Conveying device and conveying method

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a first linear conveying section, which moves a slide in a first direction via a first fixed linear module fixed to a first base; a module moving section, which moves a module holding member that holds a movable linear module in a second direction different from the first direction, and positions the movable linear module at a first connection position connected to the first fixed linear module so that the slide can be transferred between the movable linear module and the first fixed linear module; a linear scale, which has a scale extending in a second direction and a sensor for detecting the scale, and one of the scale and the sensor is mounted on the first linear conveying section, and the other is mounted on the module moving section; and a control section, which obtains first module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module relative to the first fixed linear module in the second direction based on a detection result of the sensor, and controls the movement of the module holding member based on the first module position information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying technology in which a movable linear module is positioned relative to a fixed linear module and a slide is switched between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module to convey an object. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, conveying devices that use moving-magnet linear motors to transport objects have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a first linear conveying unit is fixedly arranged, connecting linear modules with stators in a first direction. Furthermore, a second linear conveying unit, having the same structure as the first linear conveying unit, is arranged separately and in parallel in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. In this first linear conveying unit, a slider with a moving element moves along the stator of the linear module by controlling the flow of power to the stator coils. Consequently, the object held by the slider is transported by the first linear conveying unit in the first direction.

[0003] Furthermore, to change the conveying direction by transferring objects from the first linear conveyor to the second linear conveyor, a first direction-changing section is provided at one end of each of the two linear conveyors in the first direction. The first direction-changing section includes a movable linear module that is movable in the second direction. During transfer from the first linear conveyor to the second linear conveyor, the movable linear module is positioned at a connection position with a fixed linear module at one end of the first linear conveyor. Subsequently, by controlling the flow of power to the stator coil, a slider is transferred from the first linear conveyor to the first direction-changing section. After the movable linear module holding the slider is moved to a connection position with a fixed linear module at one end of the second linear conveyor via the first direction-changing section, the slider is transferred from the first direction-changing section to the second linear conveyor by controlling the flow of power to the stator coil. Subsequently, in the second linear conveyor, by controlling the flow of power to the stator coil, the slider moves in a direction opposite to that of the first linear conveyor, conveying the objects to the other end of the second linear conveyor.

[0004] Furthermore, a second direction-changing section with the same structure as the first direction-changing section is provided at the other end of the two linear conveying sections in the first direction. Therefore, similar to the first direction-changing section, the slider can be moved in the order of the second linear conveying section, the second direction-changing section, and the first linear conveying section to convey the object toward the other end of the first linear conveying section. In this way, the conveying device described in Patent Document 1 enables the slider to move in a circular motion.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2018 / 055709 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, to smoothly transition the slider between the linear conveyor and the direction-changing section, the linear module of the direction-changing section must be precisely positioned relative to the linear module of the linear conveyor in the second direction. Therefore, in existing conveyor systems, the movable linear module is positioned in the transition position by causing a portion of the direction-changing section to abut against a pre-fixed positioning member during movement. This mechanical positioning method can reduce positioning accuracy due to temperature-related deformation and wear of the direction-changing section, positioning members, and the like, making smooth slider transition difficult.

[0010] Furthermore, the accuracy of the transfer can be maintained through regular maintenance. However, in existing systems, since the transfer accuracy cannot be quantitatively measured, precision adjustment using a separate measuring device such as a dial gauge is required, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, precision adjustment during startup is also time-consuming.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a conveying technology that can stably transfer the slides between linear modules for a long period of time without performing special precision adjustment, thereby properly conveying the conveying object.

[0012] Technical solutions to problems

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention is a conveying device that conveys a conveying object by moving a slide holding the conveying object, and is characterized in that it comprises: a first linear conveying section that moves the slide in a first direction by a first fixed linear module fixed to a first base; a module moving section that moves a module holding member that holds a movable linear module in a second direction different from the first direction, positions the movable linear module at a first connection position connected to the first fixed linear module so that the slide can be transferred between the movable linear module and the first fixed linear module; a linear scale having a scale extending in the second direction and a sensor for detecting the scale, and one of the scale and the sensor is mounted on the first linear conveying section and the other is mounted on the module moving section; and a control section that obtains first module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module relative to the first fixed linear module in the second direction based on a detection result of the sensor, and controls the movement of the module holding member based on the first module position information.

[0014] In addition, another embodiment of the present invention is a conveying method for conveying an object by moving a slide holding the object between a linear conveying section and a module moving section, wherein the linear conveying section moves the slide in a first direction by means of a fixed linear module fixed to a base, and the module moving section moves a module holding member holding the movable linear module in a second direction different from the first direction. The conveying method is characterized in that a scale is mounted on one of the linear conveying section and the module moving section in a manner extending in the second direction, and a sensor for detecting the scale is mounted on the other side. The conveying method includes: a step of obtaining module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module relative to the fixed linear module in the second direction based on a detection result of the sensor; a step of moving the module holding member in the second direction based on the module position information to position the movable linear module at a connection position with the fixed linear module so as to enable the slide to be transferred between the movable linear module and the fixed linear module; and a step of moving the slide in the first direction between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module connected to each other.

[0015] In the invention thus constructed, a scale extending in the second direction is attached to the linear conveyor unit (or module moving unit). Meanwhile, a sensor is attached to the module moving unit (or linear conveyor unit) to detect the scale. Therefore, module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module in the second direction relative to the fixed linear module can be accurately acquired based on the sensor's detection results. Furthermore, based on this module position information, the movable linear module is positioned at its connection position with the fixed linear module. As a result, the slider can be stably transferred between the fixed and movable linear modules.

[0016] Here, the module moving unit may also be configured to include: a moving mechanism for moving the module holding member in the second direction; and an encoder for acquiring encoder information indicating the position of the module holding member in the second direction. In this case, the control unit can acquire first module position information based on the sensor detection results and the encoder information, and position the movable linear module at the first connection position based on the first module position information. This utilizes not only the sensor detection results but also the encoder information to acquire the first module position information, thereby shortening the interval in the second direction that the linear scale must detect, enabling scale miniaturization and, consequently, cost reduction.

[0017] As an example of combining sensor detection results and encoder information as described above, the interval in the second direction where the sensor detects the scale can be defined as a linear scale interval, while the interval where the sensor does not detect the scale can be defined as a nonlinear scale interval. In this case, the control unit can obtain first module position information based on the sensor detection results during the linear scale interval, and based on the encoder information during the nonlinear scale interval. This reduces the linear scale interval by the amount of the nonlinear scale interval, thereby enabling scale miniaturization.

[0018] As another example of using both the sensor detection results and the encoder information as described above, the interval in the second direction where the sensor detects the scale can be defined as a linear scale interval, the interval where the sensor does not detect the scale can be defined as a nonlinear scale interval, and a portion of the linear scale interval adjacent to the nonlinear scale interval can be defined as a composite interval. Furthermore, by obtaining the first module position information based on the sensor detection results and the encoder information within the composite interval, discontinuities in the first module position information can be suppressed, as described in detail below.

[0019] In order to completely eliminate discontinuity, for example, a weighting coefficient k (where 0≤k≤1) corresponding to the detection result of the sensor may be obtained in the synthesis interval, and the weighting coefficient k may be calculated based on the following formula:

[0020] The first module position information is calculated as (first module position information) = (sensor detection result) * k + (encoder information) * (1 - k). This prevents discontinuous changes in the first module position information and allows for smooth movement of the movable linear module. This results in more stable transport of objects.

[0021] A second linear conveying unit may also be provided, which moves the slide in the first direction via a second fixed linear module fixed to a second base, the second base being disposed separately from the first base in the second direction. Furthermore, the module moving unit may be configured to position the movable linear module at a second connection position with the second fixed linear module, thereby enabling the slide to be transferred between the movable linear module and the second fixed linear module. Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to obtain second module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module in the second direction relative to the second fixed linear module based on detection results from the sensor, and to move the movable linear module between the first connection position and the second connection position based on the first module position information and the second module position information. Thus, the slide can be moved in the order of the first fixed linear module, the first connection position, the movable linear module, the second connection position, and the second fixed linear module, or in the reverse order, enabling transport of objects over a wide range.

[0022] Alternatively, the module moving portion may include a first moving mechanism coupled to a first holding portion of the module retaining member to move the module retaining member in the second direction; and a second moving mechanism coupled to a second holding portion of the module retaining member, different from the first holding portion, to move the module retaining member in the second direction. Furthermore, linear scales may be provided corresponding to the first and second moving mechanisms, respectively. In this case, the movement control of the first holding portion by the first moving mechanism and the movement control of the second holding portion by the second moving mechanism can be performed independently of each other, thereby stabilizing the movement posture of the movable linear module. As a result, transport of the transported object can be further stabilized.

[0023] Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to include: a host computer that instructs the movable linear module on its destination; and a dedicated driver unit that, upon receiving the destination, independently of the host computer, controls the movement of the module retaining member based on the sensor's detection results to position the movable linear module at the destination. In this manner, since the movement and positioning of the movable linear module are controlled by the dedicated driver unit independent of the host computer, the overall structure of the device is simplified, and high-speed positioning is possible.

[0024] Effects of the Invention

[0025] As described above, without performing special precision adjustment, the slider can be stably transferred between the linear modules over a long period of time, thereby properly conveying the conveyance object. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the overall structure of a first embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 It means equipment Figure 1 A diagram showing the structure of the vertical moving part of the conveying device.

[0028] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 The flowchart of an example of the conveying operation of the conveying device for conveying an object is shown.

[0029] Figure 4A This is a diagram schematically showing the operation of transferring a slider holding an object to be conveyed from a fixed linear module to a movable linear module.

[0030] Figure 4B This is a diagram schematically showing the operation of transferring a slider holding an object to be conveyed from a fixed linear module to a movable linear module.

[0031] Figure 4CThis is a diagram schematically showing the operation of transferring a slider holding an object to be conveyed from a fixed linear module to a movable linear module.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the height position of the movable linear module obtained based on encoder information and linear scale information.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the lifting and positioning process of the movable linear module.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing the lowering and positioning process of the movable linear module.

[0035] Figure 8 It is a perspective view showing the structure of a vertical moving portion in a second embodiment of the conveying device according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the conveying device according to the present invention.

[0037] Figure 10 It means equipment Figure 9 FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the structure of the horizontal moving part of the conveying device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of a first embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention. The conveying device 1 circulates and conveys the conveyed object in a vertical plane. For the purpose of the following description, Figure 1 The XYZ coordinate axes are set as shown. Here, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, the X direction corresponds to the left-right direction (-X is left, +X is right), the Y direction corresponds to the front-back direction (-Y is front, +Y is back), and the Z direction corresponds to the up-down direction (+Z is up, -Z is down).

[0039] The conveyor 1 comprises a pair of linear conveying sections 2A and 2B, a pair of vertical moving sections 2C and 2D, a plurality of slides 3, and an integrated controller 4 for controlling the entire device. The linear conveying section 2A is mounted on a base 5a above a platform (not shown). On the other hand, the linear conveying section 2B is mounted on a base 5b below the platform, parallel to the linear conveying section 2A and facing the -Z side ( Figure 1 In these linear conveying parts 2A and 2B, a plurality of linear modules 20a equipped with stators are arranged in the X direction ( Figure 1 In addition, a plurality of slides 3 are provided so as to be movable in the X direction relative to the linear conveying sections 2A and 2B. A mover is connected to each slide 3.

[0040] In order to individually control these 12 linear modules 20a and the two linear modules 20b described later, the integrated controller 4 is provided with a plurality of linear module drivers 41. For example, the linear module drivers 41 have the function of individually energizing the coils of the stators provided in the linear modules 20a and 20b. In other words, the linear module drivers 41 are provided for each coil and have the function of individually energizing the coil. In this embodiment, for example, each linear module 20a is equipped with five coils, and each linear module 20b is equipped with two coils. Therefore, Figure 1 The conveyor device 1 shown is equipped with 64 coils (= 5 × 12 + 2 × 2) and, correspondingly, 64 linear module actuators 41. These linear module actuators 41 are cascade-connected to the host computer 42 of the integrated controller 4. When a command regarding the movement destination of the slider 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "movement destination command") is output from the host computer 42, the linear module actuators 41 corresponding to the movement destination command energize the corresponding coils, thereby generating a magnetic thrust that moves the slider 3 in the X-direction. The structure of the linear module 20a and slider 3 is identical to that of the device described in Patent Document 1, and therefore, the description of this structure will be omitted. Furthermore, when distinguishing between the linear conveyor sections 2A and 2B, the former will be referred to as the "upper linear conveyor section 2A," while the latter will be referred to as the "lower linear conveyor section 2B." When the distinction between the two is not made, they will simply be referred to as "linear conveyor sections 2A, 2B."

[0041] The vertical moving section 2C is provided corresponding to the +X side (right side in the figure) of the linear conveying sections 2A and 2B. The vertical moving section 2C has the function of moving the linear module 20b in the vertical direction Z, thereby connecting it to the linear module 20a of the linear conveying sections 2A and 2B. This linear module 20b has the same structure as the linear module 20a, but is movable, unlike the linear module 20a, which is always fixed. Therefore, in this specification, when distinguishing between the linear modules 20a and 20b, the former will be referred to as the "fixed linear module 20a," while the latter will be referred to as the "movable linear module 20b." When the distinction between the two is not made, they will simply be referred to as "linear modules 20a and 20b."

[0042] Figure 2 This figure shows the structure of the vertical moving unit. The vertical moving unit 2C includes a plate-shaped module holding member 21 that holds a movable linear module 20b from below. The module holding member 21 is movably disposed in the vertical direction Z along a pair of guide rails 22, 22 extending in the vertical direction Z across the upper base 5a and the lower base 5b. Furthermore, a single-axis robot 23 is connected to the module holding member 21.

[0043] The single-axis robot 23 is, for example, a moving mechanism including a ball screw 231 parallel to the Z direction and a motor 232 for rotationally driving the ball screw 231. In addition, an encoder 24 is mounted on the motor 232 of the single-axis robot 23. The encoder 24 outputs rotation information related to the rotation of the motor 232 and provides it to a dedicated single-axis robot driver 43 for controlling the single-axis robot 23. In addition, in the single-axis robot 23, a nut 233 is screwed relative to the ball screw 231, and a module retaining member 21 is mounted on the nut 233. In addition, the motor 232 and the encoder 24 are electrically connected to the single-axis robot driver 43 of the integrated controller 4. Furthermore, a sensor for a linear scale, which will be described in detail later, is electrically connected to the single-axis robot driver 43.

[0044] Thus, in this embodiment, information related to the height position of the movable linear module 20b in the vertical direction Z is input from the encoder 24 and the linear scale to the single-axis robot driver 43. In addition, the single-axis robot driver 43 drives and controls the motor 232 based on this information to move the nut 233 along the guide rail 234 in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the nut 233, the module holding member 21, and the movable linear module 20b move in the vertical direction Z as a whole. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the movable linear module 20b is moved to its -Z end by the single-axis robot 23 and positioned in the vertical direction Z at a height position (connection position) H2 relative to the linear conveyor 2B below. As a result, the movable linear module 20b is positioned at the transfer position P2 and aligned with the fixed linear modules 20a of the linear conveyor 2B. Specifically, it is connected to the fixed linear module 20a located furthest to the +X side of the fixed linear modules 20a that constitute the linear conveyor 2B. As a result, the slider 3 can be moved between the vertically movable section 2C and the linear conveyor 2B.

[0045] On the other hand, although Figure 1Although not shown in the figure, the movable linear module 20b is moved to its end on the +Z side by the single-axis robot 23 and positioned at a height position (connection position) H1 relative to the upper linear conveyor 2A in the vertical direction Z. This enables the slide 3 to move between the vertical moving section 2C and the linear conveyor 2A. Therefore, the slide 3 can be moved from the linear conveyor 2A to the linear conveyor 2B and from the linear conveyor 2B to the linear conveyor 2A via the vertical moving section 2C. Thus, when the linear conveyor 2A and the linear conveyor 2B respectively correspond to the "first linear conveyor" and "second linear conveyor" of the present invention, the height positions H1 and H2 respectively correspond to examples of the "first connection position" and "second connection position" of the present invention, the fixed linear module 20a of the linear conveyor 2A corresponds to an example of the "first fixed linear module" of the present invention, and the fixed linear module 20a of the linear conveyor 2B corresponds to an example of the "second fixed linear module" of the present invention. The structure of the linear scale and the movement control of the movable linear module 20 b by the single-axis robot driver 43 will be described in detail later.

[0046] The vertical moving section 2D is provided corresponding to the -X side (right side in the figure) of the linear conveying sections 2A and 2B. The structure of the vertical moving section 2D is the same as that of the vertical moving section 2C. Therefore, the slider 3 can be moved from the linear conveying section 2A to the linear conveying section 2B and from the linear conveying section 2B to the linear conveying section 2A on the -X side.

[0047] The integrated controller 4 includes a host computer 42 for controlling the entire device. The host computer 42 includes a movement destination instruction unit 422 that determines the movement destination of the slide 3 and the movable linear module 20b according to a program stored in a storage unit 421 and outputs the information to the linear module driver 41 and the single-axis robot driver 43.

[0048] A linear module driver 41 is provided for each stator coil. Each linear module driver 41 controls the energization of the coil to be controlled, depending on the movement destination of the slider 3. This generates magnetic thrust between the stators of the linear modules 20a and 20b and the mover connected to the slider 3, causing the slider 3 to move in the X direction.

[0049] Furthermore, a single-axis robot driver 43 is provided for each vertical moving section 2C and 2D. Each single-axis robot driver 43 controls the rotation of the motor 232 to be controlled according to the movement destination of the movable linear module 20b. Specifically, when the slide 3 is transferred between the linear conveyor 2A and the vertical moving sections 2C and 2D, or when the slide 3 is transferred between the linear conveyor 2B and the vertical moving sections 2C and 2D, a command for the movement destination of the movable linear module 20b is provided to the single-axis robot driver 43. For example, when an object is being transported from the upper linear conveyor 2A to the lower linear conveyor 2B via the vertical moving section 2C, a movement destination command is provided from the movement destination command unit 422 of the host computer 42 to move and position the movable linear module 20b of the vertical moving section 2C to a height position (connection position) H1. Upon receiving this movement destination command, the single-axis robot driver 43 for the vertical moving section 2C controls each component of the vertical moving section 2C independently of the host computer 42. Then, the linear module driver 41 drives the fixed linear module 20a of the linear conveying section 2A and the movable linear module 20b of the vertical moving section 2C. More specifically, the linear module driver 41 performs the operation independently of the host computer 42. Figure 3 The actions shown in .

[0050] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 The flow chart of an example of the conveying operation of the conveying device for conveying an object is shown. Figures 4A to 4C Schematically shows the operation of transferring the slider holding the conveyed object from the fixed linear module to the movable linear module. Figure 4A As shown, the slide 3 holding the transport object WK is moved to the transfer position P1 by the linear module driver 41 (step S1). In parallel with this, the single-axis robot driver 43, which has received the instruction to move the movable linear module 20b to the height position H1, raises the empty movable linear module 20b and positions it to the height position H1 based on various information from the encoder 24 and the linear scale (step S2). Here, before explaining the raising and positioning process of the movable linear module 20b by the single-axis robot driver 43, refer to Figure 2 、 Figures 4A to 4C The structure of the linear scale, which is one of the technical features of the present invention, will be described.

[0051] The linear scale 6 includes two scales 61 and 62 extending in the vertical direction Z, and a sensor 63 for detecting position data provided on each scale 61 and 62. Position data can be read using magnetism or light, but in this embodiment, a magnetic method is employed. Specifically, the scales 61 and 62 are magnetic scales, and the sensor 63 is a magnetic sensor.

[0052] like Figures 4A to 4C As shown, scale 61 is attached to the +X-side end surface of upper base 5a, and scale 62 is attached to the +X-side end surface of lower base 5b below scale 61. Thus, in this embodiment, scales 61 and 62 are fixedly arranged on a stand (not shown) separated in the vertical direction Z. In the following description, to distinguish between scales 61 and 62, the former will be referred to as "upper scale 61" and the latter as "lower scale 62."

[0053] The sensor 63 is fixed to the end surface of the module holding member 21 on the -X side at a position separated from the upper scale 61 and the lower scale 62 to the +X side. As the module holding member 21 and the movable linear module 20b move up and down, the sensor 63 moves in the vertical direction Z. In particular, if Figure 4A As shown, the sensor 63 reads position data relative to the upper scale 61 while passing through the upper linear scale section LS1 in the vertical direction Z. The read position data includes information related to the position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the upper linear conveying unit 2A in the vertical direction Z. Figure 4C As shown, while the sensor 63 passes through the lower linear scale section LS2 in the vertical direction Z, it faces the lower scale 62 and reads position data. This read position data includes information regarding the position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the lower linear transport unit 2B in the vertical direction Z. On the other hand, while the sensor 63 passes between the upper linear scale section LS1 and the lower linear scale section LS2, the sensor 63 does not face either the upper scale 61 or the lower scale 62, and thus cannot read position data.

[0054] Thus, in this embodiment, the range in which information related to the position of the movable linear module 20b detectable by the linear scale 6 (hereinafter referred to as "linear scale information") can be acquired is limited to the upper linear scale section LS1 and the lower linear scale section LS2. In contrast, the signal output from the encoder 24 includes information related to the position of the movable linear module 20b in the vertical direction Z (hereinafter referred to as "encoder information"). In other words, the height position of the movable linear module 20b can be acquired based on the encoder information. Therefore, in the linear scale sections LS1 and LS2, information related to the height position of the movable linear module 20b can be acquired based on the linear scale information, and the movable linear module 20b can be controlled based on this information. Furthermore, in sections other than the linear scale sections LS1 and LS2 (including the nonlinear scale section described later), information related to the height position of the movable linear module 20b can be acquired based on the encoder information, and the movable linear module 20b can be controlled based on this information. However, the encoder 24 detects the amount of rotation of the ball screw 231 by the motor 232 , and it is difficult to accurately determine the height position of the movable linear module 20 b relative to the linear transport units 2A and 2B based on the amount of rotation.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, if Figures 4A to 4C As shown in FIG. 1 , the range ES for obtaining encoder information partially overlaps with the linear scale intervals LS1 and LS2, and five intervals are set in the vertical direction Z. That is, these five intervals are:

[0056] (1) Nonlinear scale interval NLS:

[0057] The interval of obtaining the height position of the movable linear module 20b based only on the encoder information detected by the encoder 24;

[0058] (2) Upper synthetic interval USS:

[0059] A portion of the upper linear scale section LS1 adjacent to the nonlinear scale section NLS, in which the height position of the movable linear module 20 b is obtained based on the linear scale information read by the sensor 63 when detecting the upper scale 61 and the encoder information detected by the encoder 24 ;

[0060] (3) Upper precision detection zone UFS:

[0061] The intervals other than the interval USS in the upper linear scale interval LS1 are intervals in which the height position of the movable linear module 20 b is obtained with high accuracy near the height position H1 based solely on the linear scale information read by the sensor 63 detecting the upper scale 61 ;

[0062] (4) DSS of the lower synthetic interval:

[0063] A portion of the lower linear scale section LS2 that is adjacent to the nonlinear scale section NLS and in which the height position of the movable linear module 20b is obtained based on the linear scale information read by the sensor 63 when detecting the lower scale 62 and the encoder information detected by the encoder 24; and

[0064] (5) Lower precision detection interval DFS:

[0065] In the lower linear scale section LS2 excluding the section USS, the height position of the movable linear module 20 b is accurately acquired near the height position H2 based only on the linear scale information read by the sensor 63 detecting the lower scale 62 .

[0066] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, the reason for providing the upper combined section USS and the lower combined section DSS is to eliminate discontinuity between encoder information and linear scale information and to allow the movable linear module 20b to move smoothly.

[0067] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the height position of the movable linear module based on encoder information and linear scale information. This graph shows the current height position of the movable linear module 20b rising toward the target position, or connection position H1, based solely on the linear scale information (single-dashed line) and the current height position of the movable linear module 20b rising toward the target position, or connection position H1, based solely on the encoder information (double-dashed line). Comparing these two graphs clearly shows that the two are discontinuous. For example, at the point when the movable linear module 20b enters the upper linear scale section LS1 and can be detected by the linear scale 6, the height position HL based on the linear scale information differs significantly from the height position HE based on the encoder information. Therefore, when the upward movement control of the movable linear module 20b is switched from encoder information to linear scale information, the moving speed of the movable linear module 20b may fluctuate dramatically. As a result, an impact is applied to the slider 3, making it difficult to smoothly and stably transport the transport object WK. In the worst case, the transport object WK may fall off the slider 3.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, an upper synthesis interval USS is set to obtain the height position of the movable linear module 20b based on the linear scale information and the encoder information. More specifically, as shown in the figure, a weighting coefficient k (where 0≤k≤1) corresponding to the linear scale information (the detection result of the sensor 63) is obtained and the following formula is used.

[0069] Height position = (linear scale information) * k + (encoder information) * (1-k) ... (1)

[0070] The height position of the movable linear module 20b is determined. Thus, the height of the movable linear module 20b can be continuously determined even in the upper synthesis section USS. By controlling the upward movement of the movable linear module 20b based on this, the movable linear module 20b can be smoothly raised and approach the height position H1. Furthermore, based on the linear scale information that accurately indicates the height position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the linear conveying section 2A, the movable linear module 20b can ultimately be positioned at the height position H1. Furthermore, the provision of the lower synthesis section DSS is similar to the upper synthesis section USS.

[0071] Next, refer to Figures 4A to 4C and Figure 6 The raising and positioning process (step S2) of the movable linear module 20b will be described. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the process of raising and positioning the movable linear module. This process is executed by the single-axis robot driver 43 based on the linear scale information output from the sensor 63 and the encoder information output from the encoder 24. The single-axis robot driver 43 repeatedly executes the following steps S201 to S211 until the empty movable linear module 20b is raised to the height position H1 and positioned.

[0072] In step S201, the encoder information output from the encoder 24 is obtained. In parallel with this, the position data Hs detected by the sensor 63 is obtained (step S202), and then the position data Hs is corrected to obtain the linear scale information corresponding to the height position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the linear conveying part 2A (step S203). More specifically, the encoder information Ha and the linear scale information Hb when switching from the nonlinear scale section NLS to the upper synthetic section USS are taught in advance by the operator and stored in the memory of the single-axis robot driver 43 (not shown). Then, in step S203, based on the following formula

[0073] Linear scale information = (Hs-Hb)*KS+Ha…(2)

[0074] Here, KS is a proportionality coefficient between the encoder and the linear scale, and linear scale information corresponding to the height position of the movable linear module 20 b is calculated.

[0075] Based on the two pieces of information related to the height position of the movable linear module 20b thus obtained, the interval in which the movable linear module 20b is located (hereinafter referred to as the "current interval") is determined (step S204). Then, if the current interval is a precision detection interval ("Yes" in step S205), the corrected linear scale information is used as the height position of the movable linear module 20b, that is, the first module position information (step S206). In addition, if the current interval is a composite interval ("Yes" in step S207), the height position is calculated based on the above formula (1) as the first module position information (step S208). Moreover, if the current interval is neither the upper precision detection interval UFS nor the upper composite interval USS, that is, the nonlinear scale interval NLS ("No" in step S205), the encoder information is used as the height position of the movable linear module 20b, that is, the first module position information (step S209).

[0076] Then, based on the first module position information of the movable linear module 20b determined as described above, the single-axis robot 23 drives the movable linear module 20b upward (step S210). Next, a determination is made as to whether the movable linear module 20b has reached height position H1 (step S211). If the movable linear module 20b has not reached height position H1 ("No" in step S211), the process returns to steps S201 and S202, and the aforementioned series of steps are repeated, gradually bringing the movable linear module 20b closer to height position H1.

[0077] On the other hand, when it is confirmed that the movable linear module 20b has reached the height position H1, the single-axis robot 23 stops driving the movable linear module 20b upward, and the movable linear module 20b is positioned at the height position H1 (step S212). Figure 4C As shown, the movable linear module 20b is positioned at the transfer position P1 and is connected to the fixed linear module 20a located on the most +X side of the upper linear transport section 2A.

[0078] return Figure 3 The description of the conveying process continues. When the movement of the slider 3 to the transfer position P1 (step S1) and the positioning of the movable linear module 20b (step S2) are completed as described above, and the transfer preparation of the slider 3 at the transfer position P1 is completed ("Yes" in step S3), the transfer of the slider 3 is performed in the next step S4. That is, the linear module driver 41 controls the energization of the stator coil, as shown in FIG. Figure 4C The slider 3 holding the transport object WK is moved from the fixed linear module 20a to the movable linear module 20b as shown by the arrow. As a result, the transport object WK is moved from the upper linear transport section 2A to the vertical moving section 2C while being held by the slider 3 (step S4).

[0079] Next, the host computer 42 provides the height position H2 as the movement destination of the movable linear module 20b to the single-axis robot driver 43 that drives and controls the vertical moving unit 2C. Upon receiving the movement destination command, the single-axis robot driver 43 lowers the movable linear module 20b, which is holding the transport object WK, to the height position H2 based on the position data from the encoder 24 and the linear scale 6 (step S5).

[0080] Figure 7 This flowchart shows the lowering and positioning process of the movable linear module. This lowering and positioning process is performed by the single-axis robot driver 43 using the same method as the raising and positioning process (step S2). Specifically, the single-axis robot driver 43 obtains information related to the height position of the movable linear module 20b in the vertical direction Z, namely, the "second module position information" of the present invention (steps S501 to S509), and drives the movable linear module 20b to lower based on this second module position information (step S510) until the movable linear module 20b, holding the transport object WK, is lowered to the height position H2 and positioned. Thus, while the movable linear module 20b has not yet reached the height position H2 ("No" in step S511), the above series of steps (steps S501 to S510) are repeated, gradually allowing the movable linear module 20b to approach the height position H2.

[0081] On the other hand, when it is confirmed that the movable linear module 20b has reached the height position H2, the uniaxial robot 23 stops driving the movable linear module 20b downward, and the movable linear module 20b is positioned at the height position H2 (step S512). As a result, the movable linear module 20b is positioned at the transfer position P2 while holding the conveyance object WK, and is connected to the fixed linear module 20a located on the most +X side of the lower linear conveyor section 2B.

[0082] return Figure 3 Continuing with the description of the conveying process, once the movable linear module 20b has been positioned at the height position H2 (step S5) as described above, the slider 3 is relocated in the following step S6. Specifically, the linear module driver 41 controls the energization of the stator coils, causing the slider 3, holding the conveyed object WK, to move from the movable linear module 20b to the fixed linear module 20a. As a result, the conveyed object WK, held by the slider 3, is moved from the vertical moving section 2C to the lower linear conveying section 2B (step S6).

[0083] In addition, the scales 61 and 62 are respectively mounted on the -X side of the upper base 5a and the lower base 5b ( Figure 1The sensor 63 is fixed to the +X-side end surface of the module holding member 21 of the vertical moving section 2D. Furthermore, the transport of the object WK from the lower linear transport section 2B to the upper linear transport section 2A via the vertical moving section 2D is performed in the same manner as described above. In this way, in the first embodiment, the object WK can be transported in a so-called longitudinal circulation.

[0084] As described above, in the first embodiment, the scales 61 and 62 extending in the vertical direction Z are respectively attached to the linear conveying sections 2A and 2B, while the sensor 63 is attached to the vertical moving sections 2C and 2D. That is, the linear scale 6 can accurately obtain the first module position information and the second module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the fixed linear module 20a in the vertical direction Z. Based on the first module position information and the second module position information, the movable linear module 20b is accurately positioned at the height positions H1 and H2. In addition, in the vertical moving section 2D, similarly to the vertical moving section 2C, the movable linear module 20b is accurately positioned at the height positions H3 and H4 ( Figure 1 As a result, the slider 3 can be stably transferred between the fixed linear module 20a and the movable linear module 20b over a long period of time without requiring special precision adjustment as in the prior art. As a result, the transport object WK can be transported satisfactorily.

[0085] Furthermore, in order to obtain module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module 20b in the vertical direction Z using the sensor 63, a scale may be extended from the upper base 5a to the lower base 5b, for example. However, the elongated scale increases the cost of the linear scale 6. In contrast, in the first embodiment, a short scale 61 suitable for obtaining the first module position information and a short scale 62 suitable for obtaining the second module position information are provided. In other words, since module position information is obtained using the minimum necessary scale, the cost of the linear scale 6 can be effectively reduced.

[0086] In the first embodiment, in the vertical moving section 2C, the movable linear module 20b is moved based on the encoder information for the nonlinear scale section NLS in the vertical direction Z that cannot be detected by the linear scale 6. Furthermore, in the upper synthetic section USS and the lower synthetic section DSS, the encoder information and the linear scale information are synthesized to obtain the module position information. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the moving speed of the movable linear module 20b from changing drastically, and the movable linear module 20b can be moved smoothly between the height positions H1 and H2. In this regard, the same is true in the vertical moving section 2D, and the movable linear module 20b can be moved between the height positions H3 and H4 ( Figure 1) between them. As a result, the transfer position P3, P4 ( Figure 1 ) between the fixed linear module 20a and the movable linear module 20b.

[0087] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the single-axis robot driver 43 receives a movement destination instruction from the host 42, it determines the section where the movable linear module 20b is located based on the encoder information and the linear scale information, obtains the module position information in a manner corresponding thereto, and controls the single-axis robot 23 based on the module position information. Figure 1 As shown, the single-axis robot driver 43 includes a section acquisition unit, a position information acquisition unit, and a robot control unit, and functions as a dedicated driver unit that independently controls the movement and positioning of the movable linear module 20b from the host computer 42. This simplifies the structure of the conveyor system 1, particularly the control structure, and enables high-speed positioning of the movable linear module 20b. Consequently, the throughput of the conveyor system 1 can be improved.

[0088] Thus, in the first embodiment, the upper base 5a and the lower base 5b correspond to examples of the "first base" and "second base" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the X-direction and the Z-direction correspond to the "first direction" and "second direction" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the vertical moving units 2C and 2D correspond to examples of the "module moving unit" of the present invention. Furthermore, the position data detected by the sensor 63 corresponds to an example of the "sensor detection result" of the present invention. Furthermore, the integrated controller 4 corresponds to an example of the "control unit" of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 8 : is a perspective view showing the structure of the vertical moving portion in the second embodiment of the conveying device involved in the present invention. Figure 2 ) is the structure of the vertical moving part 2C (2D), and the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same structures and the description will be omitted.

[0090] In the second embodiment, the module holding member 21 is connected to the two single-axis robots 23. More specifically, the rear portion of the module holding member 21 is engaged with the nut 233 of the single-axis robot 23A on the rear side. In addition, the front portion of the module holding member 21 is engaged with the nut (omitted from the figure) of the single-axis robot 23B on the front side. In addition, although Figure 8 Although not shown in the figure, a linear scale is provided for each of the single-axis robots 23A and 23B (see Figure 1 、 Figures 4A to 4C ) and driver 43 for single-axis robots.

[0091] In the vertical moving unit 2C (2D) thus configured, upon receiving a movement destination command from the host computer 42, the single-axis robots 23A and 23B operate independently, raising and lowering the rear and front portions of the module holding member 21 in the same direction Z. This causes the entire module holding member 21 to rise and fall. For example, as shown in the figure, if the object WK on the slider 3 protrudes rearward (to the +Y side), shifting its center of gravity (not shown) to the rear, the movable linear module 20b may tilt accordingly. In this state, smooth transfer operation is not possible.

[0092] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the movement control of the module holding member 21 by the front-side single-axis robot 23B based on the detection results of the sensor installed on the front linear scale and the movement control of the module holding member 21 by the rear-side single-axis robot 23A based on the detection results of the sensor installed on the rear linear scale are independently executed. This corrects the tilt of the movable linear module 20b and allows it to be connected to the fixed linear module 20a. As a result, the tilt of the movable linear module 20b is corrected, allowing for smooth and stable transfer to the fixed linear module 20a.

[0093] Thus, in the second embodiment, the single-axis robots 23A and 23B correspond to examples of the "first moving mechanism" and "second moving mechanism" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the rear and front portions of the module holding member 21 correspond to examples of the "first holding portion" and "second holding portion" of the present invention, respectively.

[0094] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various changes can be made to the above-mentioned embodiment as long as it does not deviate from the main purpose. Therefore, for example, in the above-mentioned first embodiment and second embodiment, the present invention is applied to the so-called longitudinal circulation type conveying device 1, but for example Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, it can be applied to a so-called horizontal circulation type conveying device 1.

[0095] Figure 92 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the conveying device involved in the present invention. The conveying device 1 has a pair of linear conveying parts 2A and 2B, horizontal moving parts 2E and 2F, and a plurality of slides 3. The linear conveying part 2A is arranged on a base 5c of a frame (not shown). On the other hand, the linear conveying part 2B is arranged in parallel with the linear conveying part 2A on a base 5d that is separated from the base 5c and arranged in parallel to the +Y side. In addition, the structure of the linear conveying parts 2A and 2B is the same as that of the first embodiment. The horizontal moving part 2E is provided corresponding to the side end portion of the +X side (the right side of the figure) of the linear conveying parts 2A and 2B. The horizontal moving part 2E has a function of moving the movable linear module 20b in the horizontal direction Y and connecting it to the fixed linear module 20a of the linear conveying parts 2A and 2B.

[0096] Figure 10 This figure shows the structure of the horizontal moving unit. The horizontal moving unit 2E includes a module holding member 21 having a substantially L-shaped cross section that holds a movable linear module 20b from below. The module holding member 21 is movably mounted in the horizontal direction Y along a pair of guide rails 22, 22 extending across the bases 5c and 5d in the horizontal direction Y. Furthermore, a single-axis robot 23 is connected to the module holding member 21.

[0097] The single-axis robot 23 is, for example, a moving mechanism having a ball screw (not shown) parallel to the Y direction and a motor 232 for rotating and driving the ball screw. In addition, an encoder 24 is installed on the motor 232 of the single-axis robot 23, and the rotation information associated with the rotation of the motor 232 is output to a dedicated single-axis robot driver (not shown) for controlling the single-axis robot 23. In the single-axis robot 23, when the motor 232 is driven and controlled by the single-axis robot driver, the module holding member 21 and the movable linear module 20b move integrally in the horizontal direction Y along the guide rails 22, 22. Thus, for example, Figure 9 As shown, the movable linear module 20b is located at the horizontal position L2 and is aligned with the fixed linear module 20a of the linear conveying section 2B at the transfer position P2. Figure 10 As shown, the movable linear module 20b is located at horizontal position L1 and aligned with the fixed linear module 20a of the linear transport section 2A at the transfer position P1. This allows the slider 3 to be transferred at the transfer positions P1 and P2. Furthermore, the horizontal moving section 2F is constructed similarly to the horizontal moving section 2E, and the horizontal movement of the movable linear module 20b allows the slider 3 to be transferred at the transfer positions P3 and P4.

[0098] In the thus configured conveyor device 1, scales 61 and 62 extending in the Y direction are attached to bases 5c and 5d, respectively. Furthermore, a sensor 63 is attached to the module holding member 21 of the horizontal moving section 2E. Thus, the linear scale 6 is provided on the horizontal moving section 2E side. Similarly, a linear scale 6 is provided on the horizontal moving section 2F side.

[0099] Sensor 63 is electrically connected to a single-axis robot actuator (not shown). Similar to the first embodiment, the single-axis robot actuator acquires module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module 20b relative to the fixed linear module 20a in the horizontal direction Y based on the detection results of sensor 62. Based on this module position information, the single-axis robot actuator controls the movement of the module retaining member 21 to position the movable linear module 20b at positions L1 and L2. As a result, the slider 3 can be stably transferred between the fixed linear module 20a and the movable linear module 20b over a long period of time without requiring special precision adjustments as in the prior art. Consequently, the transport object WK can be efficiently transported.

[0100] Thus, in the third embodiment, the bases 5c and 5d correspond to examples of the "first base" and "second base" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the Y direction corresponds to the "second direction" of the present invention. Furthermore, the horizontal moving sections 2E and 2F correspond to examples of the "module moving section" of the present invention.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the linear transport sections 2A and 2B are provided with scales 61 and 62, and the module moving sections (vertical moving sections 2C and 2D, horizontal moving sections 2E and 2F) are provided with sensors 63. However, the arrangement of the scales and sensors may be reversed from that in the above embodiment.

[0102] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, module position information is acquired by always synthesizing encoder information and linear scale information in the upper synthesis interval USS and the lower synthesis interval DSS. However, the detection characteristics of the linear scale 6 may also be taken into consideration. This detection characteristic refers to the fact that, even in the synthesis intervals USS and DSS, detection by sensor 63 is unstable in areas close to the nonlinear scale interval, that is, in areas where sensor 63 begins to face scales 61 and 62. With a linear scale 6 exhibiting this detection characteristic, sensor 63 may not output correct position data. Therefore, the decision to utilize linear scale information (position data) may be made based on whether the position data is being normally output from sensor 63. In other words, during periods when the output of position data is determined to be abnormal, module position information may be acquired solely based on encoder information, regardless of the interval (fourth embodiment).

[0103] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the conveying apparatus 1 including the two linear conveying sections 2A and 2B, but the present invention can also be applied to a conveying apparatus including three or more linear conveying sections.

[0104] In addition, in the above embodiment, the number of the fixed linear modules 20a constituting each of the linear transport units 2A and 2B is “6”, but the number is not limited thereto and is arbitrary.

[0105] Industrial applicability

[0106] The present invention is applicable to all conveying technologies in which a conveying object is conveyed by shifting a slide between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module after positioning the movable linear module relative to the fixed linear module.

[0107] Description of labels

[0108] 1… conveying device;

[0109] 2A…upper linear conveying section;

[0110] 2B…lower linear conveying section;

[0111] 2C, 2D…vertical moving part (module moving part);

[0112] 2E, 2F… horizontal moving part (module moving part);

[0113] 3…sliding parts;

[0114] 4…integrated controller (control unit);

[0115] 5a…upper base (first base);

[0116] 5b…lower base (second base);

[0117] 5c…base (first base);

[0118] 5d…base (second base);

[0119] 6…Linear scale;

[0120] 20a…Fixed linear module;

[0121] 20b… movable linear module;

[0122] 21 ... module retaining member;

[0123] 23…single-axis robot (mobile mechanism);

[0124] 23A...single-axis robot (first moving mechanism);

[0125] 23B...single-axis robot (second moving mechanism);

[0126] 24…encoder;

[0127] 43... Driver for single-axis robot (dedicated driver unit);

[0128] 61…above scale;

[0129] 62…below the scale;

[0130] 63…Sensor;

[0131] DFS…precision detection range below;

[0132] DSS…the lower synthetic interval;

[0133] H1…height position (first connection position);

[0134] H2…height position (second connection position);

[0135] L1…horizontal position (first connection position);

[0136] L2…horizontal position (second connection position);

[0137] NLS…nonlinear scaling interval;

[0138] P1, P2, P3, P4…transfer position;

[0139] ULS…Upper precision detection zone;

[0140] USS…upper synthetic interval;

[0141] WK…Transportation object;

[0142] X…first direction;

[0143] Y…horizontal direction (second direction);

[0144] Z...up and down direction (second direction).

Claims

1. A conveying device that conveys an object by moving a slider holding the object, characterized in that: have: a first linear conveying portion, which moves the slide in a first direction via a first fixed linear module fixed to a first base; A module moving unit comprising: a moving mechanism having a motor for moving a module holding member holding a movable linear module in a second direction different from the first direction; and an encoder for acquiring encoder information indicating a position of the module holding member in the second direction. The module moving unit positions the movable linear module at a first connection position with the first fixed linear module so as to enable the slider to be transferred between the movable linear module and the first fixed linear module. a linear scale having a scale extending in the second direction and a sensor for detecting the scale, wherein one of the scale and the sensor is mounted on the first linear conveying portion, and the other is mounted on the module moving portion; and The control unit obtains first module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module relative to the first fixed linear module in the second direction based on at least one of the detection result of the sensor and the encoder information, and controls movement of the module holding member based on the first module position information to position the movable linear module at the first connection position.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein When the section in the second direction where the sensor detects the scale is defined as a linear scale section and the section where the sensor does not detect the scale is defined as a non-linear scale section, The control unit obtaining the first module position information based on the detection result of the sensor in the linear scale interval, and The first module position information is obtained based on the encoder information in the nonlinear scale section.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein When the interval in the second direction where the sensor detects the scale is set as a linear scale interval, the interval where the sensor does not detect the scale is set as a non-linear scale interval, and a portion of the linear scale interval adjacent to the non-linear scale interval is set as a composite interval, The control unit In a precise detection section other than the synthesis section in the linear scale section, the first module position information is acquired based on a detection result of the sensor. In the synthesis section, the first module position information is obtained based on the detection result of the sensor and the encoder information, and The first module position information is obtained based on the encoder information in the nonlinear scale section.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit obtains a weighting coefficient k corresponding to the detection result of the sensor in the synthesis interval, where 0≤k≤1, and calculates the weighting coefficient k based on the following formula: (the first module position information) = (the detection result of the sensor) * k + (the encoder information) * (1-k) Obtain the first module position information.

5. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The conveying device further includes a second linear conveying portion, which moves the slide in the first direction via a second fixed linear module fixed to a second base, and the second base is separated from the first base in the second direction. The module moving part positions the movable linear module at a second connection position connected to the second fixed linear module so that the sliding member can be transferred between the movable linear module and the second fixed linear module. The control unit obtaining second module position information indicating the position of the movable linear module relative to the second fixed linear module in the second direction based on the detection result of the sensor, and The movable linear module is moved between the first coupling position and the second coupling position based on the first module position information and the second module position information. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein: The module moving portion includes: a first moving mechanism connected to a first holding portion of the module holding member to move the module holding member in the second direction; and a second moving mechanism connected to a second holding portion of the module holding member that is different from the first holding portion to move the module holding member in the second direction. The linear scales are provided corresponding to the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism, respectively.

7. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6, wherein: The control unit has: A host computer, which instructs the movable linear module on a moving destination; and Upon receiving the movement destination, the dedicated driver controls the movement of the module holding member based on the detection result of the sensor independently of the host computer to position the movable linear module at the movement destination.

8. A conveying method, wherein a slide holding an object to be conveyed is moved between a linear conveying unit and a module moving unit to convey the object, wherein the linear conveying unit moves the slide in a first direction via a fixed linear module fixed to a base, and the module moving unit comprises: a moving mechanism having a motor for moving a module holding member holding a movable linear module in a second direction different from the first direction; and an encoder for acquiring encoder information indicating a position of the module holding member in the second direction, wherein the conveying method is characterized in that: A scale is mounted on one of the linear conveying unit and the module moving unit so as to extend in the second direction, and a sensor for detecting the scale is mounted on the other unit. The delivery method includes: a step of acquiring module position information indicating a position of the movable linear module relative to the fixed linear module in the second direction based on at least one of a detection result of the sensor and the encoder information; a step of moving the module holding member in the second direction based on the module position information to position the movable linear module at a connection position with the fixed linear module so as to enable transfer of the slider between the movable linear module and the fixed linear module; and The step of moving the slide in the first direction between the fixed linear module and the movable linear module that are connected to each other.

Images