System and method for automatic control of a hoist in cooperation with a manually operated hoist

Abstract

The application provides a system and method for automatic control of overhead traveling crane and manual operation of overhead traveling crane, wherein a short transfer vehicle is arranged on one side or both sides of a warehouse area, and a plurality of coil saddle supports are arranged along a running path of the short transfer vehicle; a warehouse management system schedules and manages the automatic control of the overhead traveling crane, manual operation of the overhead traveling crane and the short transfer vehicle. The application does not need to set up a special transfer area, and the automatic control operation area and the manual operation area can be automatically adjusted according to production and warehouse capacity, without affecting the warehouse capacity; the automatic control overhead traveling crane and the manual operation overhead traveling crane usually operate in their respective operation areas, which can maximally reduce the efficiency reduction caused by crane avoidance; the short transfer vehicle is adopted, which can fully exert the transportation capacity of the short transfer vehicle and the operation efficiency of the overhead traveling crane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic control in warehouse management, and more specifically, to a system and method for the coordinated and cross-operation of automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most enterprises use manual operation of overhead cranes for loading, unloading, and handling materials in warehouses. With the development of detection technology, control technology, and equipment manufacturing capabilities, the application of automatically controlled overhead cranes in warehouses is gradually becoming possible. For example, patent document CN111832965A provides an unmanned multi-overhead crane collaborative scheduling method and system for the same span, which includes: obtaining the starting position, destination, planned path, and blockage area of ​​a target overhead crane and adjacent overhead cranes located in the same span; determining whether there is a blockage area conflict between the target overhead crane and the adjacent overhead cranes; if so, resolving the blockage area conflict by avoiding it and updating the blockage area of ​​the target overhead crane; if not, determining whether there is a path conflict between the target overhead crane and the adjacent overhead cranes; if so, resolving the path conflict by waiting and updating the blockage area of ​​the target overhead crane; if not, outputting the planned path of the target overhead crane as the executable path of the target overhead crane.

[0003] However, due to limitations in on-site production and management processes, not all overhead cranes are capable of unmanned automated operation in certain scenarios. In some cases, there are situations where automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes work together in the same span. Patent document CN111832965A cannot solve the technical problems in scenarios where automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes work together in a mixed and collaborative manner.

[0004] Ensuring safe and efficient collaborative operation of both automated and manually operated overhead cranes is a challenging problem. Currently, there are two main solutions for this:

[0005] Option 1: Establish a handover area for automated and manual operations.

[0006] like Figure 1As shown, operating areas are divided according to the working ranges of automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes. Each type of crane can only operate within its respective operating area. A transfer area is established between the two operating areas. When materials need to be moved from the operating area of ​​the automatically controlled overhead crane to the operating area of ​​the manually operated overhead crane, the automatically controlled crane first automatically moves the materials to the transfer area, and then the manually operated overhead crane moves the materials from the transfer area to the operating area of ​​the manually operated overhead crane. When materials need to be moved from the operating area of ​​the manually operated overhead crane to the operating area of ​​the automatically controlled overhead crane, the process is similar: the manually controlled overhead crane first manually moves the materials to the transfer area, and then the automatically controlled overhead crane moves the materials from the transfer area to the operating area of ​​the automatically controlled overhead crane.

[0007] Anti-collision protection sensors need to be installed between overhead cranes, and crane entry detection switches or sensors should be installed in the handover area. When an unexpected crane enters the handover area or other unexpected situations occur, an alarm will be triggered, and the crane will be automatically controlled to stop in an emergency to prevent accidents and ensure operational safety.

[0008] While this method ensures the safety of coordinated operation between automated and manually operated overhead cranes, the establishment of the handover zone affects storage capacity. Furthermore, once the location of the handover zone is determined, the extent of each area becomes difficult to adjust, making dynamic adjustments based on production needs impossible.

[0009] Option 2: WMS-controlled dual-vehicle collaborative solution

[0010] like Figure 2 As shown, compared to Scheme 1, no handover zone is established. Automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes operate in the same area. The WMS system allocates crane operation tasks based on factors such as crane position, material position, path, efficiency, and safety, coordinating the operations of both automatic and manually operated cranes. During operation, a certain safe distance must be maintained between the cranes at all times. If the distance between the cranes falls below the safe distance, both cranes must be brought to an emergency stop.

[0011] Compared to Option 1, this method eliminates the need for a dedicated handover area, thus having no impact on storage capacity. Furthermore, since there are no fixed work areas for automated control and manual operation, storage area planning can be flexibly adjusted according to production needs. However, for safety reasons, automated and manually operated overhead cranes must maintain a certain safe operating distance, and situations often arise where cranes need to avoid each other, such as when materials being hoisted by a manually operated crane are located below an automated crane. In addition, manually operated cranes involve unpredictable factors; crane operators cannot strictly follow the WMS instructions in real time, which will inevitably affect the real-time performance and effectiveness of the WMS's coordinated scheduling of multiple cranes, impacting the operational efficiency of automated cranes and the overall efficiency of the storage area. Summary of the Invention

[0012] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a system and method for the coordinated and cross-operation of automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes.

[0013] A system for coordinated and cross-operation of an automatically controlled overhead crane and a manually operated overhead crane, provided by the present invention, includes: an automatically controlled overhead crane, a manually operated overhead crane, a short-haul transport vehicle, a steel coil saddle support, and a warehouse management system;

[0014] Both automatically controlled and manually operated overhead cranes are located above the storage area.

[0015] Short-haul transport vehicles are installed on one or both sides of the storage area, along with multiple steel coil saddle supports arranged along the route of the short-haul transport vehicles.

[0016] The warehouse management system manages the scheduling of automated overhead cranes, manually operated overhead cranes, and short-haul transport vehicles.

[0017] Preferably, the warehouse management system dynamically divides the warehouse area into two parts: an automatic control area and a manual operation area.

[0018] Preferably, the short-haul transport vehicle has a lifting mechanism that can place the steel coil on the steel coil saddle support or lift the steel coil off the steel coil saddle support.

[0019] Preferably, the short-haul transport vehicle operates in the space between the two supports of the steel coil saddle bracket, and the height of the steel coil is higher than the steel coil saddle bracket during the handling process.

[0020] Preferably, during short-haul operations, the automatically controlled overhead crane or the manually operated overhead crane lifts the steel coil onto the steel coil saddle support according to the operation instructions of the warehouse management system, and then executes the next operation instruction without waiting for the short-haul transport vehicle to stop at the target steel coil saddle support.

[0021] Preferably, once the short-haul transport vehicle has moved the steel coil onto the corresponding steel coil saddle support, the short-haul transport vehicle can start executing the next transport operation without waiting for the automatically controlled crane or manual operation of the crane to unload the coil.

[0022] Preferably, when steel coils need to be moved from the automated overhead crane operating area to the manually operated overhead crane operating area, the warehouse management system makes a decision from the following three options:

[0023] The operator is prompted to manually operate the overhead crane to give way, while the automatically controlled overhead crane will directly lift the steel coil to the manual operation area.

[0024] The automatic control crane is used to avoid obstacles, while the manual crane is used to lift the steel coil directly from the automatic control work area to the manual operation area.

[0025] The steel coil is lifted from the automated operation area by an automatic overhead crane to a short-haul transport vehicle. The short-haul transport vehicle then transports the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the manual operation area and unloads the steel coil. The steel coil is then lifted into the manual operation area by a manually operated overhead crane.

[0026] Preferably, when steel coils need to be moved from the manually operated overhead crane area to the automatically controlled overhead crane area, the warehouse management system makes a decision from the following three options:

[0027] The system prompts the overhead crane to give way, and the operator then manually lifts the steel coil directly to the automated control work area.

[0028] Manually operated overhead cranes are used to avoid obstacles, while automatically controlled overhead cranes directly lift the steel coils from the manual operation area to the automatic control operation area.

[0029] The steel coil is lifted from the manual operation area by a manually operated overhead crane to a short-haul transport vehicle. The short-haul transport vehicle then transports the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the automatic control operation area and unloads the steel coil. The automatic control overhead crane then lifts the steel coil into the automatic control operation area.

[0030] Preferably, under the control of the warehouse management system, when the overhead crane is lifting or unloading the steel coil onto or off the short-haul transport vehicle, if the short-haul transport vehicle is below the target saddle being lifted or unloaded and there is no work being done, an interlocking and unlocking mechanism is used to prohibit the short-haul transport vehicle from performing jacking operations, but allows the short-haul transport vehicle to move horizontally.

[0031] According to the present invention, a method for the coordinated operation of an automatically controlled overhead crane and a manually operated overhead crane is provided, wherein the system for the coordinated operation of the automatically controlled overhead crane, the manually operated overhead crane, and the short-haul transport vehicle is used to control the operation of the automatically controlled overhead crane, the manually operated overhead crane, and the short-haul transport vehicle.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0033] 1. This invention does not require a dedicated handover area. The automatic control operation area and the manual operation area can be automatically adjusted according to production and warehouse capacity, without affecting the warehouse capacity.

[0034] 2. In this invention, the automatically controlled overhead crane and the manually operated overhead crane usually operate within their respective work areas, which can minimize the efficiency reduction caused by the overhead crane avoiding each other.

[0035] 3. This invention utilizes a short-haul transport vehicle, which fully leverages the transport capacity of the vehicle and the operational efficiency of the overhead crane. When short-haul operations are required, the overhead crane, according to the operating instructions from the WMS, hoists the steel coil onto the steel coil saddle support and can then execute the next operating instruction without waiting for the short-haul transport vehicle to stop at the target saddle. Similarly, once the short-haul transport vehicle has moved the steel coil onto the corresponding steel coil saddle support, it can also start executing the next handling operation without waiting for the overhead crane to unload the coil. Here, WMS is an abbreviation for Warehouse Management System.

[0036] 4. In situations where storage capacity is limited, the steel coil saddle bracket corresponding to the short-haul transport vehicle can be used as a buffer saddle for temporary storage of steel coils. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of Scheme 1 in the prior art.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of Scheme 2 in the prior art.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the system provided by the present invention, which involves the coordinated operation of automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes, within a storage area.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control relationship in the system of coordinated and cross-operation of automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes provided by the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a comparative diagram showing the lifting and lowering of steel coils by a short-haul transport vehicle in the system of coordinated operation of an automatically controlled overhead crane and a manually operated overhead crane provided by the present invention.

[0043] The diagram shows: a short-haul transport vehicle 100; a lifting mechanism 102; and a steel coil saddle support 200. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0045] The technical solution of this invention will be illustrated using a steel coil warehouse as an example. Figure 3 The diagram shows the layout of a steel coil warehouse. This invention provides a system for the coordinated operation of an automatically controlled overhead crane and a manually operated overhead crane, comprising: an automatically controlled overhead crane, a manually operated overhead crane, a short-haul transport vehicle, and a warehouse management system. The automatically controlled overhead crane and the manually operated overhead crane are positioned above the warehouse area. A short-haul transport vehicle is located on one side of the warehouse area, along with multiple steel coil saddle supports arranged along the vehicle's path.

[0046] The warehouse management system is described below.

[0047] Automated overhead cranes, shuttle transport vehicles, and manually operated overhead cranes are all under the unified command and dispatch of the warehouse management system. The warehouse management system generates operating instructions for these cranes based on production plan requirements.

[0048] The following is an explanation of the overhead crane.

[0049] Figure 3 The diagram shows one automatically controlled overhead crane and one manually operated overhead crane. In more embodiments, the number of overhead cranes is determined based on the production process and workload, and multiple overhead cranes can work together. Both the automatically controlled and manually operated overhead cranes perform operations according to the work instructions generated by the warehouse management system and provide feedback on the work results.

[0050] The following is an explanation of the short-haul transport vehicle.

[0051] The preferred embodiment of the present invention features a short-haul transport vehicle equipped with a lifting mechanism, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The short-haul transport vehicle's translation mechanism is driven by frequency conversion or servo, and the lifting mechanism is driven by hydraulics. It is equipped with a PLC system to realize the translation and lifting operations of the short-haul transport vehicle, and communicates with the warehouse management system. It also has interlocking and self-locking functions with the overhead crane.

[0052] Depending on the process or production requirements, the following design can be considered for short-haul transport vehicles:

[0053] Short-haul transport vehicles can operate on fixed tracks or on a flat surface, similar to AGVs;

[0054] Multiple roll-carrying trolleys can be configured along the route of the short-haul transport vehicle.

[0055] Each short-haul transport vehicle can be equipped with multiple lifting mechanisms, or with one lifting mechanism but capable of lifting multiple steel coils simultaneously to meet the requirement of handling multiple steel coils at the same time.

[0056] The short-haul transport vehicle is equipped with a certain number of steel coil saddle supports that extend above the vehicle along its operating path. The number of these steel coil saddle supports is determined based on the operational efficiency requirements of the storage area. For example... Figure 3 Reservoir layout map and Figure 5 As shown, the short-haul transport vehicle operates in the space between the two supports of the steel coil saddle bracket. During handling, the height of the steel coil is higher than the steel coil saddle bracket.

[0057] Using this type of short-haul transport vehicle can fully utilize the transport capacity of the vehicle and the operational efficiency of the overhead crane. When short-haul operations are required, the overhead crane, according to the operating instructions of the warehouse management system, hoists the steel coil onto the steel coil saddle support and can then execute the next operating instruction without waiting for the short-haul transport vehicle to stop at the target saddle. Once the short-haul transport vehicle has moved the steel coil onto the corresponding saddle support, it can also start executing the next handling operation without waiting for the overhead crane to unload the coil.

[0058] The operation process is explained below.

[0059] (1) The above Figure 3 The warehouse layout diagram shown shows that the division between the automated control operation area and the manual operation area is dynamically adjusted by the warehouse management system in combination with factors such as production, inventory and workload. The dotted line in the diagram represents the dividing line.

[0060] (2) Automatically controlled overhead cranes and manually operated overhead cranes operate in their respective virtual work areas defined by the warehouse management system, avoiding interference between multiple cranes.

[0061] (3) When steel coils need to be moved from the automated overhead crane operating area to the manually operated overhead crane operating area, the warehouse management system will make one of the following three decisions based on various factors:

[0062] The operator is prompted to manually operate the overhead crane to give way, while the automatically controlled overhead crane will directly lift the steel coil to the manual operation area.

[0063] The automatic control crane is used to avoid obstacles, while the manual crane is used to lift the steel coil directly from the automatic control work area to the manual operation area.

[0064] The steel coil is lifted from the automated operation area by an automatic overhead crane to a short-haul transport vehicle. The short-haul transport vehicle then transports the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the manual operation area and unloads the steel coil. The steel coil is then lifted into the manual operation area by a manually operated overhead crane.

[0065] (4) When steel coils need to be moved from the manually operated overhead crane area to the automatically controlled overhead crane area, referring to step (3) above, the warehouse management system, taking into account various factors, makes one of the following three decisions:

[0066] The system prompts the overhead crane to give way, and the operator then manually lifts the steel coil directly to the automated control work area.

[0067] Manually operated overhead cranes are used to avoid obstacles, while automatically controlled overhead cranes directly lift the steel coils from the manual operation area to the automatic control operation area.

[0068] The steel coil is lifted from the manual operation area by a manually operated overhead crane to a short-haul transport vehicle. The short-haul transport vehicle then transports the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the automatic control operation area and unloads the steel coil. The automatic control overhead crane then lifts the steel coil into the automatic control operation area.

[0069] The following provides further examples of preferred choices:

[0070] If the number of ground transport vehicles exceeds one and the number of overhead cranes exceeds two, the above process should be followed for coordination and scheduling.

[0071] When the overhead crane is lifting / unloading steel coils onto / from the short-haul transport vehicle, if the short-haul transport vehicle is below the target saddle and there is no work being done, the interlocking and unlocking mechanism must be followed. Lifting the short-haul transport vehicle is prohibited, but it can be moved horizontally.

[0072] Recommendations for saddles for placing steel coils on overhead cranes and for placing steel coils on short-haul transport vehicles are determined by the warehouse management system, taking into account factors such as warehouse capacity, crane location, and steel coil flow direction.

[0073] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0074] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A system for automatically controlling a coordinated cross operation of a hoist and a manually operated hoist, characterized by, The application relates to a warehouse management system and a steel coil transport system. The automatic control crane and the manual operation crane are arranged above the warehouse area. The short-distance transport vehicle is arranged on one side or both sides of the warehouse area, and a plurality of steel coil saddle supports are arranged along the running path of the short-distance transport vehicle. The warehouse management system schedules and manages the automatic control crane, the manual operation crane and the short-distance transport vehicle. The short-distance transport vehicle is provided with a jacking mechanism which can place the steel coil on the steel coil saddle support or lift the steel coil away from the steel coil saddle support. The warehouse management system dynamically divides the warehouse area into two parts, namely an automatic control operation area and a manual operation area, and automatically adjusts the automatic control operation area and the manual operation area according to production and warehouse capacity. When the steel coil needs to be transported from the automatic control operation area to the manual operation area, the warehouse management system makes a decision among the following three decisions: prompting the manual operation crane to avoid, and directly hoisting the steel coil to the manual operation area by the automatic control crane; controlling the automatic control crane to avoid, and directly hoisting the steel coil from the automatic control operation area to the manual operation area by the manual operation crane; hoisting the steel coil from the automatic control operation area to the short-distance transport vehicle by the automatic control crane, transporting the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the manual operation area by the short-distance transport vehicle, and unloading the steel coil, and hoisting the steel coil into the manual operation area by the manual operation crane. When the steel coil needs to be transported from the manual operation area to the automatic control operation area, the warehouse management system makes a decision among the following three decisions: prompting the automatic control crane to avoid, and directly hoisting the steel coil to the automatic control operation area by the manual operation crane; controlling the manual operation crane to avoid, and directly hoisting the steel coil from the manual operation area to the automatic control operation area by the automatic control crane; hoisting the steel coil from the manual operation area to the short-distance transport vehicle by the manual operation crane, transporting the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support on the side of the automatic control operation area by the short-distance transport vehicle, and unloading the steel coil, and hoisting the steel coil into the automatic control operation area by the automatic control crane. The short-distance transport vehicle runs in the space between the two saddle supports, and the height of the steel coil during transportation is higher than that of the saddle support.

2. The system for automatically controlling the coordinated cross-operation of the hoist and the manually operated hoist according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the short-distance transport operation, the automatic control crane and the manual operation crane hoist the steel coil to the steel coil saddle support according to the operation instruction of the warehouse management system, and execute the next operation instruction without waiting for the short-distance transport vehicle to stop at the target steel coil saddle support.

3. The system for automatically controlling the coordinated cross-operation of the hoist and the manually operated hoist according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the short-distance transport vehicle transports the steel coil to the corresponding steel coil saddle support, the short-distance transport vehicle also does not need to wait for the automatic control crane or the manual operation crane to unload the coil, and starts to execute the next transport operation.

4. The system for automatically controlling the coordinated cross-operation of the hoist and the manual operation hoist according to claim 1, characterized in that, Under the control of the warehouse management system, when the crane hoists or unloads the steel coil from the short-distance transport vehicle, if the short-distance transport vehicle is below the hoisting or unloading target saddle and has no operation, the interlocking and unlocking mechanism is adopted to prohibit the short-distance transport vehicle from performing the jacking operation, but allows the short-distance transport vehicle to translate.

5. The system for automatically controlling the coordinated cross-operation of the hoist and the manual operation hoist according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​ 6. A method of automatically controlling a coordinated cross operation of a hoist and a manually operated hoist, characterized by, The system for automatic control of the hoist and manual operation of the hoist cross operation of claim 1 is used for operation control of the automatic control hoist, the manual operation hoist and the short barge transport vehicle.

Images