies by means of a manual supply vehicle. However, if the roles are divided, the following problems are assumed.
(Problem 1) If there is no automatic replenishment vehicle that can be assigned when a replenishment request is received from the automatic replenishment facility, the automatic replenishment facility may stop working.
(Problem 2) If a large number of automatic supply vehicles are prepared, the possibility that there are no automatic supply vehicles that can be assigned can be reduced, but the increase in the number of automatic supply vehicles increases the cost.

According to the automatic guided vehicle assignment device described above, if the requesting facility is an automatic replenishment compatible facility, the automatic replenishment vehicle is assigned with priority. can. On the other hand, if there are no automatic replenishment vehicles that can be assigned, a manual replenishment vehicle is assigned. Absence of vehicles can reduce the likelihood of automatic replenishment response facility outages.

Therefore, according to the above automatic transport vehicle allocation device, when automatic replenishment compatible equipment and automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment are mixed and automatic replenishment vehicles and manual replenishment vehicles are mixed, supplies to automatic replenishment compatible equipment While replenishment is performed automatically as much as possible, the possibility of stoppage of automatic replenishment facilities due to the lack of automatic replenishment vehicles that can be assigned can be reduced while suppressing an increase in the number of automatic replenishment vehicles.

(2) In the allocation process, if the requesting facility is the automatic replenishment compatible facility and there is no automatic replenishment vehicle on standby, the control unit determines whether the automatic replenishment vehicle in operation Of these, the automatic replenishment vehicles that can supply replenishment items before the automatic replenishment facility runs out of replenishment items may be preferentially assigned.

According to the above automatic transport vehicle allocation device, if there are no automatic supply vehicles on standby, there is a higher possibility that supplies can be automatically replenished compared to manually allocating a supply vehicle.

(3) In the allocation process, the control unit is capable of replenishing supplies before the automatic replenishment equipment among the automatic replenishment vehicles in operation runs out of supplies without the automatic replenishment vehicles on standby. If there is no automatic supply vehicle and no standby manual supply vehicle, regardless of whether it is the automatic supply vehicle or the manual supply vehicle, the automatic transport vehicle that is on standby the earliest may be assigned.

According to the automatic guided vehicle allocation device described above, supplies can be replenished to the automatic replenishment equipment at an earlier point than when allocating an automatic guided vehicle other than the earliest standby automatic guided vehicle.

(4) In the allocation process, the control unit may allocate the manual replenishment vehicle if the requesting equipment is the equipment that does not support automatic replenishment.

Normally, supplies used in automatic replenishment compatible equipment are different in shape from supplies used in automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment. Automated supply vehicles are generally designed to carry supplies for use on automated replenishment enabled facilities and cannot carry supplies for use on non-automatic supply enabled facilities. In contrast, manual replenishment vehicles are generally versatile and can carry supplies used by both automatic replenishment enabled and non-automatic replenishment enabled facilities.
According to the apparatus for allocating automatic transport vehicles, manual replenishment vehicles are allocated to facilities that are not compatible with automatic replenishment, so supplies can be replenished to facilities that are not compatible with automatic replenishment.

(5) In the allocation process, if there is no manual supply vehicle on standby, the control unit may allocate the manual supply vehicle that will be on standby the earliest.

According to the automatic transport vehicle allocation device described above, since the manual supply vehicle that is on standby the earliest is allocated, compared to the case of allocating a manual supply vehicle other than the manual supply vehicle that is on standby the earliest, it is faster for equipment that does not support automatic supply. Supplies can be replenished in time.

(6) When the control unit allocates the manual supply vehicle to transport supplies to the equipment of the requester in the allocation process, the control unit assigns the equipment of the requestor and the manual supply vehicle allocated to the Guidance processing may be performed to inform the operator of the scheduled time of arrival at the facility.

When supplies are transported by a manual supply vehicle, the operator must manually replenish the equipment with the transported supplies. According to the above automatic transport vehicle assignment device, the operator is informed of the requested equipment and the scheduled arrival time of the assigned manual supply vehicle at the equipment, so that the transported supplies are replenished to the equipment. can be done.

(7) An automatic transport system according to the present disclosure is an automatic transport system that automatically transports supplies to equipment, and automatically supplies supplies to the automatic supply compatible equipment, which is the equipment that supports automatic supply of supplies. An automatic replenishment vehicle that is an automatic transport vehicle that has a replenishment function, and a manual replenishment vehicle that is an automatic transport vehicle that does not have a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment equipment, and any one of (1) to (6). and an automated guided vehicle assignment device according to any one of the above.

According to the automatic transport system described above, when equipment that supports automatic replenishment and equipment that does not support automatic replenishment coexist, and when automatic replenishment vehicles and manual replenishment vehicles coexist, supplies can be replenished to the equipment that supports automatic replenishment. It is possible to reduce the possibility of stoppage of automatic replenishment equipment due to the lack of automatic replenishment vehicles that can be assigned, while suppressing an increase in the number of automatic replenishment vehicles, while performing as automatically as possible.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the scope of the claims.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized in various forms such as devices, systems, methods, computer programs for realizing the functions of these devices, systems or methods, and recording media recording the computer programs.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. FIG. In the following description, the reference numerals in the drawings may be omitted except for some of the same components.

(1) Manufacturing Factory A manufacturing factory 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A manufacturing factory 1 is a factory that manufactures mounting boards on which components are mounted. The manufacturing plant 1 has a plurality of mounting lines L (L1, L2, L3), an automatic storage shed 11, a storage rack 12, a plurality of automatic guided vehicles V, a setup area terminal 13, an operator terminal 14, and an automatic guided vehicle allocation device. 15 are placed.
Each device (that is, the mounting line L, the automatic storage warehouse 11, the automatic guided vehicle V, the setup area terminal 13, the operator terminal 14, and the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15) other than the storage rack 12 can communicate via a communication network (not shown). It is connected. The automatic guided vehicle V and the operator terminal 14 are wirelessly connected to a communication network via an access point (not shown).

In FIG. 1, a set-up area 20 is a place for set-up of replenishment items and loading (in other words, loading) of replenishment items on the automatic guided vehicle V, which will be described later. An automatic stocker 11, a storage shelf 12 and a setup area terminal 13 are arranged in the setup area 20. - 特許庁The waiting area 21 is a place where the automatic guided vehicle V waits. The standby area 21 is arranged near the setup area 20 .
The set-up area operator 22 is an operator who sets up supplies and loads the supplies on the automatic guided vehicle V in the set-up area 20 . The equipment operator 23 is an operator who performs work (replenishment of supplies, error handling, etc.) that occurs in the mounting line L. FIG.

Each mounting line L includes a plurality of surface mounters M (surface mounters M1 to M3 for the mounting line L1, surface mounters M4 to M6 for the mounting line L2, and surface mounters M7 to M9 for the mounting line L3). The surface mounter M is an example of equipment. In addition to the surface mounter M, each mounting line L includes other equipment (loader, screen printer, print inspection machine, dispenser, post-mounting visual inspection machine, reflow device, post-curing visual inspection machine, unloader) for working on boards. etc.), but other facilities are omitted in FIG.

The surface mounter M is equipment that mounts components on the surface of the board. The surface mounters M include a surface mounter M that mounts components supplied from a component tape and a surface mounter M that mounts components supplied from a component tray. A component tape is a tape containing components. A component tray is a tray on which components are placed in a matrix. Some surface mounters M are capable of both mounting components supplied by a component tape and mounting components supplied by a component tray. Parts shall be supplied by either one of the trays.

A plurality of tape feeders are detachably attached to the surface mounter M that mounts the components supplied by the component tape. A tape feeder is a device that sequentially feeds components one by one by intermittently feeding component tapes. Surface mounters M for mounting components supplied by component tapes include surface mounters M compatible with automatic supply of component tapes and surface mounters M not compatible with automatic supply of component tapes. . In the following description, the surface mounter M that supports automatic supply of component tapes is referred to as the mounter M that supports automatic supply (an example of equipment that supports automatic supply). The machine M is called an automatic replenishment incompatible mounting machine M (an example of automatic replenishment incompatible equipment).

A surface mounter M for mounting components supplied from component trays has a magazine for storing component trays in a plurality of vertical stages, an elevating mechanism for elevating the magazine, and a loading/unloading mechanism for loading/unloading the component trays from/to the magazine. have equipment. In this embodiment, it is assumed that none of the surface mounters M that mount components supplied from component trays are compatible with automatic replenishment of component trays. In the following description, the surface mounter M that mounts the components supplied from the component tray is also referred to as the mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment.

Supplies supplied to the mounter M not compatible with automatic supply and supplies supplied to the mounter M compatible with automatic supply will be described.
In the case of the mounting machine M that does not support automatic replenishment, reels and component trays around which component tapes are wound are replenished as supplies. Replenishment of reels and component trays to the mounting machine M not compatible with automatic supply is performed by the equipment operator 23 manually attaching reels and component trays transported to the mounting machine M not compatible with automatic supply by a manual supply vehicle V described later. will be When the replenishment item is a reel, the facility operator 23 sets the leading end of the component tape wound on the reel to the tape feeder before or after attaching the reel.

In the case of the automatic replenishment compatible mounting machine M, cassettes containing reels and tape feeders are replenished as supplies. That is, in the case of the mounter M compatible with automatic replenishment, not only the reel but also the tape feeder are replenished as replenishment items. Although the details will be described later, both the automatic supply vehicle V and the manual supply vehicle V can be used to transport the cassettes to the mounting machine M capable of automatic supply. When the cassettes are transported by the automatic replenishment vehicle V, replenishment of the cassettes to the automatic replenishment compatible mounter M is automatically performed by the automatic replenishment vehicle V. When the cassettes are transported by the manual replenishment vehicle V, replenishment of the cassettes to the automatic replenishment compatible mounter M is manually performed by the equipment operator 23 . The component tape is accommodated in the cassette with the leading end set in the tape feeder in advance. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the tip of the component tape in the tape feeder when replenishing the cassette.

The automatic storage box 11 is a storage box that has the function of automatically entering and leaving reels. A storage shelf 12 is a shelf in which component trays, tape feeders, empty cassettes, and the like are stored. When replenishing cassettes to the automatic replenishment compatible mounter M, a setup area operator 22 performs a setup operation for accommodating reels and tape feeders in the cassettes.

The automatic carrier V is a carrier that automatically carries supplies from the setup area 20 to the surface mounter M. The automatic carrier V has a function of automatically supplying cassettes to the mounter M compatible with automatic supply (hereinafter referred to as the automatic carrier V), and the mounter M capable of automatically supplying cassettes. There is an automatic transport vehicle that does not support automatic replenishment (hereinafter referred to as a manual replenishment vehicle V) that does not have a replenishment function. The manual supply vehicle V is specifically an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle), for example. The automatic replenishment vehicle V is, for example, an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) in which a robot is mounted on an AGV.

The automatic replenishment vehicle V is an automatic transport vehicle designed to automatically replenish cassettes, and is not designed to mount reels and parts trays alone. On the other hand, the manual replenishment vehicle V is versatile and can be loaded with any member. Since the manual replenishment vehicle V can also be loaded with a cassette, both the automatic replenishment vehicle V and the manual replenishment vehicle V can be used to transport the cassette to the mounter M compatible with automatic replenishment. On the other hand, since reels and component trays alone cannot be loaded on the automatic supply vehicle V, only the manual supply vehicle V can transport reels and component trays to the mounting machine M that does not support automatic supply.
Each automatic guided vehicle V (automatic supply vehicle V and manual supply vehicle V) is equipped with a control unit, a wireless communication unit, a position sensor for detecting the position of the vehicle, and a sensor for detecting people and obstacles while driving. ing. The automatic guided vehicle V is wirelessly connected to the above-described communication network via a wireless communication unit.

The setup area terminal 13 is a terminal for the automatic guided vehicle assigning device 15 to instruct the setup area operator 22 to perform setup work and to load supplies on the automatic guided vehicle V. FIG. The setup area terminal 13 is, for example, a personal computer.
The operator terminal 14 operates the automatic carrier allocation device 15 so that the surface mounter M is supplied with the supplies conveyed by the manual supply vehicle V to the surface mounter M (the mounter M compatible with automatic supply or the mounter M not compatible with automatic supply M). is a terminal for giving instructions to the equipment operator 23 . The operator terminal 14 may be a portable terminal such as a tablet computer, or a stationary terminal such as a personal computer.

The automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 is a device for allocating the automatic guided vehicle V to transport supplies to the surface mounter M. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of automated guided vehicles V and an automated guided vehicle assignment device 15 constitute an automated guided vehicle system 50 according to the first embodiment.

(2) Electrical Configuration of Automated Guided Vehicle Allocation Device An electrical configuration of the automated guided vehicle allocation device 15 will be described with reference to FIG. The automated guided vehicle assignment device 15 is a so-called personal computer (an example of a computer), and includes a control section 30 , a storage section 31 , a communication section 32 , an input section 33 and an output section 34 .

The control unit 30 includes a CPU 30A, a RAM 30B, and the like. Various programs and data to be executed by the control unit 30 are stored in the storage unit 31 . The communication unit 32 is a communication circuit for connecting the automated guided vehicle allocation device 15 to a communication network. The input unit 33 is an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel. The output unit 34 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display.
The programs stored in the storage unit 31 include an automatic guided vehicle assignment program that causes a personal computer to function as the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 . The data stored in the storage unit 31 includes a facility information table, a replenishment item information table, an automatic guided vehicle information table, and a replenishment request table, which will be described later.

(3) Replenishment Request A replenishment request sent from the surface mounter M to the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 will be described. The surface mounter M predicts the time when the components will run out from the remaining number of components contained in the component tape (or the components placed on the component tray) and the usage status of the components. The surplus time until the time when the components run out is stored in the surface mounter M. The surface mounter M transmits a replenishment request to the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 when the time until the time when the components run out is less than the margin time.

Table 1 is an example of a replenishment request. The replenishment request includes equipment name, automatic replenishment, replenishment item information, and supply shortage notice time.
The automatic replenishment is information indicating whether or not the surface mounter M that is the source of the replenishment request is compatible with the automatic replenishment of replenishment parts. Correspondence.

The replenishment item information is information indicating the replenishment item to be replenished (reel, component tray or cassette) and the mounting position number of the replenishment item. Here, there are various types of reels, component trays, and cassettes depending on the types of components contained therein, but for ease of understanding, the types are omitted here. The mounting position number is information indicating the mounting position on the surface mounter M. FIG. The surface mounter M is provided with a plurality of mounting positions where reels, component trays or cassettes are mounted, and the mounting positions are numbered. The mounting position number of the replenishment item information indicates the mounting position number of the surface mounter M to which the replenishment item is to be mounted.
The supply shortage notice time is the time at which the component runs out as described above.

(4) Various Tables Stored in Automated Guided Vehicle Allocation Device Equipment Information Table, Replenishment Item Information Table, Automated Guided Vehicle Information Table, and Replenishment Request Table Stored in Storage Unit 31 of Automated Guided Vehicle Allocation Device 15 explain.

Table 2 is an example of the facility information table. The facility information table is a table in which information of each surface mounter M is registered. The equipment information table includes the equipment name, automatic replenishment, and the required time from the setup area 20 to the surface mounter M.

Table 3 is an example of a replenishment information table. The replenishment information table includes replenishment information, carrier loading time, and replenishment time. The transport vehicle loading time is the time required to load the replenishment items indicated by the replenishment item information onto the automatic transport vehicle V. FIG. The replenishment time is the time required to replenish the surface mounter M with the replenishment items indicated by the replenishment item information.

Table 4 is an example of an automatic guided vehicle information table. The automatic guided vehicle information table includes the guided vehicle name, automatic replenishment, status, and estimated status completion time.
The status includes waiting, transporting, replenishing, and forwarding. During standby, it is in a state of waiting in the standby area 21 . It is in a state of moving toward the surface mounter M during transportation. During replenishment, the surface mounter M is replenished with supplies. It is in a state of moving toward the standby area 21 during forwarding. In the following description, a status other than waiting is referred to as being in operation.

　The scheduled status completion time is the estimated time when the current status will change to the next status. When the status changes, the automatic guided vehicle V notifies the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 of the changed status. When the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 is notified of the changed status, it updates the status of the automatic guided vehicle information table to the changed status and also updates the scheduled completion time of the status.

For example, when the status of the surface mounter M changes from waiting to transporting, the time obtained by adding the "required time from the setup area" of the equipment information table to the current time becomes the scheduled completion time of the status. When the status changes from being transported to being replenished, the time obtained by adding the "replenishment time" of the replenishment information table to the current time becomes the expected status completion time. If the status changes from replenishment to forwarding, the time obtained by adding the "required time from the setup area" to the current time will be the scheduled completion time of the status.

Table 5 is an example of a replenishment request table. The replenishment request table is a table in which replenishment requests received from each surface mounter M are registered.

(5) Automatic Guided Vehicle Assignment Processing The automatic guided vehicle assignment processing executed by the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 will be described. The automatic guided vehicle allocation process is a process of allocating the automatic guided vehicle V to transport supplies to the surface mounter M. FIG. This processing is started when the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 receives a replenishment request from the surface mounter M. FIG. The process in which the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 receives the replenishment request is an example of the reception process.
Here, first, the flow of the automatic guided vehicle assignment process will be described, and then a specific example will be described.

(5-1) Automatic Guided Vehicle Allocation Processing Flow The automatic guided vehicle assignment processing flow will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.
In S101, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the surface mounter M that is the source of the replenishment request is a mounter M capable of automatic replenishment. The control unit 30 proceeds to S102 if the mounter M supports automatic supply, and proceeds to S109 (FIG. 5) if the mounter M does not support automatic supply.

In S102, the control unit 30 determines whether or not there is an automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby. The control unit 30 proceeds to S103 if there is an automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby, and proceeds to S104 if not.
In S103, the control unit 30 allocates the automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby.
In S104, the control unit 30 determines whether or not there is an automatic supply vehicle V in operation that is capable of supplying cassettes to the mounting machine M capable of automatic supply before parts run out. The control unit 30 proceeds to S105 if there is an automatic replenishment vehicle V capable of replenishing cassettes before the parts run out, and proceeds to S106 if not.

In S105, the control unit 30 allocates an automatic replenishment vehicle V capable of replenishing cassettes before parts run out.
At S106, the control unit 30 determines whether or not there is a manual replenishment vehicle V on standby. The control unit 30 proceeds to S107 if there is a manual replenishment vehicle V on standby, and proceeds to S108 if not.
In S107, the control unit 30 allocates the manual replenishment vehicle V on standby.

In S108, the control unit 30 allocates the automatic guided vehicle V that is on standby the earliest regardless of whether it is the automatic supply vehicle V or the manual supply vehicle V.
In S109, the control unit 30 determines whether or not there is a manual replenishment vehicle V on standby. The control unit 30 proceeds to S110 if there is a manual replenishment vehicle V on standby, and proceeds to S111 if not.
In S110, the control unit 30 allocates the manual replenishment vehicle V on standby.
In S111, the control unit 30 allocates the manual replenishment vehicle V that is on standby the earliest.

(5-2) Specific Example of Allocation Processing of Automated Guided Vehicles As shown in FIG. 6, specific examples 1 to 6 will be described as specific examples of the assignment processing of automated guided vehicles.

(5-2-1) Specific example 1
As shown in FIG. 7, the replenishment request of specific example 1 indicates that the surface mounter M (mounter M1) that is the source of the request is the mounter M that supports automatic replenishment. The automatic guided vehicle information table of Specific Example 1 indicates that there is an automatic supply vehicle V (automatic guided vehicle V1) on standby. In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounting machine M is compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S102 it is determined that there is an automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby. Therefore, in S103, the automatic replenishment vehicle V (automatic guided vehicle V1) on standby is assigned.

(5-2-2) Specific example 2
As shown in FIG. 8, the replenishment request in Example 2 indicates that the requesting surface mounter M (mounter M1) is a mounter M capable of automatic replenishment, and that the advance notice time of supply runout is 12:35. showing. The automatic guided vehicle information table of specific example 2 indicates that there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby. In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounter M is compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S102 it is determined that there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby.

In Specific Example 2, automatic guided vehicle V3 is being forwarded, and the status changes to waiting at 12:28. Since the "required time from the setup area" of the mounting machine M1 in the equipment information table is 3 minutes, the "loading time" of the cassette in the supply information table is 2 minutes, and the "replenishment time" is 2 minutes, it is 12 minutes. Adding these total times to 28:00 will complete the replenishment at 12:35. 12:35 is the same time as the warning time of supply running out. Here, if the time at which the supply is completed is the same time as the time for notifying the shortage of supplies, it is assumed that the supply is completed before the parts run out. Therefore, in S104, it is determined that there is an automatic carrier V capable of replenishing cassettes to the mounter M capable of automatic replenishment before parts run out, and in S105, the automatic carrier V being forwarded (automatic carrier V3) is assigned.

(5-2-3) Specific example 3
As shown in FIG. 9, the replenishment request of specific example 3 indicates that the requesting surface mounter M (mounter M1) is a mounter M capable of automatic replenishment. The automatic transport vehicle information table of Specific Example 3 indicates that there is no automatic supply vehicle V on standby, but there is a manual supply vehicle V (automatic transport vehicle V2) on standby. In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounter M is compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S102 it is determined that there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby.

In Specific Example 3, automatic guided vehicle V3 is being forwarded, and the status is completed at 12:45. That is, at 12:45, the status of the automatic guided vehicle V3 changes to standby. 12:45 is past 12:35, which is the supply shortage notice time of the supply request. Therefore, in S104, it is determined that there is no automatic transport vehicle V that can supply cassettes to the mounter M capable of automatic supply before parts run out among the automatic supply vehicles V in operation. Then, in S106, it is determined that there is a manual supply vehicle V on standby, and in S107, the manual supply vehicle V (automatic guided vehicle V2) on standby is assigned.

(5-2-4) Specific example 4
As shown in FIG. 10, the replenishment request of Concrete Example 4 indicates that the requesting surface mounter M (mounter M1) is a mounter M capable of automatic replenishment. The automatic transport vehicle information table of Concrete Example 4 indicates that there is neither an automatic supply vehicle V on standby nor a manual supply vehicle V on standby. In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounting machine M is compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S102 it is determined that there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby.

In Specific Example 4, automatic guided vehicle V1 is being forwarded, and the status is completed at 12:36. That is, at 12:36, the status of the automatic guided vehicle V2 changes to standby. 12:36 is past 12:35, which is the supply shortage notice time of the supply request. In Specific Example 4, the automatic guided vehicle V3 is also being forwarded, and the status is completed at 12:40. That is, at 12:40, the status of the automatic guided vehicle V3 changes to standby. 12:40 is past 12:35, which is the supply shortage notice time of the supply request.

Therefore, in S104, it is determined that there is no automatic transport vehicle V that can replenish cassettes to the automatic replenishment compatible mounter M before parts run out among the automatic replenishment vehicles V in operation. It is determined that there is no Then, in S108, the automatic supply vehicle V1 is assigned as the automatic transport vehicle V to be on standby the earliest regardless of whether it is the automatic supply vehicle V or the manual supply vehicle V.

(5-2-5) Specific example 5
As shown in FIG. 11, the replenishment request of specific example 5 indicates that the requesting surface mounter M (mounter M2) is a mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment. The automatic guided vehicle information table of Specific Example 5 indicates that there is a standby manual replenishment vehicle V (automatic guided vehicle V2). In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounter M is not compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S109 it is determined that there is a manual replenishment vehicle V on standby. Therefore, in S110, the standby manual replenishment vehicle V (automatic guided vehicle V2) is assigned.

(5-2-6) Specific example 6
As shown in FIG. 12, the replenishment request of Specific Example 6 indicates that the requesting surface mounter M (mounter M2) is a mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment. The automatic guided vehicle information table of Specific Example 6 indicates that there is no manual replenishment vehicle V on standby. In this case, it is determined in S101 that the mounter M is not compatible with automatic replenishment, and in S109 it is determined that there is no manual replenishment vehicle V on standby.
In Specific Example 6, the automatic guided vehicle V2 is being forwarded, and the status is completed at 12:33. That is, at 12:33, the status of the automatic guided vehicle V2 changes to standby. Since there is no other manual supply vehicle V whose status changes to standby before 12:33, automatic guided vehicle V2 is assigned as the manual supply vehicle V whose status changes to standby the earliest in S111.

(6) Flow of Loading Replenishment Items The flow of loading replenishment items will be schematically described with reference to FIG. Loading of supplies is started when the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 assigns the automatic guided vehicle V. FIG.

[1-1] The automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 notifies the setup area terminal 13 of the supplies and the automatic guided vehicle V assigned to transport the supplies.

[1-2] When the setup area terminal 13 is notified of the supplies and the automatic guided vehicle V, the supplies are prepared.
(A1) For supplies (that is, reels) stored in the automatic storage 11, the setup area terminal 13 instructs the automatic storage 11 to take out the supplies. The automatic stocker 11 issues the instructed supplies.
(A2) After seeing the information displayed on the setup area terminal 13, the setup area operator 22 takes out the necessary supplies (parts tray, tape feeder, empty cassette, etc.) from the parts shelf.
(A3) For automatically replenished replenishment items (that is, cassettes), the setup area operator 22 performs the setup work of accommodating the reels and tape feeders in the cassettes.
[1-3] Setup area The operator 22 loads replenishment items on the automatic guided vehicles V notified by the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 among the automatic guided vehicles V waiting in the waiting area 21 . If the notified automatic guided vehicle V is not on standby, the operator mounts the automatic guided vehicle V after it is on standby.

[1-4] The setup area operator 22 operates the setup area terminal 13 to input that the loading on the automatic guided vehicle V has been completed when the loading of the supplies is completed.
[1-5] The setup area terminal 13 notifies the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 that the loading is completed.
[1-6] When the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 is notified of the completion of loading, the assigned automatic guided vehicle V receives the transport destination information (specifically, for example, the equipment name, automatic supply, and supplies included in the supply request). information).
[1-7] When the automatic guided vehicle V is notified of the destination information, it changes its status to "transporting" and notifies the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 of the changed status.
[1-8] The automatic guided vehicle V conveys the supplies to the surface mounter M indicated by the destination information.

(7) Flow of Replenishment of Replenishment Items A flow of replenishment of the supply items conveyed by the automatic guided vehicle V to the surface mounter M will be schematically described with reference to FIG.

[2-1] When the automatic carrier V is an automatic replenishment vehicle V The automatic replenishment vehicle V automatically replenishes the mounter M capable of automatic replenishment with supplies.
[2-2] When the automatic guided vehicle V is the manual replenishment vehicle V (B1) The automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15 sends the operator terminal 14 information about the destination surface mounter M, supplies, and the mounting position number and assignment of the supplies. The scheduled arrival time of the manual replenishment vehicle V to the surface mounter M is notified (an example of guidance processing). The operator terminal 14 displays the notified information. As a result, the facility operator 23 is informed of such information.
(B2) When the scheduled time is displayed, the equipment operator 23 moves to the destination surface mounter M (the automatic replenishment compatible mounter M or the automatic replenishment non-compatible mounter M) before the scheduled time, and manually replenishes. The supplies conveyed by the vehicle V are supplied to the surface mounter M.
(B3) When the replenishment is completed, the equipment operator 23 operates the operator terminal 14 to notify the manual replenishment vehicle V that the replenishment is completed. The manual replenishment vehicle V may be provided with an operation button, and when the replenishment is completed, the equipment operator 23 may operate the operation button to notify the manual replenishment vehicle V that the replenishment is completed.

[2-3] When the replenishment is completed, the automatic replenishment vehicle V changes its status to forwarding, and notifies the automatic transport vehicle assignment device 15 of the changed status.
[2-4] The automatic replenishment vehicle V returns to the waiting area 21 .

(8) Effect of the Embodiment According to the automatic guided vehicle allocation device 15 according to the first embodiment, when the requesting surface mounter M is a mounting machine M capable of automatic supply, priority is given to the automatic supply vehicle V. Replenishment of supplies to the mounting machine M capable of automatic replenishment can be automatically performed as much as possible (Specific Examples 1 and 2). On the other hand, if there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V that can be assigned, the manual replenishment vehicle V is assigned. , it is possible to reduce the possibility that the automatic replenishment compatible mounting machine M stops due to the absence of an automatic replenishment vehicle V that can be assigned (Specific Example 3).
Therefore, according to the automatic transport vehicle allocation device 15, when the automatic replenishment compatible mounters M and the automatic replenishment incompatible mounters M coexist and the automatic replenishment vehicles V and the manual replenishment vehicles V coexist, automatic replenishment compatible While replenishing supplies to the mounting machine M as automatically as possible, the possibility of the automatic supply mounting machine M stopping due to the lack of an automatic supply vehicle V that can be assigned should be avoided by increasing the number of automatic supply vehicles V. It can be reduced while suppressing.

According to the automatic carrier allocation device 15, if the requesting surface mounter M is a mounter M capable of automatic replenishment and there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby, the automatic replenishment vehicle V in operation automatically Since the automatic replenishment vehicle V capable of replenishing supplies is preferentially assigned before the replenishment mounter M runs out of replenishment supplies, compared to the case of allocating the manual resupply vehicle V when there is no automatic supply vehicle V on standby, The possibility of automatically replenishing replenishment items is increased (Specific Example 2).

According to the automatic transport vehicle allocation device 15, there is no automatic supply vehicle V on standby, and among the automatic supply vehicles V in operation, the automatic supply vehicle capable of supplying supplies before the mounting machine M corresponding to automatic supply runs out of supplies. If there is no V and there is no manual replenishment vehicle V on standby, the automatic transport vehicle V that will be on standby the earliest is assigned regardless of whether it is the automatic replenishment vehicle V or the manual replenishment vehicle V. As compared with the case of allocating an automatic guided vehicle V other than the automatic guided vehicle V which is on standby the earliest, the mounter M supporting automatic supply can be replenished with replenishment items at an earlier time (concrete example 4).

According to the automatic carrier allocation device 15, if the requesting surface mounter M is an automatic replenishment incompatible mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment of supplies, the manual replenishment vehicle V is assigned. Supplies can be replenished to the mounter M (Specific Example 5).

According to the automatic guided vehicle assignment device 15, if there is no manual supply vehicle V on standby, the manual supply vehicle V that is on standby the earliest is assigned. As compared with the case of allocating V, supplies can be replenished to the mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment at an earlier time (specific example 6).

According to the automatic transport vehicle assignment device 15, when the manual supply vehicle V is assigned to transport the supplies to the requesting surface mounter M, the destination (request source) surface mounter M and the assigned manual supply vehicle Since V informs the facility operator 23 of the estimated time of arrival at the surface mounter M, it is possible to replenish the conveyed supplies to the surface mounter M [2-2] (B1). .

<Other embodiments>
The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described in the above description and drawings, and the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope disclosed in this specification.

(1) In the first embodiment, the surface mounter M was used as an example of equipment, but other equipment that constitutes the mounting line L may be used as the equipment. For example, if the equipment is a screen printer, solder paste for printing a circuit pattern on a board is replenished as a replenishment item. In the case of a dispenser, the adhesive to be applied to the substrate is replenished as a replenishment item.

(2) In the above embodiment 1, when there is no automatic supply vehicle V on standby, the mounting machine M capable of automatic supply among the automatic supply vehicles V in operation can supply supplies before supplies run out. The case where the supply vehicle V is preferentially assigned has been described as an example. On the other hand, if there is no automatic replenishment vehicle V on standby, there is an automatic replenishment vehicle V that can replenish supplies before the automatic replenishment compatible mounting machine M runs out of supplies among the automatic replenishment vehicles V in operation. A waiting manual vehicle may be assigned regardless of whether it is

(3) In the first embodiment, the case where only the manual replenishment vehicle V is capable of transporting replenishment items (reels and component trays) to the mounting machine M that does not support automatic replenishment has been described as an example. On the other hand, if the reels and component trays can be individually loaded on the automatic replenishment vehicle V, the reels and component trays may be transported to the mounter M that does not support automatic replenishment by the automatic replenishment vehicle V.

(4) In the first embodiment, the case where none of the surface mounters M that mount the components supplied from the component trays are compatible with the automatic replenishment of the component trays has been described as an example. On the other hand, the surface mounter M that mounts the components supplied from the component trays may be compatible with the automatic replenishment of the component trays. In that case, the surface mounter M that is compatible with automatic replenishment of component trays is also referred to as the mounter M compatible with automatic replenishment.

(5) In the first embodiment, the surface mounter M that mounts components supplied by component tapes and components supplied by component trays has been described as an example. On the other hand, the surface mounter M may be replenished with semiconductor wafers cut into semiconductor chips by dicing. In this case, the surface mounter M may be a mounter M compatible with automatic replenishment of semiconductor wafers, or a mounter M not compatible with automatic replenishment not compatible with automatic replenishment of semiconductor wafers. may

(6) In the first embodiment, AGV and AMR are used as examples of the automatic guided vehicle V, but the automatic guided vehicle V is not limited to AGV or AMR as long as it can automatically convey supplies to the surface mounter M. .

15: Automatic guided vehicle assignment device (an example of a computer)
23: Equipment operator (an example of an operator)
30: Control unit 32: Communication unit 50: Automatic transport system M: Surface mounting machine (an example of equipment)
M1, M3 to M5: Mounting machine for automatic replenishment (an example of equipment for automatic replenishment)
M2, M6 to M9: Mounting machines that do not support automatic replenishment (an example of equipment that does not support automatic replenishment)
V: Automatic guided vehicle V1, V3, V4: Automatic supply vehicle V2, V5: Manual supply vehicle

Claims

An automated guided vehicle allocation device for allocating an automated guided vehicle to transport supplies to a facility, comprising:
The equipment includes automatic replenishment compatible equipment that is compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies and automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment that is not compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies,
The automatic transport vehicle includes an automatic replenishment vehicle having a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment and a manual replenishment vehicle having no function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment,
The automated guided vehicle assignment device
a communication unit that communicates with the equipment;
a control unit;
with
The control unit
a reception process for receiving a replenishment request for replenishment items from the equipment via the communication unit;
an allocation process for allocating the automatic guided vehicle to transport supplies to the facility that requested the replenishment request;
and run
An apparatus for allocating automatic transport vehicles, wherein, in the allocation process, the automatic replenishment vehicle is preferentially allocated when the equipment of the requesting source is the equipment supporting automatic replenishment.
The automated guided vehicle allocation apparatus of claim 1, wherein
In the allocation process, if the requesting facility is the automatic replenishment compatible facility and there is no automatic replenishment vehicle on standby, the control unit An automatic transport vehicle allocation device that preferentially allocates the automatic supply vehicle capable of replenishing supplies before supply equipment runs out of supplies.
The automatic guided vehicle allocation apparatus according to claim 2,
In the allocation process, the control unit determines that there is no automatic replenishment vehicle on standby and the automatic replenishment capable of replenishing supplies before the automatic replenishment equipment out of the automatic replenishment vehicles in operation runs out of supplies. If there are no vehicles and no manual supply vehicle on standby, the automatic transport vehicle that will be on standby the earliest is assigned regardless of whether it is the automatic supply vehicle or the manual supply vehicle. Vehicle assignment device.
The automatic guided vehicle allocation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The automatic guided vehicle allocation device, wherein the control unit allocates the manual replenishment vehicle in the allocation process when the equipment of the request source is the equipment that does not support automatic replenishment.
The automated guided vehicle assignment apparatus of claim 4,
The automatic guided vehicle allocation device, wherein the control unit allocates the manual supply vehicle that is on standby earliest in the allocation process when there is no manual supply vehicle on standby.
An automatic guided vehicle allocation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
When the control unit allocates the manual supply vehicle to transport supplies to the facility of the request source in the allocation process, the manual supply vehicle allocated to the facility of the request source arrives at the facility. An automatic guided vehicle allocation device that executes a guidance process for guiding an operator of the scheduled time to do so.
An automatic transport system for automatically transporting supplies to equipment,
an automatic replenishment vehicle, which is an automatic transport vehicle having a function of automatically replenishing replenishment items to the automatic replenishment compatible facility, which is the above-mentioned facility compatible with automatic replenishment of replenishment items;
a manual replenishment vehicle that is an automatic transport vehicle that does not have a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment;
an automated guided vehicle allocation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
An automated transport system.
An automated vehicle allocation program for allocating automated vehicles to deliver supplies to a facility, comprising:
The equipment includes automatic replenishment compatible equipment that is compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies and automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment that is not compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies,
The automatic transport vehicle includes an automatic replenishment vehicle having a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment and a manual replenishment vehicle having no function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment,
The automated guided vehicle allocation program shall:
a reception process for receiving a replenishment request for replenishment items from the equipment;
an allocation process for allocating the automatic guided vehicle to transport supplies to the facility that requested the replenishment request;
on the computer, and
A program for allocating an automatic transport vehicle, wherein, in the allocation processing, the automatic replenishment vehicle is preferentially allocated when the facility of the requesting source is the facility for automatic replenishment.
An automated guided vehicle allocation method for allocating an automated guided vehicle to deliver supplies to a facility, comprising:
The equipment includes automatic replenishment compatible equipment that is compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies and automatic replenishment non-compatible equipment that is not compatible with automatic replenishment of supplies,
The automatic transport vehicle includes an automatic replenishment vehicle having a function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment and a manual replenishment vehicle having no function of automatically replenishing supplies to the automatic replenishment compatible equipment,
The automatic guided vehicle allocation method is
a receiving step of receiving a replenishment request for replenishment items from the equipment;
an allocation step of allocating the automated guided vehicle to transport supplies to the facility that requested the replenishment request;
including
A method of allocating an automatic transport vehicle, wherein, in the allocating step, the automatic supply vehicle is preferentially allocated when the equipment of the requesting source is the equipment supporting automatic supply.