WO2017143367A1

WO2017143367A1 - Partially automatic storage and order picking system

Info

Publication number: WO2017143367A1
Application number: PCT/AT2016/060115
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franz Mathi; Peter PUCHWEIN; Wolfgang Puntigam; Roman Schnabl
Original assignee: Knapp Ag
Priority date: 2016-02-26
Filing date: 2016-12-02
Publication date: 2017-08-31

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transferring products (2), in particular of the food industry, wherein at least one selected product (2) is transferred from a source position (5) to a target position (11) by means of a transfer device (12, 13, 20). A person (17) can manually determine a manipulator (14, 15, 21) and/or at least one manipulation method and/or at least one manipulation position on the selected product (2) for the manipulator (14, 15; 21) of the transfer device (12, 13, 20) on input means (16) of the transfer device (12, 13; 20) in order to lift the selected product (2), in response to which the transfer device (12, 13; 20) lifts the selected product (2) using the likewise manually determined manipulator (14, 15; 21) and/or according to the likewise manually determined manipulation methods and/or at the at least one likewise manually determined manipulation position and transfers the product from the source position (5) to the target position (11).

Description

Semi-automatic storage and order picking system

The invention relates to a method for converting products, in particular from the food sector, wherein at least one selected product with a

Conversion device is converted from a source position to a target position.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a system for converting products, in particular from the food sector, with at least one source position and at least one target position, wherein selected products from the source position to the target position can be implemented.

Such a method and such a system are for example from

Food wholesalers are known, in which food such as mineral water, boxes of fruit and vegetables, frozen foods and much more usually sorted on pallets and stored in a warehouse. The products on these pallets must sometimes be separated for storage in a rack storage on other pallets or carriers, in which case, for example, taken from a pallet of mineral water bottles six each welded together in a plastic foil mineral water bottles and stored as a packaging unit on a tray in the shelf storage.

Grocery stores provide delivery orders to the food wholesalers to re-stock their shelves as soon as possible and without their own warehousing. The products contained in such a delivery order are cited as selected products in a picking order to which at least one destination load carrier is assigned when picking in the shelf warehouse of the food wholesaler. In the

Picking must now be taken in the desired number of items listed in the order picking from the source source forming a source carriers and relocated to the specified for the order picking cargo carrier, which forms a target position. Source carriers and destination load carriers can be formed by pallets, trays, boxes, crates or other charge carriers used in intralogistics.

This relocation or conversion of selected products is usually done manually by a person, since products in the food industry are very diverse in nature, packaging, weight and robustness. It takes some experience how the individual products can be attacked, picked up and stacked on the target cargo carrier without To be damaged. The picking orders list those for picking

already selected products as a packing list in a particular order, which is given either by weight and robustness of the products or by the order of the desired unloading of the products from the destination carrier in the grocery store according to the arrangement of the shelves. A disadvantage of this manual picking, however, is that this is a heavy physical work for the person who has to lift the individual products from the source carriers to the destination cargo carrier.

Such a method for picking products in the food industry is further known, for example, from the patent application DE 10 2007 002 227 AI. The

Patent application discloses that depending on the nature of the product, a person or a robot should handle the product. In the patent application, however, no further information is given as to how this should be done.

The invention has for its object to provide a method and a system for converting products, in particular from the food sector, in which both the health of employees and the different types of products in the

Food sector consideration.

According to the invention, the present object is achieved by a method in which a person on input means of the transfer device, the manipulator and / or a

Manipulation method and / or at least one manipulation position on the selected product for the manipulator of the transfer device for lifting the selected

Manually determine products, whereupon the transfer device lifts the selected product with the optionally manually defined manipulator and / or according to the manually manually defined manipulation method and / or at least one optionally manual manipulation position and converts from the source position to the target position.

According to the invention, the present object is achieved by a system in which a transfer device with at least one manipulator with at least one

Manipulation method is provided for automatically converting selected products from the source position to the target position and that input means are provided which allow a person manipulator and / or the manipulation method and / or manually set at least one manipulation position on the selected product for the manipulator to lift the selected product and that the

Conversion device is designed to the selected product with the optionally manually specified manipulator and / or optionally manually specified

Manipulation method on the at least one optionally manually specified

To raise the manipulation position and convert from the source position to the target position.

Such a transfer device can be formed, for example, by a robot, which converts products selected from the source load carrier to the target load carrier with a gripping arm as a manipulator. The automated implementation of selected products can protect the health of the person responsible for separating or picking the products. According to the inventive method, the person on the input means of the robot, the manipulation method, the manipulator and

Manually set manipulation positions for the manipulator to manipulate the product. This may be necessary, for example, in a packaging unit of six welded plastic bottles of mineral water, so instead of the suction manipulator on the robot, the gripping manipulator is used and the gripping arm is not right there where he would grab between two bottles and destroy the plastic film. After manual definition of the gripping points, the robot carries out the transfer or relocation of the selected product with the gripper arm at the defined gripping positions in an automated manner, that is to say without any further control activities by the person. Since just in

Food product products are very individually shaped and sensitive only allows this manual fixing of the manipulator, the manipulation method and

Manipulation points that the selected product can be moved by machine.

A manually selected manipulation point, if the robot unit has several interchangeable manipulators, always also requires the definition of the type of manipulator, as well as selection of a manipulation method possible with the selected manipulator. A robot can, for example, by means of a turret attachment or a tool magazine between different manipulators, in particular suction attachment, gripper fingers,

Switch over the hook. Some manipulators allow several

Manipulation methods or parameters that must also be selected accordingly, unless an automatic preselection is made by the system. It is possible to distinguish between manually defined gripping points, which are always suitable for a particular type of product, and manually defined gripping points, which are suitable only for an individually selected product. For six PET bottles shrink-wrapped in plastic, it is always possible to use the manually set grip points, while each lettuce head, potato sack or cucumber can be shaped differently. For this purpose, at least one camera of the robot delivers a live image of the selected product stored on the source carrier, and the person can use the input means, preferably by mouse click or touch screen, to define points at which the gripper arm should grasp the selected product. However, a manually defined manipulation position can also be only one position on the selected product, at which a suction gripper sucks the selected product in order to convert it from the source position to the target position. However, manipulation positions can also be positions on the selected product at which the selected product is clamped, trapped or spiked by other manipulation methods.

Advantageously, it is certain types of products that are always the same shape, manually set certain manipulation points or grip points and store these gripping points in a database associated with each product. If the product was selected by the picking order, then the parent recognizes

Warehouse management system based on the storage location of the source carrier or the robot using camera and image processing software, the product on the source carrier and can control the gripper with the same for the product stored in the database gripping points for moving the product.

However, the input means can also be arranged with one or more robots with one or more gripper arms on a carriage, with which the person moves the or the target charge carriers to the source carriers on which products to be picked are collected. However, it is also possible to provide a product to person separating or order picking that has the robot or robots with the gripping arms and the input means. In both embodiments, the advantage is obtained that the person can manually set individually manipulation positions for each selected product, on which the selected product is raised and implemented. In warehouse systems where manual intervention is rarely required, a person can also service multiple robots by merging the robots' live image and the gripping point setting input means at a central control station and allowing the person to "supervise" difficult products Specifies gripping points.

It is particularly advantageous to provide a pressure sensor on the gripper arm whose

Sensor signal for the person when setting the gripping positions on the input means is displayed. In this way, the person with a slight gripping force of the gripper arm can try a gripping position and change it again when the sensor signal indicates that the selected product is too soft or yielding at this point.

Further advantageous embodiments of the method and system for converting products according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the system according to the invention for

Picking products from the food sector with a cart according to the man to goods picking principle in a plan view.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the system according to the invention for

Picking products from the food sector according to the goods to man picking principle in a plan view.

Figure 1 shows a system 1 for picking products 2 from the

Food area with a cart 3 according to the man to goods

Picking principle in a plan view. The products 2 are sorted stored on pallets forming source carriers 4, wherein the products 2 are at source positions 5. The products 2 on the pallets have completely different shapes, weights and different robustness, as is common in the food sector. So are

For example, on the top left in Figure 1 pallet shown a variety

Packaging units 6 each of six plastic-welded PET

Mineral water bottles stored. On the bottom of the pallet shown in Figure 1 below a plurality of lettuce heads 7 are stored, which are without special storage order on the pallet, each lettuce head 7 is formed individually for themselves. The salad heads have 7 thus everyone has their own peripheral contour and are quite sensitive. Bottom left, a conveyor 8 is shown, the further products 2, such as a potato sack 9, deposits at a further source position 5.

The carriage 3 has a storage surface for two target charge carriers 10 with a plurality of target positions 11 for selected products 2. At a transit of the carriage

3 through the alley of the source carrier 4 selected products 2 are converted or relocated in the desired number of the source carriers 4 on the target charge carrier 10 for two picking orders.

The carriage 3 now also has two transfer devices, by

Robots 12 and 13 with gripping arms 14 and 15 on. As robots 12 and 13, the unit known to the person skilled in the art from one or more cameras will act on the source carriers

4 are directed next to the carriage 3, a computer of the one

Processing image processing software and stores a database and understood means of input 16. As input means 16, a touch screen is provided, on which a person 17 receives the live image of the cameras, data entries of the database and control keys. The person 17 is in a corridor on the carriage 3 between the storage areas for the Zielladungsträger. 7

According to a simple application example, the picking order may comprise, for example, seven packaging unit 6 welded PET mineral water bottles, five lettuce heads 7 and a 10 kg potato sack 9. The packing list stipulates that for the time being the seven packaging units 6 are to be picked on the target load carrier 10 shown on the left in FIG. 1, then the potato sack 9 and then the five lettuce heads 7.

Accordingly, the person 17 thus initially selects the packaging units 6 as products 2 selected for order picking. Since a higher-level warehouse management computer knows the storage location of the packaging units 6, the movement carriage 3 is either automatically controlled or manually controlled by the person 17 next to

Source carrier 4 drove with the packaging units 6. Now sees the person 17, the life image of the packaging units 6 on the touch screen and recognizes from the

Data entries of the database, that for these six plastic bottles wrapped in PET mineral water bottles still no grip points are stored in the database. Since the packaging units 6 are heavy, the person 17 determines that these packaging units 6 automated with the gripper arm 14 to be moved from the source carrier 4 to the target cargo carrier 10. Depending on the type of gripper arm 14, the person 17 identifies three or four locations of the packaging unit 6 on the touchscreen with his finger and thus fixes the gripping points for these packaging units 6. Since these gripping points will always be suitable for this type of product 2, the person 17 stores these gripping points in the database of the product type of the packaging unit 6 for six PET mineral water bottles. During the next picking of such packaging units 6, the gripping points will thus already be known to the robots 12 and 13. After setting the gripping points for the packaging unit 6, the person 17 actuates a carry out on

Touchscreen, whereupon the robot 12 automated and independently the ordered seven packaging units 6 sequentially attacks and relocated from the source carrier 4 to the target cargo carrier 10.

Subsequently, the Verfahrwagen 3 next to the conveyor 8 moves to the potato sack 9 from the source position 5 on the conveyor 8 to the target position 11 on the

Implementation of target charge carrier 10. Since each potato sack 9 is shaped differently, grip points can only be set very carefully and manually. The gripper 14 has on the gripping pliers pressure sensors whose sensor signals for the person 17 at the

Touchscreen are displayed. The person 17 controls the gripper by means of control inputs on the touchscreen and tries to set a gripping position, which is a lifting of the

Potato sack 9 allows. As soon as a suitable gripping position has been found, the person 17 sets this gripping position and activates the automated relocation of the gripper position

Potato sack 9 from the conveyor 8 on the Zielloadungssträger 10th

In order to complete the picking order, the five lettuce heads 7 must now be picked as selected products 4 onto the destination cargo carrier 10. Of the

Warehouse management computer knows the storage space of the lettuce heads 7 and controls the

Trolley 3 automatically next to the source carrier 4 with the lettuce heads 7. Since the weight of the lettuce heads 7 is small, but this is not robust and the peripheral contour of each head of lettuce 7 is different sets the person 17 on the touch screen that the lettuce

7 are picked manually. The robots 12 and 13 retract their gripping arms 14 and 15 so that the person 17 can get off the carriage 3 to pick the lettuce heads 7 by hand and thus manually from the source carrier 4 onto the destination carrier 10. This provides the advantage that the person can manually set depending on the nature of the product to be picked 2, and depending on their own strength and health, whether the selected product manually by the person 17 or automated with the gripper arm 14 or 15 of the robot 12 or 13 is to be moved from the source carrier 4 to the destination charge carrier 10. By the possibility on the input means 16 of the robot 12 and 13 gripping points once, for the relocation of an individual product 2, or permanently, for this type of product 2 by storing in the database, set a particularly flexible and reliable way of picking is obtained. For each additional picking of this type of product, the appropriate once defined grip points are then read from the database and used to relocate the selected product 2. As a result, a completely automated shift of the selected number of products 2 is advantageously given.

Figure 2 shows an inventive system 18 for picking products 2 from the food sector according to the goods to man picking principle in one

Top view. At a fixed order picking 19 a robot 20 with gripping arm 21 is provided, the selected products 2 on a conveyor belt 22 to the

Order picking 19 subsidized source carriers 4 with source positions 5 on fixed on the picking 19 provided destination cargo carrier 10 with target positions 11 moves. The gripping arm 21 is formed by a delta arm mounted above the picking station 19. The system 18 now also has input means 16 in the form of a screen with a mouse, on which the person 17 can determine whether selected products 2 manually by the person 17 or automated with the gripping arm 21 of the robot 20 of the

Source carrier 4 to be moved to the destination charge carrier 10 and thus to be picked. If the person 17 for the next selected product 2 manual

Picking determines, then the conveyor belt 22 remains at a suitable location until the person 17 confirms the manual picking done on the input means 16. In order to give the person 17 sufficient freedom of movement for manual picking, the gripper arm 21 moves up to confirm the successful manual picking. Even with the input means 16 of the picking station 19 gripping points for products 2 can be permanently set manually or once by storing in the database. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the selected

Products 2 are not directly picked but separated from the pallets on which the products 2 are delivered sorted to other load carriers. These may be, for example, trays that facilitate storage in a high-bay warehouse. Even when separating the inventive measures are advantageously applicable.

A system according to the invention may have a larger number of robots and / or gripper arms. Automated picking is to be distinguished from controlling an excavator arm, in which the person must input to the excavator arm any movement by means of control commands. The term automated picking is part of this

Understand document so that the robot shifts the desired number of selected products automatically from the source carrier to the Zielloadungsträger after fixing the manipulation points.

It would also be possible for the robot to specify manipulation or grip points independently for certain types of products and to use them once for the individually selected product or several times by storing them in the product database.

With the system according to the invention but not only sorted pallets but also source carriers are processable on which many different types of products are stored as returns.

The source position or target position can also be other surfaces such as tables, conveyor techniques, storage bins or the floor of a warehouse.

In the two above embodiments were products from the

Picked food area. However, the method and system according to the invention is just as suitable for products from other areas, if these products

are of different strength, have different weights or in any way need to be individually shaped or shifted with particular care.

In the two above embodiments, products were implemented with gripper arms. A variety of other manipulators known in the art to suck products with suction pads to go under with forks or pick up with a skewer. According to the invention, for all of these manipulators for reacting the products

Manipulation positions are manually determined with the input means.

In the two previous embodiments, products were implemented by robots with their gripper arms. Transfer devices according to the invention may be formed, in addition to robots, by a gantry system, simple linear axes on which gripping arms are mounted, or other comparable systems for the automated transfer of products.

In the case of the two preceding exemplary embodiments, the person with the input means was able to determine whether a selected product should be implemented manually or automatically. However, it would also be possible for the robot or, more generally, the transfer device or the warehouse management computer to decide, or it has already been determined by entry in the database which selected products must be implemented manually and which automatically.

Furthermore, it would be possible for the person with control keys of the input means to control the gripping arm in his movements, for example to move a product on a load carrier, in order to better grasp the or another product.

According to a further embodiment of the invention persons could sit in a control center on input means for transfer devices to control transfer devices, which are arranged in a remote picking warehouse. For example, a control center could control all robots from picking warehouses in one country. Other authorized persons on site could make additional entries to the

Make input means, if this is only locally possible. Tampering positions for the transfer of products could be both by the authorized persons in the

Control center as well as by the authorized persons locally to be determined manually.

In the above embodiments according to Figure 1, a Verfahrwagen was used to carry the conversion device, the manipulator and the input means. Instead of the Verfahrwagens but could also be a forklift or a self-propelled rails on a shelf storage shuttle used.

A manipulator could, for example, also be formed by a gripper in the form of a hand, which can thus perform different types of attack using different manipulation methods with this gripper. The hand could be flat and thus grip by friction. Likewise, a so-called C-grip could grip positively or Hook. Furthermore, it would be possible for the hand to grip the product according to an L-grip, thus enabling three different gripping methods with one gripper.

It may be mentioned that the term "product" in the context of this document is to be interpreted broadly and this generally also containers, original cartons, boxes, trays or whole pallets are understood.

Claims

claims:

1. A method for converting products (2), in particular from the foodstuffs sector, in which at least one selected product (2) is converted from a source position (5) to a target position (11) by means of a transfer device (12, 13, 20), thereby

in that a person (17) on input means (16) of the transfer device (12, 13, 20) has a manipulator (14, 15, 21) and / or at least one manipulation method and / or at least one manipulation position on the selected product (2). for the manipulator (14, 15; 21) of the transfer device (12, 13, 20) for lifting the selected product (2) manually, whereupon the transfer device (12, 13; 20) selectively adjusts the selected product (2) manually set manipulator (14, 15; 21) and / or according to the optionally manually defined manipulation method and / or at the at least one optionally manually set manipulation position lifts and from the source position (5) to the target position (11).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the conversion device (12, 13, 20) checks whether for products (2) at source positions (5) manipulation positions are already stored in a database and that the conversion device (12, 13; 20) used to lift selected products (2) already stored manipulation positions.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that for selected products (2) manually defined manipulation positions are stored in the database associated with the selected product (2).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the person (17) with the input means (16) of a plurality of transfer devices (12, 13) at least with respect to the manipulation positions for selected products (2), can control.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the person (17) with a at least one manipulator (14, 15) carrying carriage (3) with at least one target position (11) forming the target charge carrier (10) to a a Source source (5) forming source carrier (4) moves and by means of the input means (16) per selected product (2) defines manipulation positions.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that

Source items (5) forming source carriers (4) are transported to a manipulator (20) having goods to man picking station (19) and that the person (17) by means of the input means (16) per selected product (2)

Specifies manipulation positions.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that for a picking order selected products (2) of a plurality of source carriers (4) by the person (17) and / or the manipulator (12, 13, 20) on a the Picking order assigned destination cargo carrier (10) are picked.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the person (17) can specify on the input means (16) whether the selected product (2) is automated with the conversion device (12, 13, 20) or manually a person (17) should be implemented.

9. System (1; 18) for converting products (2), in particular from

Food area, with at least one source position (5) and at least one destination position (11), wherein selected products (2) from the source position (5) on the target position (11) are implemented, characterized in that a conversion device (12, 13; ) is provided with at least one manipulator (14, 15; 21) according to at least one manipulation method for automatically converting selected products (2) from the source position (5) to the target position (11) and that input means (16) are provided a person (17) to manually set the manipulator and / or the manipulation method and / or at least one manipulation position on the selected product (2) for the manipulator (14, 15, 21) for lifting the selected product (2) and that the Conversion device (12, 13, 20) is adapted to the selected product (2) with the optionally manipulated manually manipulator (14, 15, 21) and / or the optionally manually set manipulation method at the at least one optionally manually set manipulation position to raise and from the source position (5) on the

Implement target position (11).

A system (1; 18) according to claim 9, characterized in that a database is provided in which selectable products (2) are stored with predetermined manipulation positions and that the conversion device (12, 15; 21) is designed for testing, whether for selected products (2) at source positions (5) already manipulation positions are stored in the database and that the conversion device (12, 15; 21) for lifting the selected products (2) to the already stored in the database

Manipulation positions is formed.

The system (1; 18) according to claim 10, characterized in that the conversion device (12, 15; 21) is designed for the associated storage of manipulation positions for selected products (2) manually defined with the input means (16) in the database.

12. System (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the input means (16) are adapted to at least two conversion devices (12, 13) of the system (1) at least with respect to the manipulation positions for selected products (2) Taxes.

13. System (1) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the input means (16) and at least one manipulator (14, 15) carrying Verfahrwagen (3) is provided, which at least one of the target position (11 ) forming

Target charge carrier (10) to a source position (5) forming the source charge carriers (4) is formed.

14. System (18) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the input means (16) and at least one manipulator (21) on a commodity to man

Picking station (19) are provided, to the source positions (5) forming

Source carriers (4) by means of conveyor (22) are transportable and that the

Manipulator (21) automated for converting selected products (2) from the

Source charge carriers (4) to target positions (11) forming the target charge carrier (10) is formed.

15. System (1) according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that the manipulator (12, 13) is formed by a gripper, which is designed for gripping selected products (2) on manually defined grip points and that at least one Sensor, in particular a pressure sensor is provided on the gripper, the sensor signal to the input means (16) can be displayed to the person (17) when manually setting the

Support gripping points.