KR20060070708A - Module type automative warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a modular automated warehouse system capable of efficiently delivering goods and receiving goods, and reducing space and reducing construction costs. To this end, the present invention, ① equipment main controller (ECS) that can control the various devices constituting the automatic warehouse system by software / hardware, and ② the article is loaded and moved by the control of the facility main controller A modular stack rack, ③ automatic receipt conveyor for carrying goods under the control of the facility main controller, and ④ three-axis rectangular coordinates for carrying goods between the automatic loading conveyor and the modular loading rack. Robot and ⑤ provides a modular automated warehouse system characterized in that the three-axis rectangular coordinate robot from the modular loading rack having a direct storage conveyor that serves to take out the goods directly to the outside.

Semiconductor devices, bar codes, modular racks, 3-axis Cartesian robots.

Description

Modular type automative warehouse system

1 is a block diagram illustrating an automatic warehouse system according to the prior art.

Figure 2 is a flow chart (flow chart) for explaining the process of receiving goods in the automated warehouse system according to the prior art.

Figure 3 is a flow chart (flow chart) for explaining the process of goods shipped in the automated warehouse system according to the prior art.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a modular automatic warehouse system according to the present invention.

5 is a plan view of a device and modular loading rack controlled by the facility main controller in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention relates to an automated warehouse system used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, and more particularly, to a modular automated warehouse system capable of efficiently realizing shipping and receiving and reducing space and reducing construction costs.

In the advanced manufacturing field, such as the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a series of operations for storing and reloading stored items such as semiconductor devices are mostly performed automatically using computers and robots.

1 is a block diagram for explaining an automated warehouse system according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional automatic warehouse system includes a software 1000 for moving an automatic warehouse system, an auto dispatching system 10, an automated warehouse server 20, and a facility main. There is a controller (ECS: Equipment Control System) 30, a bar code scanner (32), a receipt conveyor (34), a delivery conveyor (36) which are devices controlled by the facility main controller (30). There is hardware 2000 such as a stacker crane 38 and a fixed box loading rack 40, respectively.

Figure 2 is a flow chart (flow chart) for explaining the process of receiving goods in the automated warehouse system according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 2, first, a bar code scan is performed on articles received on a goods conveyor (S10). Thereafter, a stacker crane picks up the goods moving on the receiving conveyor (S20) (S30), and stores them in a fixed box loading rack (rack), which is a storage place (S40). The stacker crane is a kind of robot that can pick up and stack items.

Figure 3 is a flow chart (flow chart) for explaining the process of goods shipped in the automated warehouse system according to the prior art.                         

Referring to FIG. 3, a shipment instruction S50 of a specific article is received by software connected to the main controller of the facility. Thereafter, the stacker crane moves to a position where a specific item is placed in the fixed box loading rack which is a storage area (S60). Subsequently, the stacker crane picks up the specific article and places it on the delivery conveyor (S70). Finally, the worker is finished by receiving the specific goods flowing through the delivery conveyor (S80).

However, the prior art is large in size because the loading rack, which is a place for storing goods, is made of a plurality of rows. Also, because it is fixed type, once installed, it is difficult to move and occupy a lot of space. In addition, there is a problem that the entry and exit process cannot be performed more efficiently due to the receipt and release through one gate. Finally, a stacker crane is a robot that can not recognize the worker working in the storage space, there was a risk that such a stacker crane moves between a plurality of fixed stacking racks exposed to human safety accidents.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a modular automatic warehouse system having a loading rack and a mobile robot of a new concept to solve the above problems.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the modular automatic warehouse system according to the present invention includes an equipment main controller (ECS) capable of controlling various devices constituting the automatic warehouse system software / hardware, and the equipment main controller. Computer software for issuing and receiving orders for the automated warehouse system, a modular stack rack in which goods are loaded and moved under the control of the facility main controller, and under the control of the facility main controller. A bar code scanner for reading the identification of the article, an automatic loading conveyor for carrying the article for loading the article into a modular loading rack under control of the facility main controller, and the automatic loading A three-axis Cartesian robot carrying goods between the conveyor and the modular loading rack; Modular taken out directly to the three-axis Cartesian robots goods from the loading rack is characterized in that it comprises a vertical conveyor factory that serves to export to the outside.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the modular automated warehouse system is suitably further provided with a manual receiving conveyor for transporting the article to the automatic loading and receiving conveyor for manually loading the article into the modular loading rack.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer software is suitably an automatic dispatching system (ADS) and a lot merge system (LMS), and the three-axis rectangular coordinate robot is equal to the number of modular loading racks. Suitable, preferably three.

In addition, the three-axis rectangular coordinate robot is preferably equipped with a barcode scanner for identifying the article, the article is a lot containing a plurality of semiconductor elements of the same type, the lot identifies the type of product It is desirable that a barcode can be attached.

According to the present invention, a loading rack and a mobile robot, which are a new concept of storage of goods, can be introduced to efficiently deliver and receive goods, and reduce the space required for the storage of goods and reduce construction costs. Modular automated warehouse system can be realized.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments disclosed in the following detailed description are not meant to limit the present invention, but to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, the disclosure of the present invention may be completed in a form that can be implemented. It is provided to inform the category.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a modular automatic warehouse system according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, the modular automatic warehouse system according to the present invention, ① facility main controller 100 that can control the various devices constituting the automated warehouse system software / hardware, and ② the facility main controller Computer software (200, 300) to issue the goods receipt and delivery orders for the automated warehouse system to (100), and (3) a modular loading rack in which goods are loaded and moved by the control of the facility main controller 100 ( 120, a barcode scanner 102 for reading the identification of the article by the control of the facility main controller 100, and the article by the control of the facility main controller 100. Auto-receiving conveyor 104 for carrying goods to the loading rack 120, ⑥ 3-axis rectangular coordinates for carrying goods between the automatic receiving conveyor 104 and the modular loading rack (120) Robot 110, and ⑦ direct loading conveyor 108 that performs the role of the three-axis Cartesian coordinate robot 110 to directly take out the goods from the modular loading rack 120 and to the outside, ⑧ modular loading of goods It is characterized in that it comprises a manual receiving conveyor 106 for conveying the goods to the automatic loading and unloading conveyor 104 for manual storage in the rack 120.

The facility main controller 100 is connected to software such as an ADS (Auto Dispatching System) 300 and an Automated Warehouse Server (LMS: Lot Merge System, 200), and is in charge of instructions for goods receipt and delivery. The automated warehouse server (LMS) 200 is a kind of warehouse inventory management server, and the ADS 300 is used to specify a moving destination for the goods.

5 is a plan view of a device and modular loading rack controlled by the facility main controller in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figure 5, the modular automated warehouse system according to the present invention, there are three modular stacking racks (120A, 120B, 120C) that can be separated and moved. The modular stacking rack 120 refers to a box-shaped storage space in which an article, for example, a lot containing a semiconductor device of the same type is stored. In the prior art, the space of the warehouse has been increased because these racks are fixedly arranged in two or more rows. However, the present invention has the advantage of easy redeployment, expansion and reduction by configuring the stacking rack in a modular (# 1, # 2, # 3) that can be separated and moved. In the figure, area A of the figure is centered on the modular loading rack 120 and area B points to the outside of the warehouse, respectively.

In addition, the modular automatic warehouse system according to the present invention, the modular loading rack 120 and the automatic receipt conveyor 104 built in parallel with. The direction of travel of the automatic receipt conveyor 104 is made from the # 1 module to the # 3 module direction as shown by the arrow, and the automatic entrance gate 105 is installed at the entrance of the # 1 module.

In addition, the three-axis rectangular coordinate robot (110A, 110B, 110C) to the rear of the modular loading rack 120 operates to correspond to the number of the modular loading rack 120. The three-axis Cartesian coordinate robot (110A, 110B, 110C) recognizes the bar code on the goods by using a barcode scanner installed inside while moving in the X, Y, Z axis, modular loading rack 120 and automatic receiving conveyor (104) It serves to move the goods to and from between), and at the time of shipment serves to direct the goods to be placed on the conveyor (108A, 108B, 108C).

In addition, a manual receipt conveyor 106 is additionally installed in the module # 1 so that goods can be received at points other than the automatic receipt gate 105. The manual receiving conveyor 106 is connected to each other in the automatic receiving conveyor 104 in the module # 1.

Therefore, conventionally, there was only one gate for receiving and leaving an article, but in the present invention, there are three release gates (108A, 108B, 108C), and two receiving gates (105, 106), and a robot carrying goods is stacked. Three Kernel Cranes 110A, 110B, and 110C in one Kerer Crane allow more efficient loading and unloading of the semiconductor device lot. In the drawing, reference numeral 112 denotes a working table outside the warehouse.

Therefore, the process of loading the article to be stored in the modular loading rack 120C in the # 3 module is first, when the article, such as a semiconductor element lot is received into the automatic receiving conveyor 104 of the # 1 module, the article is a three-axis The Cartesian robot (110A) is moved as an arrow to the automatic receipt conveyor (104) in module # 2, and again by the three-axis Cartesian robot (110B) in module # 2, the article is automatically placed in module # 3. After being moved to the receiving conveyor 104, finally, the triaxial Cartesian robot 110C in the # 3 module picks up the goods and stores them in the modular loading rack 120C.

On the contrary, the process of product delivery is carried out by the three-axis rectangular coordinate robots 110A, 110CB, and 110C in each module under the control of the facility main controller. After recognizing the barcode attached to the semiconductor device lot, the items stored in each of the modular stacking racks 120A, 120B, and 120C are taken out and transferred out of the warehouse by placing them on the conveyors 108A, 108B and 108C. do. The three-axis Cartesian coordinate robot (110A, 110B, 110C) is developed in a style used exclusively for the three modular loading racks (120A, 120B, 120C), low development cost, mobile installation It is easy.

In the present invention, three modular loading racks have been described as an example, but this can be increased or decreased without being limited in number. In addition, the bar code scanner was installed in the 3-axis Cartesian robot, but it can be realized by installing the bar in another place and scanning the barcode on the goods by moving the 3-axis Cartesian robot. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is apparent that many modifications are possible by those skilled in the art within the technical spirit to which the present invention belongs.

Therefore, according to the present invention described above, by introducing a loading rack and a mobile robot, which is a new storage place of a new concept, first, it is possible to more efficiently realize the loading and unloading process by increasing the shipping and receiving place of the goods. Second, it is possible to reduce the space required for the goods storage place by configuring the loading rack which is a goods storage place in a modular form. Third, in the past, a lot of work was required because the loading rack is fixed at the time of relocating the loading rack, which is a storage place of goods, but in the present invention, since the modular type is easily movable, relocation and expansion / reduction of the loading rack are possible at a low cost. .

Claims (8)

An equipment main controller (ECS) capable of software / hardware control of various devices constituting the automated warehouse system; Computer software for issuing and receiving orders for an automated warehouse system to the facility main controller; Modular stacking rack in which the goods are loaded and moved by the control of the facility main controller. A bar code scanner for reading identification of goods under control of the facility main controller; An automatic receiving conveyor for carrying goods under the control of the facility main controller; A three-axis Cartesian coordinate robot for transporting goods between the automatic receiving conveyor and the modular loading rack; And The modular automatic warehouse system, characterized in that the three-axis Cartesian robot directly from the modular stacking rack to take out the goods directly to the outside to serve as a conveyor. The method of claim 1, The modular automatic warehouse system, And a manual receipt conveyor for conveying the goods to the automated loading and unloading conveyor for manually loading the goods into the modular loading rack. The method of claim 1, Wherein said computer software is an automated dispatching system (ADS) and a lot merge system (LMS). The method of claim 1, The three-axis rectangular coordinate robot is a modular automatic warehouse system, characterized in that the same as the number of the modular loading rack. The method of claim 1, The modular loading rack is a modular automatic warehouse system, characterized in that the number of three. The method of claim 1, The three-axis Cartesian robot is equipped with a modular automatic warehouse system, characterized in that the bar code scanner to identify the article is mounted. The method of claim 1, The article is a modular automated warehouse system, characterized in that the lot (lot) containing a plurality of semiconductor elements of the same type. The method of claim 7, wherein The lot is a modular automated warehouse system, characterized in that the bar code is attached to identify the type of product.

Images