Stereoscopic warehouse and management method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a stereoscopic warehouse and a management method thereof, and relates to the technical field of intelligent warehousing. The stereoscopic warehouse comprises an enterprise resource planning system used for sending order information to a manufacturing execution system; the manufacturing execution system is used for making a production plan according to the order information and sending a warehouse-out request according to the production plan; the warehouse management system is used for generating a warehouse-in instruction according to the warehouse-back request and generating a warehouse-out instruction according to the warehouse-out request; the warehouse control system is used for controlling the stacking machine and the conveying line to operate according to the warehouse-in instruction and the warehouse-out instruction so that materials can be carried to the warehouse location or the warehouse-out opening. And the vehicle scheduling system is used for controlling the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the warehouse-in instruction and the warehouse-out instruction, so that the materials are carried to a warehouse-in opening, a line-side warehouse or a production line. According to the invention, high-efficiency automation of material storage and transfer is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a stereoscopic warehouse and a management method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern manufacturing, the requirements for production efficiency and precision are constantly increasing, and the importance of internal logistics management in factories has become increasingly prominent. An efficient material storage and transfer system can not only significantly improve production efficiency, but also reduce inventory backlogs, reduce operating costs, and improve the market response speed of enterprises. Traditional warehouse management relies on a large number of manual operations. Although some automated equipment such as stackers and conveyor lines have been introduced, the overall degree of automation is still limited, which is difficult to meet the needs of efficient and continuous production in modern factories.

[0003] In the related technologies, stereoscopic warehouses are a storage solution that uses vertical space to store goods and uses automated equipment to access and transport materials, thereby improving space utilization and operating efficiency. However, the degree of automation in traditional stereoscopic warehouses is limited, especially in material handling and assembly, which still requires a lot of manual intervention, resulting in low operating efficiency and prone to errors, making it difficult to achieve uninterrupted operation. Summary of the invention

[0004] The problem solved by the present invention is how to realize efficient automation of material storage, retrieval and circulation.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a three-dimensional warehouse and a management method thereof.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a three-dimensional warehouse, which includes an enterprise resource planning system, a manufacturing execution system, a warehouse management system, a warehouse control system, and a vehicle dispatching system;

[0007] The enterprise resource planning system is used to send order information to the manufacturing execution system;

[0008] The manufacturing execution system is used to formulate a production plan according to the order information and send a shipment request according to the production plan;

[0009] The warehouse management system is used to generate a storage entry instruction according to the storage return request, and to generate a storage outgoing instruction according to the storage outgoing request;

[0010] The warehouse control system is used to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the storage instruction so that the materials to be stored are transported to the storage location, and to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the storage instruction so that the materials to be stored are transported to the storage port;

[0011] The vehicle dispatching system is used to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the warehousing instruction so that the materials to be warehousing are transported to the warehousing entrance, and to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the outbound instruction so that the materials to be outbound are transported to the lineside warehouse or production line.

[0012] Optionally, the warehouse management system is further used to allocate the storage locations for the materials to be stored according to the material information;

[0013] The three-dimensional warehouse also includes a weighing system, which is used to detect the weight of the materials to be stored, and send the weight as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

[0014] Optionally, the three-dimensional warehouse further includes a visual inspection system, which is used to detect the appearance and size of the materials to be stored, and send the appearance and size as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a stereoscopic warehouse management method, which is applied to the stereoscopic warehouse as described above, and the stereoscopic warehouse management method comprises:

[0016] Perform palletizing operations on the materials to be stored, and transport the materials to be stored that have been palletized to the storage entrance;

[0017] In the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored, and allocating the storage location of the material to be stored according to the material information;

[0018] After the materials to be stored are transported to the corresponding stackers, the materials to be stored are moved to the allocated storage locations by the stackers.

[0019] Optionally, the step of performing a palletizing operation on the materials to be stored and transporting the palletized materials to be stored to the storage entrance includes:

[0020] When the materials to be stored are raw materials or outsourced parts, the materials to be stored are bound to the pallets with material codes through a personal digital assistant, and the bound materials to be stored are transported to the storage port through a transport device;

[0021] When the material to be stored is a product, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through the industrial computer, and according to the return request from the industrial computer, a storage instruction is generated through the warehouse management system, and according to the storage instruction, an automatic guided vehicle is dispatched through the vehicle dispatching system to transport the material to be stored to the storage entrance;

[0022] When the material to be stored is a measuring tool, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through a personal digital assistant, and according to the return request from the personal digital assistant, the warehouse management system generates the storage instruction, and according to the storage instruction, the vehicle dispatching system dispatches the automatic guided vehicle to transport the material to be stored to the storage port.

[0023] Optionally, in the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored includes:

[0024] In the process of transporting the materials to be stored, the weight of the materials to be stored is obtained through a weighing system, and the appearance and size of the materials to be stored are obtained through a visual inspection system to determine whether the materials to be stored meet the storage standards;

[0025] When the material to be stored meets the storage standard, the material information of the material to be stored is read by a barcode reader.

[0026] Optionally, the three-dimensional warehouse management method further includes:

[0027] Make production plans based on order information;

[0028] Sending a shipment request according to the production plan;

[0029] Generate a shipment instruction according to the shipment request;

[0030] The materials to be shipped out are transported to a preset location according to the shipping instructions.

[0031] Optionally, transporting the materials to be shipped out to a preset location according to the shipping instruction includes:

[0032] When the materials to be shipped out are raw materials, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the shipping port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the lineside warehouse;

[0033] When the materials to be shipped are outsourced parts or products, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped to the shipping port, and the materials to be shipped are transported to the shipping temporary storage area by the transport equipment;

[0034] When the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, the shipping type is determined according to the shipping instruction, and the material to be shipped out is transported to the production line according to the shipping type, wherein the shipping type includes whole-pallet shipping and picking shipping.

[0035] Optionally, when the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, determining a shipping type according to the shipping instruction, and transporting the material to be shipped out to a production line according to the shipping type includes:

[0036] When the outbound type is the full-pallet outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the outbound port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the production line, wherein the full-pallet outbound satisfies the condition that the measuring tools and fixtures with high correlation in the warehouse have been assembled;

[0037] When the outbound type is the picking outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the outbound port, and by reading the material information of the material to be outbound, it is confirmed whether the picked material to be outbound is correct. When the picked material to be outbound is correct, the material to be outbound is transported to the preparation point for pallet assembly, and a transport instruction is generated by scanning the preparation location. The automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the transport instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the production line.

[0038] Optionally, the three-dimensional warehouse management method further includes:

[0039] When the quantity of materials in the warehouse changes, the inventory information is updated through the warehouse management system, and the inventory information is obtained through the manufacturing execution system and the enterprise resource planning system.

[0040] The beneficial effects of the stereoscopic warehouse of the present invention are: the enterprise resource planning system sends the order information to the manufacturing execution system, ensuring a rapid response to production needs and avoiding production delays caused by information lag. The manufacturing execution system formulates a detailed production plan based on the received order information to ensure that production is carried out in an orderly manner, and sends a warehouse outbound request to the warehouse management system according to the detailed production plan, so that the required materials can be shipped out on time, ensuring the continuity of production. The warehouse management system generates corresponding instructions based on the received return request and warehouse outbound request to enable the material to perform a warehouse entry operation or a warehouse outbound operation, that is, generates a warehouse entry instruction based on the return request issued by a device such as an industrial computer or a personal digital assistant, and sends the warehouse entry instruction to the warehouse control system and the vehicle scheduling system, so that the material is transported from the production line or the lineside warehouse to the warehouse location; generates a warehouse outbound instruction based on the warehouse outbound request, and sends the warehouse outbound instruction to the warehouse control system and the vehicle scheduling system, so that the material is transported from the warehouse location to the production line or the lineside warehouse. In addition, the warehouse control system operates the stacker and conveyor line according to the received storage instructions and outbound instructions, and the vehicle dispatching system dispatches the automatic guided vehicle according to the received storage instructions and outbound instructions. The two systems work together to ensure the efficient flow of materials inside the warehouse and reduce transportation time and cost. Through the collaborative work of the above systems, the three-dimensional warehouse of the present invention can realize the automation of the storage and outbound operation process, reduce human intervention, reduce the error rate, and greatly improve the efficiency of material storage and circulation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional warehouse in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a storage management method for a stereoscopic warehouse in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the method for managing the outbound delivery of a stereoscopic warehouse in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present invention. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present invention are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present invention may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0046] The term "including" and its variations used in this document are open inclusions, that is, "including but not limited to"; the term "based on" means "based at least in part on"; the term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments"; the term "optionally" means "optional embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the following description. It should be noted that the concepts of "first", "second", etc. mentioned in the present invention are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0047] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "plurality" mentioned in the present invention are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, it should be understood as "one or more".

[0048] The names of the messages or information exchanged between multiple devices in the embodiments of the present invention are only used for illustrative purposes, and are not used to limit the scope of these messages or information.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a three-dimensional warehouse, which includes an enterprise resource planning system, a manufacturing execution system, a warehouse management system, a warehouse control system, and a vehicle scheduling system;

[0050] The enterprise resource planning system is used to send order information to the manufacturing execution system.

[0051] Specifically, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is the core platform for integrating and managing various resources within the enterprise. The ERP system receives customer orders from the sales module or external channels. The order information includes order number, material number, material quantity, delivery date, etc. At the same time, the ERP system obtains the latest inventory information from the Warehouse Management System (WMS), including material number, material quantity, material location, etc. The ERP system sends the order information to the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in order to generate the corresponding production plan and arrange the delivery of materials.

[0052] When the order information in the customer order received by the ERP system changes, the ERP system will generate an order information update instruction and send the order information update instruction to the WMS and MES. MES will adjust the production plan accordingly.

[0053] The manufacturing execution system is used to formulate a production plan according to the order information and send a shipment request according to the production plan.

[0054] Specifically, MES is a computerized system used to manage and optimize the production process. First, MES receives order information from the ERP system, and parses the order information and inventory information to clarify the material number, material quantity, delivery date, etc. of the required production materials, that is, to clarify the material requirement list. Secondly, MES obtains the existing production plan and formulates a new production plan in combination with the material requirement list. The detailed production plan includes production line allocation, workstation arrangement, process sequence, equipment scheduling, personnel arrangement, and material requirement list. Finally, MES sends a warehouse request to WMS according to the new production plan. The warehouse request includes the material number, material quantity, target production line, and warehouse time, which ensures the timely and accurate supply of materials on the production line, avoids the risks caused by material shortages or surpluses, and improves the continuity and efficiency of production. Among them, materials include raw materials, outsourced parts, and products.

[0055] If the materials required by the order information happen to be in stock in the warehouse, MES will not make a new production plan, but will directly issue a warehouse request to ensure that the required materials are shipped out on time.

[0056] If the material required by the order information is not in stock in the warehouse, and the material required by the order information is not in stock in the warehouse, MES will not re-formulate a new production plan, trigger a replenishment request or optimize the procurement plan.

[0057] Suppose the ERP system receives a customer order, and the order information of the customer order is 50 pieces of material A (1 piece of material A requires 3 pieces of material B to be processed). The ERP system will send the order information to MES. If the inventory information shows that the number of available material A in the warehouse is greater than 50 pieces, MES will not generate a production plan, but directly issue a request to ship out 50 pieces of material A. If the inventory information shows that the number of available material A in the warehouse is 20 pieces, and the number of available material B is greater than 90 pieces, MES will generate a production plan based on the order information. The content of the production plan is to produce 30 pieces of material A and issue a request to ship out 90 pieces of material B, so that 90 pieces of material B can be processed into 30 pieces of material A on the production line. If the inventory information shows that the quantity of available material A in the warehouse is 20 pieces and the quantity of available material B is less than 90 pieces, MES will not generate a production plan and wait for more than or equal to 90 pieces of material B to enter the warehouse, or more than or equal to 30 pieces of material A to enter the warehouse. That is, if the inventory information shows that the total quantity of available material A in the warehouse plus the quantity of material A that can be obtained after processing material B is less than 50 pieces, MES will not generate a production plan and trigger a replenishment request or optimize the procurement plan.

[0058] The warehouse management system is used to generate a warehousing instruction according to a return request, and to generate a delivery instruction according to the delivery request. The warehouse management system is also used to send the inventory information to the enterprise resource planning system and the manufacturing execution system.

[0059] Specifically, WMS is the key link between warehousing logistics and production execution. WMS can receive outbound requests from MES and generate corresponding outbound instructions based on the outbound requests to ensure that the required quantity of raw materials, outsourced parts, measuring tools and products are shipped out in a timely and accurate manner to meet production needs. At the same time, WMS can receive return requests from personal digital assistants (PDAs) and industrial computers to ensure that products generated from raw materials and outsourced parts and used measuring tools can be successfully put into storage. In addition, WMS works closely with the ERP system and MES to provide real-time inventory information updates, avoid risks caused by insufficient or excessive inventory, and ensure the continuity and efficiency of production.

[0060] Among them, when the materials to be stored are products, a wireless barcode scanner and the World Wide Web interface or applet on the industrial computer are used to perform the grouping operation. After the grouping is completed, a return request is sent through the industrial computer. When the materials to be stored are measuring tools, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is used to perform the grouping operation. After the grouping is completed, a return request is sent through the personal digital assistant (PDA). When the materials to be stored are raw materials or outsourced parts, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is used to perform the grouping operation. After the grouping is completed, no return request is sent. The materials to be stored are directly transported to the storage port by forklifts or ground cattle. When the materials to be shipped out are raw materials, outsourced parts, measuring tools and products, WMS directly receives the outbound request from MES.

[0061] The warehouse control system is used to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the warehousing instruction so that the materials to be warehousing are transported to the storage location, and to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the warehousing instruction so that the materials to be warehousing are transported to the warehouse exit.

[0062] Specifically, the Warehouse Control System (WCS) is an important link in achieving efficient and accurate material handling. WCS is responsible for coordinating and controlling various automated equipment (such as stackers and conveyor lines) to ensure that materials can be accurately stored and retrieved according to warehousing requests and outbound requests. WCS receives warehousing instructions from WMS, and according to the warehousing instructions, it first controls the conveyor line to transport the incoming materials to the corresponding stacker, and then controls the stacker to move the incoming materials to the appropriate storage location. At the same time, WCS receives outbound instructions from WMS, and according to the outbound instructions, it first controls the stacker to move the outbound materials to the corresponding conveyor line, and then controls the conveyor line to transport the outbound materials to the outbound port, ensuring the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse, reducing transportation time and costs, and thus improving the overall operating efficiency of the stereoscopic warehouse.

[0063] Among them, stackers are usually composed of metal frames, cargo platforms, lifting mechanisms, control systems and transport carts, and can automatically store and retrieve materials between multi-layer shelves according to storage instructions and outbound instructions. According to different structures and operating modes, stackers can be divided into many types, such as aisle stackers, double-column stackers and pallet stackers. Among them, aisle stackers are the most common type, which can move horizontally or vertically in the aisles and complete the storage and retrieval of goods through forks.

[0064] Conveyor lines are usually composed of drive devices, conveyor belts / chains, support structures and control systems. They can efficiently and accurately transport materials between different locations according to storage instructions and outbound instructions. There are many types of conveyor lines, including roller conveyor lines, chain conveyor lines, belt conveyor lines, etc. Among them, roller conveyor lines are widely used in stereoscopic warehouses due to their simple structure, easy maintenance and high transmission efficiency.

[0065] The vehicle dispatching system is used to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the warehousing instruction so that the materials to be warehousing are transported to the warehousing entrance, and to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the outbound instruction so that the materials to be outbound are transported to the lineside warehouse or production line.

[0066] Specifically, the Robot Control System (RCS) is also an important part of achieving efficient and accurate material handling. RCS is responsible for coordinating and controlling multiple automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to ensure that materials can be accurately transported to the corresponding locations according to warehousing requests and outbound requests. RCS receives warehousing instructions from WMS, and controls the AGV to move the materials to be entered to the entrance according to the warehousing instructions, the entire field path, and the AGV status. At the same time, RCS receives outbound instructions from WMS, and controls the AGV to move the materials to be outbound to the lineside warehouse or production line according to the outbound instructions, the entire field path, and the AGV status, ensuring the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse, reducing transportation time and costs, and thus improving the overall operating efficiency of the stereoscopic warehouse.

[0067] In this embodiment, the ERP system sends the order information to the MES, ensuring a quick response to production needs and avoiding production delays caused by information lag. The MES formulates a detailed production plan based on the received order information to ensure that production is carried out in an orderly manner, and sends a warehouse request to the WMS according to the detailed production plan, so that the required materials can be shipped out on time, ensuring the continuity of production. The WMS generates corresponding instructions based on the received return request and warehouse request to enable the material to perform a warehouse entry or warehouse exit operation, that is, generates a warehouse entry instruction based on the return request issued by a device such as an industrial computer or a personal digital assistant, and sends the warehouse entry instruction to the WCS and RCS, so that the material is transported from the production line or line-side warehouse to the warehouse location; generates a warehouse exit instruction based on the warehouse exit request, and sends the warehouse exit instruction to the WCS and RCS, so that the material is transported from the warehouse location to the production line or line-side warehouse. In addition, the WCS operates the stacker and the conveyor line according to the received warehouse entry instruction and warehouse exit instruction, and the RCS dispatches the AGV according to the received warehouse entry instruction and warehouse exit instruction. The two systems work together to ensure the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse and reduce transportation time and cost. Through the coordinated work of the above-mentioned systems, the three-dimensional warehouse of the present invention can realize the automation of the storage and retrieval operation process, reduce human intervention, reduce the error rate, and greatly improve the efficiency of material storage, retrieval and circulation.

[0068] Optionally, the warehouse management system is further used to allocate the storage location for the materials to be stored according to the material information;

[0069] The three-dimensional warehouse also includes a weighing system, which is used to detect the weight of the materials to be stored, and send the weight as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

[0070] Specifically, WCS controls the barcode reader to read the material information of the materials to be stored, and sends the material information to WMS. WMS analyzes the received material information and decomposes the specific parameters of the materials to be stored, such as type, quantity, size, appearance, weight, etc. According to the specific parameters of the materials to be stored and the warehouse location conditions, the materials to be stored are allocated to suitable locations to ensure that the materials to be stored can be stored in the warehouse quickly and accurately. For example, heavy materials will be allocated to the bottom storage locations with strong load-bearing capacity, and fragile items will be allocated to special storage locations with better environmental conditions.

[0071] The weighing system is installed on the conveyor line. When the incoming materials are put into storage, the weighing system is used to detect the actual weight of the incoming materials. If the difference between the actual weight of the incoming materials and the preset weight of the incoming materials exceeds the preset threshold, an alarm is triggered, and the incoming materials are rejected, waiting for staff to intervene. If the difference between the actual weight of the incoming materials and the preset weight of the incoming materials does not exceed the preset threshold, the actual weight of the incoming materials is sent to the WMS as the material information of the incoming materials. When the outgoing materials are put into storage, the weighing system is used to detect the actual weight of the outgoing materials, and the weight is checked against the actual weight of the outgoing materials recorded in the WMS.

[0072] In this optional embodiment, the traditional manual allocation method is prone to errors and delays, and the automatic allocation of storage locations for materials to be stored in the warehouse according to the material information by WMS can reduce the time for staff to find suitable storage locations and improve the speed of storage. After WMS intelligently allocates storage locations, it will record the storage location of the materials to be stored, which can avoid inventory confusion caused by inconsistent information and is conducive to subsequent outbound operations. Therefore, the allocation of storage locations for materials to be stored in the warehouse through WMS can significantly improve the efficiency of material storage and retrieval. The weighing system can automatically measure the weight of the materials to be stored in the warehouse and filter out the materials to be stored that do not meet the storage weight standards. Compared with the traditional manual weighing method, the weighing system reduces working time and improves work efficiency. The weighing system can also use the measured weight of the materials to be stored in the warehouse as the material information of the materials to be stored in the warehouse, and transmit it to WMS in real time, which is not only conducive to the intelligent allocation of subsequent storage locations, but also convenient for reviewing the weight of the materials to be stored during outbound operations.

[0073] Optionally, the three-dimensional warehouse further includes a visual inspection system, which is used to detect the appearance and size of the materials to be stored, and send the appearance and size as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

[0074] Specifically, the visual inspection system is also arranged on the conveyor line. When the materials to be stored are put into storage, the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be stored are detected by the visual inspection system. If the actual appearance of the materials to be stored does not meet the storage appearance standard and / or the actual size of the materials to be stored does not meet the storage size standard, an alarm is triggered, and the materials to be stored are rejected for storage, and the staff is asked to intervene. If the actual appearance of the materials to be stored meets the storage appearance standard, and the actual size of the materials to be stored meets the storage size standard, the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be stored are sent to the WMS as the material information of the materials to be stored. When the materials to be shipped out are put into storage, the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be shipped out are detected by the visual inspection system, and are checked against the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be shipped out recorded in the WMS.

[0075] In this optional embodiment, the visual inspection system can automatically detect the appearance and size of the materials to be stored, and screen out the materials to be stored that do not meet the storage appearance standards and storage size standards. Compared with manual inspection of the appearance and size of the materials to be stored, the visual inspection system reduces working time and improves work efficiency. The visual inspection system can also transmit the detected appearance and size of the materials to be stored as the material information of the materials to be stored to the WMS in real time, which is not only conducive to the intelligent allocation of subsequent storage locations, but also convenient for reviewing the appearance and size of the materials to be shipped out during the outbound operation.

[0076] like Figure 2 As shown, a stereoscopic warehouse management method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the stereoscopic warehouse as described above, and the stereoscopic warehouse management method includes:

[0077] Perform palletizing operations on the materials to be stored, and transport the materials to be stored that have been palletized to the storage entrance;

[0078] Specifically, the pallet is provided with a pallet code, and the material to be stored is provided with a material code. The pallet is bound to one or a batch of materials to be stored, and the pallet is associated with the information of the materials to be stored, which is called pallet assembly operation. This ensures the information consistency between the materials and the pallet, and facilitates the subsequent warehouse management and logistics operations. After the pallet assembly is completed, the materials to be stored can be transported to the storage port by forklifts, ground cattle or AGV.

[0079] Among them, the material code is assigned by MES and is used to track the flow of materials throughout the production process. During the production process, materials will go through multiple processes, and the state or properties of the materials may change after each process is completed. In order to accurately reflect these changes, the ERP system needs to update the corresponding material code and send the updated material code to WMS.

[0080] In the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored, and allocating the storage location of the material to be stored according to the material information;

[0081] Specifically, when the materials to be stored are transported to the storage entrance, the conveyor line is in operation, automatically transporting the materials to be stored to the corresponding stacker. During this transportation process, the WCS will control the barcode reader to scan the material code of the materials to be stored, obtain the material information of the materials to be stored, and send the material information to the WMS. The WMS parses the received material information and decomposes the specific parameters of the materials to be stored, such as type, quantity, size, appearance, and weight. According to the specific parameters of the materials to be stored and the warehouse location, the WMS intelligently allocates the storage location of the materials to be stored so that the materials to be stored are placed in the appropriate storage location.

[0082] After the materials to be stored are transported to the corresponding stackers, the materials to be stored are moved to the allocated storage locations by the stackers.

[0083] Specifically, after the storage locations of the materials to be stored are allocated, the materials to be stored are transported to the corresponding stackers through the conveyor lines, and then the stackers move the materials to the allocated storage locations to complete the operation of the materials to be stored.

[0084] In this optional embodiment, by performing palletizing operations on the materials to be stored, the materials can be classified and sorted in advance, which is helpful for the identification and operation of the automated equipment, thereby improving the storage efficiency. The materials to be stored that have been palletized are transported to the storage port and automatically transported by a conveyor belt. During the transportation process, the material information (such as type, quantity, size, weight, etc.) of the materials to be stored is read, and the intelligent allocation of the storage locations of the materials to be stored is realized according to the material information, ensuring that the materials can be accurately placed in suitable locations, reducing manual intervention, and improving the efficiency of material storage and retrieval. After the storage location allocation of the materials to be stored is completed, the materials to be stored are placed in the allocated storage locations through the coordinated work of the conveyor belt and the stacker, thereby improving the handling efficiency and the accuracy of material storage. Therefore, the efficient automation of material storage operations is realized through the above-mentioned three-dimensional warehouse management method.

[0085] Optionally, the step of performing a palletizing operation on the materials to be stored and transporting the palletized materials to be stored to the storage entrance includes:

[0086] When the materials to be stored are raw materials or outsourced parts, the materials to be stored are bound to the pallets with material codes through a personal digital assistant, and the bound materials to be stored are transported to the storage port through a transport device;

[0087] When the material to be stored is a product, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through the industrial computer, and according to the return request from the industrial computer, a storage instruction is generated through the warehouse management system, and according to the storage instruction, an automatic guided vehicle is dispatched through the vehicle dispatching system to transport the material to be stored to the storage entrance;

[0088] When the material to be stored is a measuring tool, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through a personal digital assistant, and according to the return request from the personal digital assistant, the warehouse management system generates the storage instruction, and according to the storage instruction, the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched through the vehicle dispatching system to transport the material to be stored to the storage port.

[0089] Specifically, if the materials to be stored are raw materials or outsourced parts, the staff will unload the delivered raw materials or outsourced parts from the truck through a gantry crane or a cantilever crane, and then inspect the raw materials or outsourced parts. When the raw materials or outsourced parts meet the acceptance requirements, the staff will use a PDA to scan the material code of the raw materials or outsourced parts and the pallet code of the pallet to ensure that each batch of materials has a unique association with its corresponding pallet. After the binding is completed, the staff will use a forklift or a ground bull to move the bound raw materials or outsourced parts to the storage entrance. If the materials to be stored are products, the staff will use a wireless barcode scanner and the World Wide Web interface or applet on the industrial computer to bind the product and the pallet together, and then send a return request to the WMS through the industrial computer. The WMS generates a storage instruction based on the return request and sends the storage instruction to the RCS. The RCS controls the AGV to move the product to the storage entrance based on the storage instruction, combined with the entire field path and AGV status, to ensure the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse. If the material to be put into storage is a measuring tool, the staff uses the PDA to scan the material code of the product and the pallet code of the pallet to bind the product and the pallet together, and then sends a return request to the WMS through the PDA. The WMS generates a storage instruction based on the return request and sends the storage instruction to the RCS. The RCS controls the storage instruction, combines the entire field path and AGV status, and controls the AGV to move the measuring tool to the storage port to ensure the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse.

[0090] In this optional embodiment, according to different material types, the corresponding binding method is used to perform the pallet assembly operation, and the materials are transported to the storage entrance through appropriate transportation means. This differentiated processing method fully utilizes the flexibility of manual operation and the efficiency of automated equipment, making the operation of the entire three-dimensional warehouse more intelligent and efficient, thereby significantly improving the overall operating efficiency.

[0091] Optionally, in the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored includes:

[0092] In the process of transporting the materials to be stored, the weight of the materials to be stored is obtained through a weighing system, and the appearance and size of the materials to be stored are obtained through a visual inspection system to determine whether the materials to be stored meet the storage standards;

[0093] When the material to be stored meets the storage standard, the material information of the material to be stored is read by a barcode reader.

[0094] Specifically, after the materials to be stored arrive at the storage entrance, they will be transported to the corresponding stacker through the conveyor line. During this transportation process, the weighing system will automatically measure the actual weight of the materials to be stored. If the difference between the actual weight of the materials to be stored and the preset weight of the materials to be stored exceeds the preset threshold, an alarm will be triggered, and the materials to be stored will be rejected, waiting for staff intervention. If the difference between the actual weight of the materials to be stored and the preset weight of the materials to be stored does not exceed the preset threshold, the actual weight of the materials to be stored will be sent to the WMS as the material information of the materials to be stored. During this transportation process, the visual inspection system will automatically detect the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be stored. If the actual appearance of the materials to be stored does not meet the storage appearance standard and / or the actual size of the materials to be stored does not meet the storage size standard, an alarm will be triggered, and the materials to be stored will be rejected, waiting for staff intervention. If the actual appearance of the materials to be stored meets the storage appearance standard, and the actual size of the materials to be stored meets the storage size standard, the actual appearance and actual size of the materials to be stored will be sent to the WMS as the material information of the materials to be stored. When the incoming materials meet all the incoming standards, WCS will control the barcode reader to scan the material code of the incoming materials, obtain the material information of the incoming materials, and send the material information to WMS. WMS receives all the material information from the weighing system, visual inspection system and barcode reader, and integrates the material information together to intelligently allocate the storage location of the incoming materials in the future.

[0095] Among them, the warehousing standards include warehousing weight standards, warehousing appearance standards and warehousing size standards.

[0096] In this optional embodiment, the weight, size and appearance of the materials to be stored are obtained through the weighing system and the visual inspection system to supplement the material information of the materials to be stored, so as to facilitate the subsequent intelligent allocation of the storage locations of the materials to be stored. In addition, the weighing system and the visual inspection system can automatically screen out the materials to be stored that do not meet the storage requirements. Compared with the traditional manual inspection method, the work efficiency is improved and the error rate caused by human negligence is reduced. Therefore, the introduction of the weighing system and the visual inspection system makes the stereoscopic warehouse more intelligent and significantly improves the efficiency of the storage operation.

[0097] Alternatively, if Figure 3 As shown, the stereoscopic warehouse management method also includes:

[0098] Make production plans based on order information;

[0099] Sending a shipment request according to the production plan;

[0100] Generate a shipment instruction according to the shipment request;

[0101] The materials to be shipped out are transported to a preset location according to the shipping instructions.

[0102] Specifically, the ERP system receives customer orders from the sales module or external channels. The order information includes order number, material number, material quantity, delivery date, etc. At the same time, the ERP system obtains the latest inventory information from the WMS, including material number, material quantity, material location, etc. The ERP system sends the order information to the MES. The MES parses the order information and inventory information to clarify the material number, material quantity, delivery date, etc. of the required production materials, that is, to clarify the material requirement list. The MES obtains the existing production plan and formulates a new production plan in combination with the material requirement list. The MES sends a delivery request to the WMS based on the new production plan. The WMS generates corresponding delivery instructions based on the delivery request to ensure that the required quantity of raw materials, outsourced parts, measuring tools and products are shipped out in a timely and accurate manner to meet production needs. The WCS and RCS receive the delivery instructions from the WMS. The two systems work together to move the materials to be shipped to the lineside warehouse or production line to complete the delivery operation, ensuring the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse.

[0103] In this optional embodiment, a production plan is formulated according to the order information, and the production line, workstation, equipment and personnel can be reasonably allocated, thereby avoiding waste of resources and improving the continuity and stability of production. According to the production plan, a delivery request is sent to ensure that materials can be extracted from the warehouse on time and in quantity, thereby ensuring the smooth progress of production. According to the delivery request, a delivery instruction is generated, so that the materials required for production can be shipped out in time to meet production needs. According to the delivery instruction, the materials to be shipped are transported to the preset location, which not only reduces the material handling time and improves the logistics efficiency, but also ensures the continuity of production. Therefore, the above-mentioned stereoscopic warehouse management method realizes the efficient automation of material delivery operations.

[0104] Optionally, transporting the materials to be shipped out to a preset location according to the shipping instruction includes:

[0105] When the materials to be shipped out are raw materials, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the shipping port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the lineside warehouse;

[0106] When the materials to be shipped are outsourced parts or products, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped to the shipping port, and the materials to be shipped are transported to the shipping temporary storage area by the transport equipment;

[0107] When the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, the shipping type is determined according to the shipping instruction, and the material to be shipped out is transported to the production line according to the shipping type, wherein the shipping type includes whole-pallet shipping and picking shipping.

[0108] Specifically, if the material to be stored is raw material, WMS selects the corresponding pallet according to the generated outbound instruction. WCS controls the stacker to move the pallet loaded with raw materials from the corresponding storage location to the corresponding conveyor line according to the received outbound instruction, and then controls the conveyor line to transport the pallet loaded with raw materials to the outbound port. RCS controls the AGV to move the pallet loaded with raw materials to the lineside warehouse according to the received outbound instruction, combined with the entire field path and AGV status, to ensure the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse.

[0109] If the materials to be received are outsourced parts or products, WMS selects the corresponding pallet based on the generated outbound instructions. Based on the received outbound instructions, WCS controls the stacker to move the pallet loaded with outsourced parts or products from the corresponding storage location to the corresponding conveyor line, and then controls the conveyor line to transport the pallet loaded with outsourced parts or products to the outbound port. Next, the staff will move the pallet loaded with outsourced parts or products to the outbound temporary storage area. When shipping, the staff uses the PDA to confirm the outbound shipment, that is, to review the shipment, to ensure that all materials to be shipped are accurate. After review, the staff uses the PDA to untie the materials from the pallet, and the untied materials are moved to the truck by forklift, floor crane, gantry crane or cantilever crane.

[0110] If the material to be received is a gauge, WMS determines the outbound type based on the generated outbound instruction. When the gauge in the outbound instruction has been assembled with a fixture with a high degree of correlation in the warehouse, the whole pallet is outbound to transport the material to be shipped to the production line. When the gauge in the outbound instruction has not been assembled with a fixture with a high degree of correlation in the warehouse, picking and outbound is carried out to transport the material to be shipped to the production line.

[0111] In this optional embodiment, the corresponding outbound strategy is adopted according to different material types. This differentiated processing method fully utilizes the flexibility of manual operation and the efficiency of automated equipment, making the operation of the entire three-dimensional warehouse more intelligent and efficient, thereby significantly improving the overall operating efficiency.

[0112] Optionally, when the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, determining a shipping type according to the shipping instruction, and transporting the material to be shipped out to a production line according to the shipping type includes:

[0113] When the outbound type is the full-pallet outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the outbound port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the production line, wherein the full-pallet outbound satisfies the condition that the measuring tools and fixtures with high correlation in the warehouse have been assembled;

[0114] When the outbound type is the picking outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the outbound port, and by reading the material information of the material to be outbound, it is confirmed whether the picked material to be outbound is correct. When the picked material to be outbound is correct, the material to be outbound is transported to the preparation point for pallet assembly, and a transport instruction is generated by scanning the preparation location. The automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the transport instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the production line.

[0115] Specifically, if the outbound type is full-pallet outbound, WMS selects the corresponding pallet according to the generated outbound instruction. WCS controls the stacker to move the pallet loaded with the measuring tool from the corresponding storage location to the corresponding conveyor line according to the received outbound instruction, and then controls the conveyor line to transport the pallet loaded with the measuring tool to the outbound port. RCS controls the AGV to move the pallet loaded with the measuring tool to the production line according to the received outbound instruction, combined with the entire field path and AGV status, to ensure the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse. If the outbound type is picking outbound, WMS selects the corresponding pallet according to the generated outbound instruction. WCS controls the stacker to move the pallet loaded with the measuring tool from the corresponding storage location to the corresponding conveyor line according to the received outbound instruction, and then controls the conveyor line to transport the pallet loaded with the measuring tool to the outbound port. The staff uses the PDA to read the material information of the measuring tool to verify the correctness of the picked measuring tool. If the picked measuring tool is correct, the measuring tool is moved to the material preparation point for re-assembly, that is, the measuring tool, fixture and pallet are bound together. After reassembling the pallets, the staff scans the stock storage location to generate the handling task. Based on the received handling instructions, the RCS combines the entire field path and AGV status to control the AGV to move the pallet loaded with measuring tools to the production line, ensuring the efficient flow of materials within the warehouse.

[0116] In this optional embodiment, when the measuring tool in the outbound instruction has been assembled with a fixture with a high degree of correlation in the warehouse, that is, when the outbound type is full-pallet outbound, full automation is used to reduce outbound time and improve outbound efficiency. When the measuring tool in the outbound instruction has not been assembled with a fixture with a high degree of correlation in the warehouse, that is, when the outbound type is picking outbound, a combination of manual operation and automated equipment is used to reduce outbound time and improve outbound efficiency. Therefore, taking corresponding outbound measures according to different outbound types is conducive to more efficient operation of the entire stereoscopic warehouse.

[0117] Optionally, the three-dimensional warehouse management method further includes:

[0118] When the quantity of materials in the warehouse changes, the inventory information is updated through the warehouse management system, and the inventory information is obtained through the manufacturing execution system and the enterprise resource planning system.

[0119] Specifically, when the three-dimensional warehouse performs warehousing operations, the number of materials in the warehouse will increase; when the three-dimensional warehouse performs outbound operations, the number of materials in the warehouse will decrease. After the WMS detects that the number of materials in the warehouse has changed, it updates the inventory information. When the ERP system and MES need the inventory information, they will obtain it directly from the WMS. Timely updating of the current inventory information through WMS can evaluate whether the existing inventory can meet production needs. If the existing inventory does not meet production needs, the ERP system will immediately notify the relevant departments to take remedial measures, such as emergency procurement or adjusting production priorities; if the existing inventory meets production needs, the latest inventory information and order information are obtained through MES, combined with the existing production plan, and a new production plan is formulated to ensure the continuity and efficiency of production.

[0120] In this optional embodiment, timely updating of inventory information can not only avoid production delays or oversupply caused by inaccurate inventory information, but also facilitate the formulation of new production plans to ensure the smooth progress of the production process. Therefore, WMS synchronizes information with ERP system and MES, making the three-dimensional warehouse more intelligent and significantly improving the continuity of production and the efficiency of resource utilization.

[0121] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional warehouse, characterized in that: The high-bay warehouse includes enterprise resource planning system, manufacturing execution system, warehouse management system, warehouse control system and vehicle dispatching system; The enterprise resource planning system is used to send order information to the manufacturing execution system; The manufacturing execution system is used to formulate a production plan according to the order information and send a shipment request according to the production plan; The warehouse management system is used to generate a storage entry instruction according to the storage return request, and to generate a storage outgoing instruction according to the storage outgoing request; The warehouse control system is used to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the storage instruction so that the materials to be stored are transported to the storage location, and to control the operation of the stacker and the conveyor line according to the storage instruction so that the materials to be stored are transported to the storage port; The vehicle dispatching system is used to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the warehousing instruction so that the materials to be warehousing are transported to the warehousing entrance, and to control the operation of the automatic guided vehicle according to the outbound instruction so that the materials to be outbound are transported to the lineside warehouse or production line.

2. The high-bay warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that: The warehouse management system is also used to allocate the storage locations for the materials to be stored according to the material information; The three-dimensional warehouse also includes a weighing system, which is used to detect the weight of the materials to be stored, and send the weight as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

3. The high-bay warehouse according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three-dimensional warehouse also includes a visual inspection system, which is used to detect the appearance and size of the materials to be stored, and send the appearance and size as the material information of the materials to be stored to the warehouse management system.

4. A three-dimensional warehouse management method, characterized in that: Applied to the high-bay warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the high-bay warehouse management method comprises: Perform palletizing operations on the materials to be stored, and transport the materials to be stored that have been palletized to the storage entrance; In the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored, and allocating the storage location of the material to be stored according to the material information; After the materials to be stored are transported to the corresponding stackers, the materials to be stored are moved to the allocated storage locations by the stackers.

5. The stereoscopic warehouse management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The operation of assembling the materials to be stored and transporting the assembled materials to be stored to the storage entrance includes: When the materials to be stored are raw materials or outsourced parts, the materials to be stored are bound to the pallets with material codes through a personal digital assistant, and the bound materials to be stored are transported to the storage port through a transport device; When the material to be stored is a product, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through the industrial computer, and according to the return request from the industrial computer, a storage instruction is generated through the warehouse management system, and according to the storage instruction, an automatic guided vehicle is dispatched through the vehicle dispatching system to transport the material to be stored to the storage entrance; When the material to be stored is a measuring tool, the material to be stored is bound to the pallet with the material code through a personal digital assistant, and according to the return request from the personal digital assistant, the warehouse management system generates the storage instruction, and according to the storage instruction, the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched through the vehicle dispatching system to transport the material to be stored to the storage port.

6. The stereoscopic warehouse management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the process of transporting the material to be stored, reading the material information of the material to be stored includes: In the process of transporting the materials to be stored, the weight of the materials to be stored is obtained through a weighing system, and the appearance and size of the materials to be stored are obtained through a visual inspection system to determine whether the materials to be stored meet the storage standards; When the material to be stored meets the storage standard, the material information of the material to be stored is read by a barcode reader.

7. The stereoscopic warehouse management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stereoscopic warehouse management method also includes: Make production plans based on order information; Sending a shipment request according to the production plan; Generate a shipment instruction according to the shipment request; The materials to be shipped out are transported to a preset location according to the shipping instructions.

8. The three-dimensional warehouse management method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method of transporting the materials to be shipped out to a preset location according to the shipping instruction includes: When the materials to be shipped out are raw materials, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the shipping port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped out to the lineside warehouse; When the materials to be shipped are outsourced parts or products, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the shipping instruction to transport the materials to be shipped to the shipping port, and the materials to be shipped are transported to the shipping temporary storage area by the transport equipment; When the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, the shipping type is determined according to the shipping instruction, and the material to be shipped out is transported to the production line according to the shipping type, wherein the shipping type includes whole-pallet shipping and picking shipping.

9. The three-dimensional warehouse management method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the material to be shipped out is a measuring tool, determining the shipping type according to the shipping instruction, and transporting the material to be shipped out to the production line according to the shipping type, includes: When the outbound type is the full-pallet outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the outbound port, and the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the outbound instruction to transport the materials to be outbound to the production line, wherein the full-pallet outbound satisfies the condition that the measuring tools and fixtures with high correlation in the warehouse have been assembled; When the outbound type is the picking outbound, the stacker and the conveyor line are controlled according to the outbound instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the outbound port, and by reading the material information of the material to be outbound, it is confirmed whether the picked material to be outbound is correct. When the picked material to be outbound is correct, the material to be outbound is transported to the preparation point for pallet assembly, and a transport instruction is generated by scanning the preparation location. The automatic guided vehicle is dispatched according to the transport instruction to transport the material to be outbound to the production line.

10. The three-dimensional warehouse management method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The stereoscopic warehouse management method also includes: When the quantity of materials in the warehouse changes, the inventory information is updated through the warehouse management system, and the inventory information is obtained through the manufacturing execution system and the enterprise resource planning system.

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