Part conveying system, method of operating the same and recording medium

Abstract

Disclosed is a part conveying system, an operation method thereof, and a recording medium. The part conveying system includes a production line configured to receive parts and to be assembled into a finished product, a part loading site configured to have a space in which the parts are loaded, a part transport unit configured to load or unload the parts at or from the part loading site to supply the parts to the production line, and a processor configured to provide virtual space data about the part loading site, to establish a part loading schedule and a part unloading schedule with respect to the virtual space data according to an assembly schedule of the finished product of the production line, and to control the part transport unit to load or unload the parts at the actual part loading site according to the part loading schedule and the part unloading schedule.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a parts conveying system and a method for operating the parts conveying system, and more specifically, to a parts conveying system and a method for operating the parts conveying system, wherein information is sent / received between a manufacturing execution system (MES) and a control system for controlling logistics equipment, the logistics equipment including an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), enabling parts and / or processed goods to be autonomously loaded and unloaded; even in the absence of an autonomous warehouse facility occupying specific space in a parts loading location, production flexibility is ensured by variably using empty space, and productivity is improved by autonomously loading and unloading parts, etc. Background Technology

[0002] An Autonomous Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) is a system for storing (loading) parts necessary for the production of finished products from one storage location to another and for searching and retrieving stored parts, characterized in that parts are precisely stored and removed at predetermined locations without human intervention in the operation of transporting parts to a specific processing or interface point.

[0003] In finished product manufacturing processes lacking the aforementioned ASRS (Automatic Standards for Receiving and Receiving Parts) loading and unloading locations for each process, existing methods involve operators arbitrarily identifying loading and unloading areas using manual forklifts or similar equipment based on the type of finished product. Manually supplying parts to specific pallets based on operator judgment can lead to speeding, neglecting to carefully observe the area ahead, or creating other safety hazards. Furthermore, the inability to update information about spaces where operators have arbitrarily loaded and unloaded parts can result in overcharging or omission of specific parts. This can reduce finished product productivity.

[0004] The above is provided only to help understand the background technology of this disclosure, and corresponds to the technical information held by the inventor to derive the embodiments of this disclosure, or to the technical information obtained in the process of deriving the embodiments of this disclosure, and should not be considered by those skilled in the art or the general public to correspond to prior art known before application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure is made to address the aforementioned problems, and one aspect of this disclosure is to provide a parts conveying system and a method for operating the parts conveying system, wherein information is sent / received between a manufacturing execution system (MES) and a control system for controlling logistics equipment, the logistics equipment including an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), enabling parts and / or processed goods to be autonomously loaded and unloaded; even in the absence of an autonomous warehouse facility occupying specific space in a parts loading location, production flexibility is ensured by variably utilizing empty space, and productivity is improved by autonomously loading and unloading parts, etc.

[0006] The above technical aspects are not intended to be limiting in any way, and other technical aspects may be derived from the following description.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a parts conveying system includes: a production line configured to receive parts and assemble them into finished products; a parts loading location configured to have space for loading parts; a parts transport unit configured to load parts at the parts loading location or unload parts from the parts loading location to supply parts to the production line; and a processor configured to provide virtual space data about the parts loading location, establish a parts loading schedule and a parts unloading schedule for the virtual space data based on the assembly schedule of finished products of the production line, and control the parts transport unit to load or unload parts at the actual parts loading location based on the parts loading schedule and the parts unloading schedule.

[0008] The parts transport unit can be either an electronically guided and driven unmanned vehicle (AGV) arranged on a travel path from a predetermined starting point to the parts loading location, or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that autonomously calculates its travel path.

[0009] The starting point is the loading point where the parts to be loaded at the parts loading location are loaded by the parts transport unit. The parts transport system may also include a position sensor configured to detect whether the parts have arrived at the starting point, and the processor can control the parts transport unit to load the parts based on the detection results of the position sensor.

[0010] Virtual space data regarding part loading locations can include loading space for parts that are already loaded and awaiting loading, as well as empty space for parts that are not yet loaded and awaiting loading.

[0011] The virtual space data regarding the parts loading location can include the loading column space of the parts to be loaded in the loading column of each model of the finished product that is already loaded; and the blank space of the parts to be loaded that are not yet loaded.

[0012] When there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, the processor can control the parts transport unit to load the parts onto the last loading column of the same model.

[0013] When there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, the processor controls the parts transport unit to unload parts from one loading column, wherein the loading time of the parts loaded in that loading column is the longest among the multiple loading columns, and that loading column is the farthest from the entrance of the parts loading location.

[0014] The parts transport unit may include a loading sensor that detects the loading status of parts to be loaded at the parts loading location, or the unloading status of parts loaded at the parts loading location. The processor can update virtual space data about the parts loading location based on the detection results of the loading sensor.

[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for operating a parts conveying system, wherein a processor controls a parts transport unit, in which parts required for each step in the production of a finished product are loaded to or unloaded from parts loading locations and supplied to each step, the method comprising: generating a finished product assembly schedule by the processor, in which parts are planned for each step in the production of the finished product each time; generating virtual space data by the processor based on predetermined loading space data and loading logistics data, the virtual space data relating to loading space for loaded parts and blank space for unloaded parts; and generating a parts loading schedule by the processor based on the virtual space data, and then controlling the parts transport unit, in which parts loading schedule is planned for each time according to the finished product assembly schedule.

[0016] The method may further include: after controlling the parts transport unit, the processor generates a parts unloading schedule and then controls the parts transport unit to plan the parts to be unloaded according to the parts loading schedule.

[0017] Control of the parts transport unit may include: when there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, controlling the parts transport unit to load the parts onto the last loading column of the same model.

[0018] Control of the parts transport unit may include: when there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, controlling the parts transport unit to unload parts from one loading column, wherein the loading time of the parts loaded in that loading column is the longest among the multiple loading columns and the loading column is the farthest from the entrance of the parts loading location.

[0019] The method may further include: after controlling the parts transport unit, generating a parts unloading schedule and then controlling the parts transport unit, in which the parts to be unloaded are planned to be loaded according to the parts loading schedule.

[0020] The above method may further include: updating virtual space data about the loading location of the parts based on the detection results of the loading sensor, wherein the loading sensor detects the loading status of the parts to be loaded at the loading location or the unloading status of the parts loaded at the loading location being unloaded.

[0021] According to another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure may provide a recording medium that can be read and stored by at least one computer, enabling the above-described methods to be executed.

[0022] The advantages of the parts conveying system and the method for operating the parts conveying system according to this disclosure are: sending / receiving information between the manufacturing execution system (MES) and the control system for controlling the logistics equipment, which includes autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), enabling parts and / or processed goods to be loaded and unloaded autonomously; ensuring production flexibility by variably using blank space even when there is no autonomous warehouse facility occupying specific space at the parts loading location; and improving productivity by automating the loading and unloading of parts, etc.

[0023] The aforementioned beneficial effects are not limited in any way, and other beneficial effects can be derived from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a parts conveying system according to the prior art;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a portion of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating another part of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating another step of a method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The specific structural or functional descriptions of embodiments of this disclosure set forth in the specification or application are merely for describing the purposes of embodiments according to this disclosure. Therefore, embodiments according to this disclosure can be implemented in various forms, and this disclosure should not be construed as limiting oneself to the embodiments described in the specification or application.

[0033] For clarity in describing this disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and throughout the specification, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Furthermore, singular expressions may include plural expressions unless they are explicitly different in the context.

[0034] In the following detailed description, terms such as "first" and / or "second" used for component names are intended to distinguish between components having the same configuration, and the components are not necessarily limited by their order in the following description. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a second component.

[0035] Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as "comprising" or "having" an element, this expression means that the corresponding part does not exclude other elements and may include any other elements unless specifically mentioned otherwise. That is, in the specification, the expression "comprising" or "having" is intended to specify the presence of the mentioned features, areas, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, and should be interpreted as not excluding the possible presence or addition of one or more other features, areas, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0036] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments set forth in the specification, detailed descriptions of known related technologies will be omitted when it is determined that the description may obscure the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0037] Finally, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having a meaning equivalent to that in the context of the relevant field and shall not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in this disclosure.

[0038] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a parts conveying system according to the prior art. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a portion of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating another part of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating another step of a method for operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a parts conveying system according to the prior art. Here, parts include: factory-made (MIP) parts produced in a factory manufacturing plant, parts for partial production (LP: outsourced production parts), and / or disassembled parts (KD: imported production parts). Finished products are illustrated as vehicles, but are not limited thereto.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the existing parts conveying system is a system in which workers load and unload the parts required for the finished product under their own discretion. Specifically, in the case of MIP parts processed and produced in a factory that manufactures finished products, workers use a manual forklift 210 to manually transport the MIP parts to the MIP processing line 201, and transport the processed MIP parts to the MIP finished product loading location 203 via a conveyor belt or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, materials assembled into finished products are disassembled (the individual packaging of parts in boxes is removed, and the parts are arranged and packed into another box) and loaded, and transported by workers using manual forklifts 210 to the material warehouse 202. Parts loaded at the MIP completion loading point 203 or the material warehouse 202 are loaded via manual traction motors 220 or manual forklifts 210 and unloaded onto the finished product assembly line. In this parts conveying system, the manual forklifts 210 and / or manual traction motors 220, acting as logistics equipment, launch and receive logistics information according to a defined production schedule regarding how many parts for any finished product model should be loaded and unloaded in how many pallet stages from a certain starting point to a certain destination, and workers check the logistics information and manually execute the parts logistics.

[0043] Therefore, in existing parts conveying systems, the space in the material warehouse 202 or the MIP completion loading point 203 (as a location where workers load and unload parts using logistics equipment (such as manual forklifts) at their own discretion) is arbitrarily divided, and parts are loaded and unloaded manually. In this way, when workers manually supply parts to specific locations at arbitrarily determined locations, safety accidents can occur due to workers' overspeeding of logistics equipment or excessive negligence in their forward-looking duties. Furthermore, because information about the space where workers arbitrarily load and unload parts is not updated on the server, specific parts may be overcharged or undercharged and omitted. Therefore, in existing parts conveying systems, the productivity of finished products is constrained in this way.

[0044] Therefore, a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a production line configured to receive parts and assemble them into finished products; a parts loading location configured to have space for loading parts; a parts transport unit configured to load parts at the parts loading location or unload parts from the parts loading location to supply parts to the production line; and a processor that provides virtual space data about the parts loading location, establishes a parts loading schedule and a parts unloading schedule for the virtual space data based on the assembly progress of the finished products on the production line, and controls the parts transport unit to load or unload parts at the actual parts loading location based on the parts loading schedule and the parts unloading schedule.

[0045] That is, in the parts conveying system according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor, rather than a worker, controls the parts conveying unit to perform parts loading or unloading according to a parts loading schedule and a parts unloading schedule. To this end, the parts conveying system according to embodiments of the present disclosure has virtual space data synchronized with the actual parts loading locations. In doing so, the parts conveying system according to embodiments of the present disclosure can autonomously supply the parts required for each step in the production of the finished product in a timely manner. Furthermore, the parts conveying system according to embodiments of the present disclosure can manage the inventory of parts required for the finished product in real time by adding / deleting / updating the virtual space data.

[0046] Figure 1This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method in which a processor controls a parts transport unit to operate a parts conveying system that loads or unloads parts required for each process at parts loading locations during a process of producing a finished product, thereby supplying parts to each process. The method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: the processor generating (S100) a finished product assembly schedule, in which parts required for each process in each step of producing the finished product are planned; the processor generating (S200) virtual space data regarding loading spaces for loaded parts and empty spaces for unloaded parts based on predetermined loading space data and loading logistics data, according to parts loading locations; the processor generating (S300) a parts loading schedule based on the virtual space data, in which parts to be loaded each time according to the finished product assembly schedule, and then controlling the parts transport unit.

[0047] That is, by separately classifying data about loading space and blank space into virtual space data, generating a parts loading schedule, and then controlling the parts transport unit, the operation method of the parts transport system according to the embodiment of the present invention can add / delete / update the current space data, loading space data, and blank space data consumed by loading parts.

[0048] The method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: after controlling the parts conveying unit, generating (S400) a parts unloading schedule by a processor, and then controlling the parts conveying unit, wherein the parts unloading schedule is planned to be loaded according to the parts loading schedule and unloaded each time. The method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may add / delete / update space data, loading space data, and blank space data obtained by unloading parts after loading parts.

[0049] Figure 3 This figure illustrates a portion of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The parts transport unit 320, as a logistics device, can be either an unmanned guided vehicle (AGV) guided and driven by electronic devices along a travel path from a predetermined starting point to a parts loading location, or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that autonomously calculates its travel path. The starting point is the loading point where parts to be loaded at the parts loading location are loaded by the parts transport unit 320, and the parts transport system may include a position sensor 330 for detecting whether a part has arrived at the starting point, and a processor may control the parts transport unit 320 to perform parts loading based on the detection results of the position sensor 330.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, MIP-finished parts, processed by MIP assembly, can be placed on a pallet and unloaded onto a conveyor belt. Server 340 receives detection results obtained by position sensors indicating whether the MIP-finished part has reached the loading point. The processor controls server 340 to send the detected part information to parts transport unit 320, a logistics device. The detected part information is obtained by processing the received detection position and results, or based on the finished product assembly schedule. Upon receiving this information, parts transport unit 320 can be controlled to autonomously approach the corresponding location and load the MIP-finished part.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating another part of a parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Virtual space data in the parts transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include virtual space data regarding loading space 440 with loaded parts to be loaded and empty space 450 without loaded parts to be loaded at the parts transport location. The processor of the control server 340 can control the parts transport unit 320 to be guided and driven by electronic devices arranged along a travel path from a predetermined starting point of the parts unloading facility 420 to the parts loading location 430, or to autonomously calculate the travel path and transport the loaded parts to the parts loading location 430. That is, the processor sends an unloading signal 410 to the parts transport unit 320 and controls the parts transport unit 320, upon receiving the unloading signal, to unload parts from node 254 of the parts unloading facility 420, which is a predetermined starting point, to a first point in the empty space 450 of the parts loading location 430.

[0052] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating another step of a method of operating a parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the parts conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, virtual space data regarding parts loading locations may include virtual space data regarding the loading column space 430 of loaded parts to be loaded and the empty column space (ES) 430 of unloaded parts to be loaded in the loading column of the parts to be loaded required for each model of the finished product.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown, in a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present invention, the processor of the control server 340 can control the parts transport unit 320 to perform loading the parts onto the loading column with more empty space in the multiple loading columns when there are multiple loading columns containing the parts to be loaded for the same model (model A in model A, B, and C).

[0054] like Figure 5As shown, in a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present invention, the processor controlling the function of the server 340 can control the parts transport unit 320 to unload parts from one loading column when there are multiple loading columns containing parts to be loaded for the same model (model A among models A, B, and C), wherein the loading time of the parts loaded in that loading column is the longest among the multiple loading columns, and that loading column is the farthest from the entrance of the parts loading location. Therefore, the parts conveying system according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively utilize loading space and blank space, and can effectively manage inventory space.

[0055] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the method of operating a parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the loading sequence according to the production plan on the manufacturing execution system (MES) can be received (S602), and then it can be determined (S604) whether there is a loading column for parts of the same model as the parts of the finished product model that needs to be loaded.

[0056] like Figure 6 As shown, when there are multiple loading columns for parts to be loaded for the same model (S606), the method of operating the parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can control the parts transport unit to load the parts onto a loading column (S608), which has more empty space among the multiple loading columns (S626).

[0057] like Figure 6 As shown, when there is no loading column space for a part to be loaded in the loading column of the parts required for each model of the finished product (S610), the method of operating the parts conveying system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can control the parts transport unit to load the part into the empty space of the corresponding loading column space (S624). Furthermore, when there is an empty column space (ES) (S612), and no part is loaded in that empty column space other than the loading column space (S610), the method can control the parts transport unit to load the part into the empty column space (S628). When there is no empty space or empty column space (S612), the processor can execute instructions to control a portion of the transport unit to wait (S622).

[0058] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a parts conveying system according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, the operation method of the parts conveying system according to another embodiment can receive the unloading sequence according to the production plan of the MES (S702), and then determine whether there is a loading column of parts of the same model as the parts of the finished product model to be unloaded (S704).

[0059] like Figure 7 As shown, in the absence of multiple loading columns carrying parts required for the same model (S706), the operation method of the parts conveying system in this further embodiment can also control the parts transport device to unload parts from the corresponding loading column (S724). When multiple loading columns exist (S706), the method can control the transport unit to unload parts from one loading column (S726), wherein the loading time of the parts loaded in that loading column is the longest among the multiple loading columns, and that loading column is the farthest from the entrance of the parts loading location. When there is no loading column for unloading parts of the same model (S704), the processor can control the parts transport unit to wait (S722).

[0060] As described above, according to the parts conveying system and method of operating the parts conveying system disclosed herein, parts and / or processed goods can be autonomously loaded and unloaded by sending and receiving information between a manufacturing execution system (MES) and a control system for controlling logistics equipment including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Furthermore, even if there is no autonomous warehouse facility occupying specific space at the parts loading location, production flexibility can be ensured by variably utilizing available space.

[0061] In addition, productivity can be improved through autonomous loading and unloading of parts.

[0062] The processor implementing the above functions, processes, and / or methods can process data, generate control signals, and provide control signals when powered. Furthermore, the processor may be included in a server. Additionally, the processor may be configured as processing circuitry for controlling the functions of the server, and the server may include a processor, a transmitter, a receiver, and memory.

[0063] The processor can be implemented using at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and an electrical unit for performing other functions.

[0064] Furthermore, the processor can store program code and data, and can be electrically connected to memory, which is a computer-readable recording medium, to exchange signals. The memory can store data processed by the processor. Here, in terms of hardware, the memory can be configured as at least one of ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash memory, and hard disk drive. The memory can be implemented integrated with the program, or it can be classified as a sub-configuration of the processor.

[0065] As described above, this disclosure has been primarily based on embodiments. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will understand that this disclosure can be implemented in modified forms without departing from its essential characteristics.

[0066] In other words, because embodiments according to this disclosure can have various variations and forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in this specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit embodiments according to the concepts of this disclosure to the specific forms disclosed, and it should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions are included within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0067] Therefore, the disclosed embodiments are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is indicated in the claims, not in the foregoing description, and all differences within its equivalent scope should be construed as included in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A parts conveying system, comprising: The production line is configured to receive parts and assemble them into finished products. The parts loading location is configured to have space for loading the parts; A parts transport unit is configured to load the parts at the parts loading location or unload the parts from the parts loading location to supply the parts to the production line; as well as The processor is configured to: provide virtual space data about the part loading location; establish a part loading schedule and a part unloading schedule for the virtual space data based on the finished product assembly schedule of the production line; and execute instructions to control the part transport unit to load or unload the part at the actual part loading location according to the part loading schedule and the part unloading schedule.

2. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, The parts transport unit is either an unmanned guided vehicle or an autonomous mobile robot. The unmanned guided vehicle is guided and driven by electronic devices arranged on a travel path from a predetermined starting point to the parts loading location, and the autonomous mobile robot autonomously calculates the travel path.

3. The parts conveying system according to claim 2, wherein, The starting point is the loading point where the part to be loaded at the part loading location is loaded by the part transport unit. The parts conveying system also includes a position sensor configured to detect whether the parts have reached the starting point, and Based on the detection results of the position sensor, the processor controls the parts transport unit to load the parts.

4. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, The virtual space data regarding the loading location of the parts includes: the loading space for parts that have been loaded and are to be loaded, and the blank space for parts that have not been loaded and are to be loaded.

5. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, The virtual space data regarding the loading location of the parts includes: the loading column space of the loaded parts in the loading column where the parts to be loaded for each model of the finished product are loaded, and the blank space where the parts to be loaded are not loaded.

6. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, When there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, the processor controls the parts transport unit to load the parts onto the last loading column of the same model.

7. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, When there are multiple loading columns containing parts required for the same model, the processor controls the parts transport unit to unload parts from one loading column, wherein the loading column has the longest loading time among the multiple loading columns and the loading column is the farthest from the entrance of the parts loading location.

8. The parts conveying system according to claim 1, wherein, The parts transport unit includes a loading sensor configured to detect either the loading status of a part to be loaded at the parts loading location or the unloading status of a part loaded at the parts loading location. The processor updates the virtual space data regarding the loading location of the part based on the detection results of the loading sensor.

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