An automated storage and retrieval system and a method of storing in an automated storage and retrieval system

Abstract

The application relates to an automatic vertical warehouse storage system and a storage method thereof, the automatic vertical warehouse storage system comprising a storage workshop and a storage management control system covering the storage workshop, the storage workshop being internally provided with an automatic vertical warehouse, a first-layer storage area, a second-layer storage area and a material transportation system, the storage management control system comprising a storage management system WMS and a storage control system WCS, the storage management system WMS comprising a material management system SAP docking, and the storage control system WCS comprising an AGV scheduling system; the automatic vertical warehouse storage system is reasonable in the division of the positions of various areas, and the whole process of a material unloading area, a unpacking and replacing area, a material inspection area, a material to-be-inspected area, a warehousing area, an outbound sorting area and a material batching buffer area is connected through AGV, the whole transfer line flexible connection is realized, the continuity and accuracy of an operation process are improved, automatic material carrying and transportation are realized, the production efficiency is improved, and the labor cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of warehousing system technology, and in particular to an automated vertical warehouse system and its warehousing method. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) are becoming increasingly prevalent in material storage and allocation. The continuous improvement and optimization of AS / RS have significantly promoted the development of modern logistics. Most materials in warehousing facilities are stored in AS / RS, which greatly reduces the area required for warehousing, lowers logistics costs, and improves storage efficiency per unit area. However, how to rationally plan the layout, configure facilities and equipment, design scheduling and shipping plans, and ensure the efficient and coordinated flow of materials remains a complex task.

[0003] Therefore, this invention proposes an automated vertical storage system and its storage method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an automated vertical warehouse system and its storage method, which ensures efficient and coordinated flow of materials by rationally planning the layout of the area, optimizing facilities and equipment and scheduling and transfer schemes.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: an automated vertical warehouse system, the innovation of which is: including a warehouse workshop and a warehouse management and control system covering the warehouse workshop;

[0006] The warehouse is equipped with an automated three-dimensional warehouse, a first-floor storage area, a second-floor storage area, and a material transportation system. There is an unloading area outside the entrance of the warehouse.

[0007] The automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) spans the first and second floor storage areas, and has inbound and outbound entrances in both areas.

[0008] The first-floor storage area is provided with a packing and palletizing area, a material inspection area and a material waiting area between the entrance of the storage workshop and the entrance of the automated warehouse. The packing and palletizing area is located at the entrance of the storage workshop, and the material waiting area is located on the side of the material inspection area away from the packing and palletizing area. The automated warehouse in the first-floor storage area is provided with a first outbound sorting area and a first batching buffer area on the side of the automated warehouse close to the material waiting area.

[0009] The second-floor storage area is located above the first-floor storage area. The second-floor storage area has a second outbound sorting area and a second material buffer area on the side of the second-floor storage area near the entrance of the automated warehouse.

[0010] The material handling system includes automated guided vehicles (AGVs), elevators, flexible double-girder cranes (KBK), cantilever cranes, stackers, shuttle cars, conveyor lines, electric forklifts, and stackers;

[0011] The warehouse management and control system includes a warehouse management system (WMS) and a warehouse control system (WCS). The WMS includes an interface with the material management system (SAP), and the WCS includes an AGV scheduling system.

[0012] Furthermore, the automated storage and retrieval system has nine storage areas, namely a raw material sheet metal warehouse, a flat warehouse with a cleaning room, a vertical warehouse, a warehouse awaiting inspection, a line edge warehouse, a batching buffer warehouse, a semi-finished product warehouse, a finished product warehouse, and a non-conforming product warehouse. The vertical warehouse is used to store materials in pallets and bins, and is divided into a pallet warehouse and a bin warehouse.

[0013] The Warehouse Management System (WMS) includes a barcode system and supporting printing equipment, a receiving management module, a warehouse management module, a picking management module, a material requisition management module, a batch management module, a warehouse location management module, and a report management module.

[0014] The warehousing method of the aforementioned automated storage and retrieval system includes the following steps:

[0015] D1. Incoming material unloading buffer;

[0016] D2. Unpacking and palletizing operations;

[0017] D3. Materials are pending inspection;

[0018] D4. Inspection of the inspection area;

[0019] D5. Material receiving;

[0020] D6. Material outbound sorting;

[0021] D7, Ingredient area cache;

[0022] D8. Production line delivery;

[0023] D9. Finished products are put into storage.

[0024] Furthermore, the process of unloading and buffering incoming materials is as follows: the incoming material truck stops at the incoming material unloading area outside the warehouse workshop, and an electric forklift is used to transfer the incoming material pallets off the truck. The quantity of incoming materials is checked according to the corresponding delivery note, and a barcode is printed and affixed to the surface of the incoming material packaging.

[0025] Furthermore, the unpacking and palletizing operation process is as follows: a hydraulic truck is used to transfer the incoming material pallets from the unloading area to the lifting platform in the unpacking and palletizing area. The height of the lifting platform is adjusted according to the size and height of the incoming material. After the material attributes are identified by a barcode scanner, the material on the incoming material pallet on the lifting platform is classified and transported to the pallet in the storage workshop through KBK. The material barcode is printed and bound to the pallet code in the storage workshop. An automatic weighing platform is equipped under the pallet in the storage workshop to detect the weight of the material on the pallet in real time. The platform scans the QR code to call the AGV to transport the material to the corresponding area. The AGV transports the empty pallet from the warehouse pallet stacker to the automatic weighing platform.

[0026] Furthermore, the process of material inspection is as follows: the materials to be inspected in the automated warehouse are temporarily stored in the material inspection area by AGV, and the AGV automatically transports them to the corresponding inspection window in the material inspection area according to the order of receipt.

[0027] If there are no empty pallet slots in the inspection area, the AGV will connect the subsequent materials to be inspected in the vertical warehouse to the inspection warehouse.

[0028] If there are empty pallet slots in the inspection area, the inspection warehouse will output the pallets in the order of their entry into the warehouse and transfer them to the material inspection area via AGV.

[0029] For materials that need to be brought online urgently, they are prioritized for inspection based on the markings in the SAP system and then sent directly to the batching buffer.

[0030] Furthermore, the inspection process in the inspection area is as follows: the laboratory in the material inspection area is divided into various inspection windows according to function. The AGV delivers the materials to be inspected to the corresponding inspection window according to the material inspection attributes. After scanning the material barcode with a barcode scanner to confirm the material inspection ratio, the corresponding inspection is completed. After the inspection is completed, the material status is modified to complete the operation. The AGV is then connected to the automated three-dimensional warehouse inlet.

[0031] An empty pallet is placed next to the inspection window. If a material in the pallet fails the inspection, the defective material is placed on the empty pallet, the AGV is called to enter the defective goods warehouse, and the WMS system sends information to the corresponding contact person.

[0032] Furthermore, the process of material warehousing is as follows:

[0033] For palletized warehouse materials, AGVs automatically connect to the palletized warehouse inlet conveyor line and perform weight and shape inspection at the palletized warehouse inlet.

[0034] For materials in the bin storage, the AGV transports the inspected materials to the bin storage entrance, sequentially transferring the materials from the pallet into the bins. The AGV then binds the material barcodes to the bin codes via a PDA. After the transfer is complete, the bins are pushed onto the conveyor line at the bin storage entrance. Once the conveyor line detects that the materials are not overweight or overheight, they are directly connected to the storage bin. The empty QR code is scanned, and the AGV transports the next material to be stored to the bin storage entrance. The empty pallet is then transferred to the warehouse pallet stacker for secure storage.

[0035] For materials in the flat warehouse and cleaning room, after the AGV transfers the large flat warehouse and cleaning room materials from the unpacking and palletizing area to the corresponding area of ​​the flat warehouse and cleaning room, it sends an instruction to the inspection room. After the inspection is completed, the incoming material attributes are modified through the PDA and an instruction is sent to complete the warehousing and shelving operation.

[0036] For semi-finished and finished goods warehouses, after verifying the quantity and packaging of the products to be received, scan the QR code to call the AGV to transport them into the warehouse.

[0037] Furthermore, the material outbound sorting process is as follows: materials are divided into general-purpose materials and special-purpose materials according to their outbound attributes;

[0038] When general-purpose parts are issued, materials in the line-side warehouse are delivered in batches. The WMS system is set with a minimum alarm quantity. When the amount of materials in the line-side warehouse is less than the minimum alarm quantity, the information is fed back to the WMS system in real time to complete the delivery.

[0039] When special parts are issued from the warehouse, the materials are delivered according to the work order. The delivery frequency is set in the WMS system and the materials are delivered to the production line in batches.

[0040] When materials are dispatched from the pallet warehouse, according to the dispatch task, the stacker crane automatically transports the inventory pallets to the dispatch conveyor lines at the outbound gates of the first and second floor storage areas. AGVs automatically connect to the outbound gate conveyor lines and transport the materials to be sorted to the outbound sorting area. The outbound sorting area is equipped with a warehouse pallet stacker. By scanning the QR code of the empty pallet position, the AGV automatically moves the pallet from the warehouse pallet stacker to the empty pallet position as the order pallet. The inventory pallet material is transferred to the order pallet through a cantilever crane. After the transfer is completed, a QR code of the material is printed and affixed to the material. The material QR code and the order pallet code are scanned to bind the material. The AGV is then called to transport the material to the batching buffer area. The inventory pallet is then re-entered into the warehouse through the AGV connection.

[0041] When materials are issued from the bin warehouse, an exception handling port is added to the conveyor lines of the bin warehouses on the first and second floors for material inventory and full-box issuance. According to the issuance task, the shuttle car automatically transports the bins to the conveyor lines of the first and second floors. The materials are conveyed to the corresponding sorting port in the outbound sorting area, where they are sorted into empty bins. A QR code is printed on the material and affixed to it. The material QR code and bin code are bound to the PDA, and the AGV is called to transport the material to the batching buffer area. The sorted and stored bins are returned to the bin warehouse via the conveyor line.

[0042] When materials are released from the warehouse and cleaning room, according to the material distribution information of the work order, the materials that meet the conditions for AGV handling are transferred to a fixed area by a stacker truck. The AGV then connects to the material distribution buffer area. For large materials, electric forklifts are used for transfer. The materials are delivered in batches according to the production rhythm. The batch delivery mode is realized by the corresponding workstation of the production line calling the materials.

[0043] Furthermore, the batching area buffer is used as a material completeness buffer and a material sorting exception buffer. The process of the batching area buffer is as follows: the AGV automatically docks with the materials in the batching buffer area and transports them to the corresponding production line and workstation.

[0044] The advantages of this invention are:

[0045] The automated storage and retrieval system of this invention rationally divides the locations of each area and uses AGVs to connect the entire process, including the material unloading area, unpacking and palletizing area, material inspection area, material waiting inspection area, warehousing area, outbound sorting area, and batching buffer area. This achieves flexible connection of the entire transfer line, improves the continuity and accuracy of the operation process, realizes automated material handling and transportation, improves production efficiency, and reduces labor costs.

[0046] The AGV of this invention automatically transfers the materials to be inspected to the inspection port and automatically transfers a batch of inspected materials into the warehouse. The entire process requires no personnel movement, reducing manual labor.

[0047] The AGV scheduling system of this invention is integrated with the warehouse management and control system. When there are no empty pallet positions in the ground material inspection area, the AGV automatically transfers the subsequent pallets to be inspected into the automated warehouse. When there are empty pallet positions in the material inspection area, the warehouse management and control system then schedules the AGV to transfer the pallets from the automated warehouse to the ground material inspection area, thereby reducing the pallet buffer area in the material inspection area.

[0048] This invention designs two storage areas within the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) warehouse. Both storage areas have outbound exits. When the sorting and outbound tasks in the first storage area are oversaturated, the sorting and outbound task information of that storage area can be distributed to the other storage area. After sorting in the other storage area, the tasks are put back into the warehouse and automatically outbound from the first storage area. This results in more reasonable overall scheduling and task allocation, and higher sorting efficiency.

[0049] The AGV of this invention interfaces with a warehouse palletizing machine to achieve automatic pallet storage and retrieval. Attached Figure Description

[0050] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0051] Figure 1 This is an overall layout diagram of the first-floor storage area of ​​the present invention.

[0052] Figure 2 This is an overall layout diagram of the two-story storage area of ​​the present invention.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a layout diagram of the material receiving and unloading area of ​​the present invention.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a layout diagram of the receiving area of ​​the vertical warehouse on the first floor of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0055] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, is provided below.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] This embodiment provides an automated storage and retrieval system, including a storage workshop and a storage management and control system covering the storage workshop.

[0058] The warehouse is equipped with an automated storage and retrieval system, a first-floor storage area, a second-floor storage area, and a material transport system.

[0059] In this embodiment, the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) has nine storage areas: a raw material sheet metal warehouse, a flat warehouse with a cleaning room, a vertical warehouse, a warehouse awaiting inspection, a production line warehouse, a batching buffer warehouse, a semi-finished product warehouse, a finished product warehouse, and a non-conforming product warehouse. Among them:

[0060] Raw material sheet metal warehouse: used for the storage and management of stainless steel sheet metal panels;

[0061] Flat warehouse: Used for storing cleaning rooms, heavy-duty shelves, and ground storage of large items and engineering materials that need to be put into production urgently;

[0062] Automated storage: Used to store materials in containers such as pallets and bins, and is divided into pallet storage and bin storage;

[0063] Inspection warehouse: Used to store materials that have been inspected and put into storage, including both flat warehouses and vertical warehouses;

[0064] Ingredient buffer: Centralized in the ingredient buffer area, used for interfacing with AGVs to deliver ingredients to the production line;

[0065] Line-side storage: Used to store general-purpose materials that are convenient for production line use, such as low-value parts;

[0066] Semi-finished goods warehouse: Used to store intermediate work-in-process that needs to be cached and stored in the warehouse for various production lines;

[0067] Finished goods warehouse: Used to store materials that can be sold and shipped directly;

[0068] Non-conforming goods warehouse: Used to store non-conforming materials.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, there is a material unloading area A outside the entrance of the storage workshop, which is equipped with a canopy. An automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) area E is formed at the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS). The AS / RS connects the first and second floor storage areas, and has inbound and outbound entrances in both areas.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the first-floor storage area has an unpacking and palletizing area B-1, a material inspection area D, and a material waiting-for-inspection area C between the entrance to the storage workshop and the entrance to the automated warehouse. The unpacking and palletizing area B-1 is located at the entrance to the storage workshop, and the material waiting-for-inspection area C is located on the side of the material inspection area D furthest from the unpacking and palletizing area B-1. Figure 4 As shown, a pallet inlet E1 is located between the material inspection area D and the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) area E, and a material bin inlet E2 is located between the material inspection area C and the AS / RS area E. On the first floor of the warehouse, the AS / RS near the material inspection area C has a first outbound sorting area F-1 and a first batching buffer area G-1. On the side of the AS / RS area E furthest from the material inspection area D, a temporary unpacking and palletizing operation area B-2 is located. A temporary entrance / exit is provided at the temporary unpacking and palletizing operation area B-2.

[0071] The second-floor storage area is located above the first-floor storage area, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the second-floor storage area has a second outbound sorting area and a second material preparation buffer area G-2 on the side near the entrance of the automated storage and retrieval system. The second outbound sorting area is divided into a pallet warehouse outbound sorting area F-2-1 and a bin warehouse outbound sorting area F-2-2. The pallet warehouse outbound sorting area F-2-1 and the bin warehouse outbound sorting area F-2-2 are respectively located on both sides of the second material preparation buffer area G-2. The bin warehouse outbound sorting area F-2-2 is located between the second material preparation buffer area G-2 and the automated storage and retrieval system area E.

[0072] The material handling system includes Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for transferring materials between different areas, elevators for material flow between the first and second floor storage areas, flexible double-girder cranes (KBKs) for assisting in unpacking and palletizing in the storage area, cantilever cranes for assisting in outbound picking and material handling, stacker cranes for conveying pallets, shuttle cars for conveying hoppers, conveyor lines for material feeding and discharging, and electric forklifts and stackers for transferring large materials. In this embodiment, the conveyor lines are automated roller conveyors.

[0073] The warehouse management and control system includes a Warehouse Management System (WMS) and a Warehouse Control System (WCS). The WMS includes an SAP interface for the Material Management System, while the WCS includes an AGV scheduling system. The WMS includes a barcode system and associated printing equipment, as well as modules for receiving, storage, picking, material requisition, batch management, warehouse location management, and report management.

[0074] The automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) rationally divides the area and uses AGVs to seamlessly connect the entire transfer line, including the unloading area, unpacking and palletizing area, material inspection area, material waiting area, warehousing area, outbound sorting area, and batching buffer area. This achieves flexible connection of the entire transfer line, improving the continuity and accuracy of the operation process, realizing automated material handling and transportation, increasing production efficiency, and reducing labor costs. Furthermore, by designing two storage levels within the AS / RS, with outbound exits on both levels, when the first level's sorting and outbound tasks are overloaded, the task information can be distributed to the second level. After sorting in the second level, the materials are re-entered into the warehouse and automatically outbound from the first level. This results in more rational overall scheduling and task allocation, and higher sorting efficiency.

[0075] Example 2

[0076] This embodiment provides a warehousing method for the automated storage and retrieval system of Embodiment 1, including the following steps:

[0077] D1. Incoming material unloading buffer:

[0078] The incoming material trucks are parked under the canopy of the material unloading area outside the warehouse. The receiving personnel drive electric forklifts to transfer the incoming material pallets to the canopy. The receiving personnel check the quantity of incoming materials according to the corresponding delivery note and print barcodes to affix to the surface of the incoming material packaging.

[0079] D2. Unpacking and palletizing operations;

[0080] The process is as follows: A hydraulic truck is manually operated to transfer incoming pallets from the unloading area to the lifting platform in the unpacking and palletizing area. The height of the lifting platform is adjusted according to the size and height of the incoming materials. After identifying the material attributes using a barcode scanner, the materials on the incoming pallets on the lifting platform are sorted and transported to pallets in the storage workshop via KBK (Automatic Packaging and Resettling). Materials with different attributes cannot be mixed on pallets in the same storage workshop. Material barcodes are printed and linked to the storage workshop pallet codes. An automatic weighing platform is installed under the pallets in the storage workshop. During the material repacking process, the weight of the materials on the pallets is monitored in real time, and the QR code at the bottom of the automatic weighing platform is scanned to call an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) to transport the materials to the corresponding area. The AGV then transports empty pallets from the warehouse pallet stacker to the automatic weighing platform. In rainy or snowy weather, incoming trucks carrying electrical components are unloaded into the storage workshop through a temporary entrance and unpacked and palletized at temporary unpacking and palletizing operation area B-2.

[0081] D3. Materials are pending inspection;

[0082] The process is as follows: materials awaiting inspection in the automated warehouse are temporarily stored in the material inspection area by AGVs, and the AGVs automatically transport them to the corresponding inspection windows in the material inspection area according to the order of receipt.

[0083] If there are no empty pallet slots in the inspection area, the AGV will connect the subsequent materials to be inspected in the automated warehouse to the inspection warehouse (i.e., the process of warehousing first and then inspecting).

[0084] If there is an empty pallet in the inspection area, the inspection warehouse will output the pallets in the order of entry and transfer them to the material inspection area via AGV. At this time, the unpacked and palletized materials will still be handled according to the process of first entering the warehouse and then inspecting.

[0085] For materials that need to be brought online urgently, they are prioritized for inspection based on the markings in the SAP system and then sent directly to the batching buffer.

[0086] D4. Inspection of the inspection area;

[0087] The process is as follows: The laboratory in the material inspection area is functionally divided into three routine inspection windows and one physicochemical inspection window. The routine inspection window is used for appearance and dimensional inspection, while the physicochemical inspection window is used for performance testing. AGVs deliver the materials to be inspected to the corresponding inspection window according to their inspection attributes. If a material has both inspection attributes, it is connected to the window according to the physicochemical inspection requirements. After the inspection personnel scan the material barcode with a barcode scanner to confirm the material inspection ratio, they complete the corresponding inspection. After the inspection is completed, the material status is modified to complete the operation, and the AGV connects to the automated warehouse inlet.

[0088] An empty pallet is placed next to the inspection window. If a material in the pallet fails the inspection, the unqualified material is placed on the empty pallet, the AGV is called to enter the unqualified goods warehouse, and the WMS system sends information to the corresponding contact person.

[0089] For large items awaiting inspection in the flat warehouse and cleaning room, inspection personnel move to the storage areas of the flat warehouse and cleaning room to complete the corresponding inspection based on the inspection information released by the WMS system. A TV display board is installed outside the inspection room to display information on the waiting time of the materials awaiting inspection, the materials inspected that day, and the materials that failed the inspection.

[0090] D5. Material receiving;

[0091] The process is as follows:

[0092] For palletized warehouse materials, AGVs automatically connect to the palletized warehouse inlet conveyor line and perform weight and shape checks at the palletized warehouse inlet to prevent personnel from accidentally putting items in during the process, ensuring safety. The process of putting raw material sheet metal warehouse materials into the warehouse is the same as that of putting palletized warehouse materials into the warehouse.

[0093] For materials in the bin storage, the AGV transports the inspected materials to the bin storage entrance, sequentially transferring the materials from the pallet into the bins. The material barcodes are then linked to the bin codes via a PDA. After the transfer is complete, the bins are pushed onto the automatic roller conveyor at the bin storage entrance. Once the conveyor line detects that the materials are not overweight or overheight, they are directly connected to the storage bin. The empty QR code is scanned, and the AGV transports the next material to be stored to the bin storage entrance. The empty pallet is then transferred to the warehouse pallet stacker for secure storage.

[0094] For materials in the flat warehouse and cleaning room, after the AGV transfers the large flat warehouse and cleaning room materials from the unpacking and palletizing area to the corresponding area of ​​the flat warehouse and cleaning room, the WMS system sends instructions to the inspection room. After the inspection is completed, the incoming material attributes are modified through the PDA and instructions are sent to complete the warehousing and shelving operation.

[0095] For semi-finished and finished goods warehouses, production line operators verify the quantity and packaging of the products to be received, then scan the QR code to call an AGV to transport the physical goods into the warehouse. For materials entering the warehouse virtually, scanning the QR code of the warehouse address and the product material code will bind the materials to the warehouse.

[0096] D6. Material outbound sorting;

[0097] The process is as follows: materials are divided into general-purpose materials (standard parts, low-value general-purpose materials) and special-purpose materials (high-value, engineered and large-sized materials) according to their outbound attributes.

[0098] When general-purpose parts are issued, a line-side warehouse is established at the production line edge and linked with the WMS system for control. The materials in the line-side warehouse are delivered in batches. The WMS system is set with a minimum alarm quantity. When the materials in the line-side warehouse are less than the minimum alarm quantity, the information is fed back to the WMS system in real time to complete the delivery.

[0099] When special parts and materials are released from the warehouse, the materials are delivered according to the work order. The delivery frequency is set in the WMS system and delivered to the production line in batches. Semi-finished products and finished products need to be transferred between floors by AGV docking with the elevator and transferred to the warehouse outlet of the first floor storage area for release.

[0100] When materials are dispatched from the pallet warehouse, according to the dispatch task, the stacker crane automatically transports the inventory pallets to the dispatch conveyor lines at the outbound gates of the first and second floor storage areas. AGVs automatically connect to the outbound gate conveyor lines and transport the materials to be sorted to the dispatch sorting area (for whole pallet dispatch materials, the AGVs automatically connect to the conveyor line and transport them to the batching buffer area). The dispatch sorting area is equipped with a warehouse pallet stacker. By scanning the QR code of the empty pallet position, the AGV automatically moves the pallet from the warehouse pallet stacker to the empty pallet position as the order pallet. The inventory pallet materials are transferred to the order pallet by the cantilever crane. After the transfer is completed, the material QR code is printed and affixed to the material. The material QR code and the order pallet code are scanned to bind the material. The AGV is then called to transport the material to the batching buffer area. The inventory pallet is then re-entered into the warehouse via AGV docking.

[0101] When materials are issued from the bin warehouse, an exception handling port is added to the conveyor lines of the bin warehouses on the first and second floors for material inventory and full-box issuance. According to the issuance task, the shuttle car automatically transports the bins to the conveyor lines of the first and second floors. The materials are conveyed to the corresponding sorting port in the outbound sorting area, where they are sorted into empty bins. A QR code is printed on the material and affixed to it. The material QR code and bin code are bound to the PDA, and the AGV is called to transport the material to the batching buffer area. The sorted and stored bins are returned to the bin warehouse via the conveyor line.

[0102] When materials are released from the warehouse and cleaning room, according to the material distribution information in the work order, the materials that meet the conditions for AGV handling are transferred to the fixed area of ​​the warehouse and cleaning room by stacker trucks. The AGV connects to the material distribution buffer area. For large materials, electric forklifts are used for transfer. The materials are delivered in batches according to the production rhythm. The batch delivery mode is realized by the corresponding workstation of the production line calling the materials.

[0103] The conveyor line in this embodiment has forward and reverse functions. If the materials to be shipped from the second-floor storage area cannot be sorted in time, the materials can be transferred to the first-floor storage area. After sorting, they are placed in the pallet warehouse, and the second-floor storage area is designated as the shipping outlet.

[0104] D7, Ingredient area cache;

[0105] The batching area buffer is used for material completeness buffering and material sorting exception buffering. The process of batching area buffering is as follows: AGV automatically docks with the materials in the batching buffer area and transports them to the corresponding production line and workstation.

[0106] D8. Production line delivery;

[0107] A line-side warehouse is established at the production line edge for general parts materials, which is monitored in real time by the WMS system. AGVs automatically deliver materials to the line-side warehouse in batches. When the materials in the line-side warehouse are less than the minimum storage amount, the WMS system sends an instruction to automatically deliver the materials.

[0108] Specialized parts are stored at corresponding points at each workstation. Materials are delivered according to work orders. Larger materials are set with delivery frequencies. When the production line material reaches the warning value, the production line personnel send an instruction to the WMS system to complete the delivery.

[0109] Materials in the production line warehouse are delivered in batches. The WMS system is set with a minimum alarm quantity. When the material quantity in the production line warehouse falls below the minimum alarm quantity, the information is fed back to the WMS system in real time to complete the delivery.

[0110] D9. Finished products are put into storage.

[0111] When finished products are received into the warehouse, QR codes for the corresponding locations are affixed to the reporting area, packaging area, and finished product warehouse on the production line. Production line assembly personnel call AGVs to move the finished products to the reporting area. After reporting is completed, they scan the QR code to call AGVs to move the products to the packaging area. After the packaging personnel complete the packaging, they scan the QR code to call AGVs to move the finished products to the finished product warehouse, and the WMS system registers the products into the warehouse.

[0112] The warehousing method of this invention utilizes AGVs to automatically transfer materials to be inspected to the inspection port and automatically transfer a batch of inspected materials into the warehouse. The entire process requires no personnel movement, reducing manual labor. The AGV scheduling system is integrated with the warehouse management and control system. When there are no empty pallet slots in the ground material inspection area, the AGV automatically transfers the subsequent pallets to be inspected into the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS). When there are empty pallet slots in the material inspection area, the warehouse management and control system then schedules AGVs to transfer the pallets from the AS / RS to the ground material inspection area, reducing the pallet buffer area in the material inspection area.

[0113] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A warehousing method for an automated storage and retrieval system, characterized in that: The automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage workshop and a storage management and control system covering the storage workshop; The warehouse is equipped with an automated three-dimensional warehouse, a first-floor storage area, a second-floor storage area, and a material transportation system. There is an unloading area outside the entrance of the warehouse. The automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) spans the first and second floor storage areas, and has inbound and outbound entrances in both areas. The first-floor storage area is provided with a packing and palletizing area, a material inspection area and a material waiting area between the entrance of the storage workshop and the entrance of the automated warehouse. The packing and palletizing area is located at the entrance of the storage workshop, and the material waiting area is located on the side of the material inspection area away from the packing and palletizing area. The automated warehouse in the first-floor storage area is provided with a first outbound sorting area and a first batching buffer area on the side of the automated warehouse close to the material waiting area. The second-floor storage area is located above the first-floor storage area. The second-floor storage area has a second outbound sorting area and a second material buffer area on the side of the second-floor storage area near the entrance of the automated warehouse. The material handling system includes automated guided vehicles (AGVs), elevators, flexible double-girder cranes (KBK), cantilever cranes, stackers, shuttle cars, conveyor lines, electric forklifts, and stackers; The warehouse management and control system includes a warehouse management system (WMS) and a warehouse control system (WCS). The warehouse management system (WMS) includes a material management system (SAP), and the warehouse control system (WCS) includes an AGV scheduling system. The automated storage and retrieval system has nine storage areas: raw material sheet metal warehouse, flat warehouse with cleaning room, vertical warehouse, inspection warehouse, line edge warehouse, batching buffer warehouse, semi-finished product warehouse, finished product warehouse and non-conforming product warehouse. The vertical warehouse is used to store materials in pallet and bin containers, and the vertical warehouse is divided into pallet warehouse and bin warehouse. The warehouse management system (WMS) includes a barcode system and supporting printing equipment, receiving management module, warehouse management module, picking management module, material requisition management module, batch management module, warehouse location management module, and report management module. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system includes the following steps: D1. Incoming material unloading buffer; D2. Unpacking and palletizing operations; D3. Materials are pending inspection; D4. Inspection of the inspection area; D5. Material receiving; D6. Material outbound sorting; D7, Ingredient area cache; D8. Production line delivery; D9. Finished products are put into storage; The process of material inspection is as follows: the materials to be inspected in the automated warehouse are temporarily stored in the material inspection area by automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and the AGVs automatically transport them to the corresponding inspection windows in the material inspection area according to the order of receipt. If there are no empty pallet slots in the inspection area, the automated guided vehicle (AGV) will connect the subsequent materials to be inspected in the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) to the inspection area. If there are empty pallet positions in the inspection area, the inspection warehouse will output the pallets in the order of their entry into the warehouse and transfer them to the material inspection area via an automated guided vehicle (AGV). For materials that need to be brought online urgently, they are inspected first according to the markings in the SAP material management system and sent directly to the batching buffer area; The material outbound sorting process is as follows: materials are divided into general-purpose materials and special-purpose materials according to their outbound attributes; When general-purpose parts are shipped out, materials in the line-side warehouse are delivered in batches. The warehouse management system (WMS) is set with a minimum alarm quantity. When the amount of materials in the line-side warehouse is less than the minimum alarm quantity, the information is fed back to the warehouse management system (WMS) in real time to complete the delivery. When special parts and materials are issued from the warehouse, the materials are delivered according to the work order. The delivery frequency is set in the warehouse management system (WMS) and the materials are delivered to the production line in batches. When materials are dispatched from the pallet warehouse, according to the dispatch task, the stacker crane automatically transports the inventory pallets to the dispatch conveyor lines at the outbound gates of the first and second floor storage areas. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) automatically connect to the outbound gate conveyor lines, transporting the materials to be sorted to the dispatch sorting area. The dispatch sorting area is equipped with a warehouse pallet stacker. By scanning the QR code of the empty pallet position, the AGV automatically transports the pallets from the warehouse pallet stacker to the empty pallet position as order pallets. The inventory pallet materials are then transferred to the order pallets using a cantilever crane. After the transfer is completed, a QR code for the material is printed and affixed to the material. The material QR code and the order pallet code are scanned to bind the material. The AGV is then called to transport the material to the batching buffer area. The inventory pallets are then re-entered into the warehouse via the AGV connection. When materials are issued from the bin warehouse, an exception handling port is added to the conveyor lines of the bin warehouses on the first and second floor storage areas for material inventory and full-box issuance. According to the issuance task, the shuttle automatically transports the bins to the conveyor lines of the first and second floor storage areas. The materials are delivered to the corresponding sorting port in the outbound sorting area via the conveyor line, where they are sorted into empty bins and a QR code is printed and affixed to the materials. The material QR code and bin code are bound to a handheld computer (PDA), and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) is called to transport the materials to the batching buffer area. The sorted and stored bins are returned to the bin warehouse via the conveyor line. When materials are released from the warehouse and cleaning room, according to the material distribution information in the work order, stackers are used to transfer materials that meet the handling conditions of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to a fixed area. The AGVs then connect to the material distribution buffer area. For large materials, electric forklifts are used for transfer. The materials are delivered in batches according to the production rhythm. The batch delivery mode is achieved by the corresponding workstation on the production line calling the materials.

2. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process of unloading and buffering incoming materials is as follows: the incoming material truck stops at the incoming material unloading area outside the warehouse workshop, and the incoming material pallets are transferred and unloaded using an electric forklift. The quantity of incoming materials is checked according to the corresponding delivery note, and a barcode is printed and affixed to the surface of the incoming material packaging.

3. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unpacking and palletizing operation is as follows: a hydraulic truck is used to transfer the incoming material pallets from the unloading area to the lifting platform in the unpacking and palletizing area. The height of the lifting platform is adjusted according to the size and height of the incoming material. After the material attributes are identified by a barcode scanner, the materials on the incoming material pallets on the lifting platform are sorted and transported to the pallets in the storage workshop by a flexible double-beam crane KBK. The material barcode is printed and bound to the pallet code in the storage workshop. An automatic weighing platform is installed under the pallet in the storage workshop to detect the weight of the material on the pallet in real time. The platform scans the QR code to call the automated guided vehicle (AGV) to transport the material to the corresponding area. The AGV then transports the empty pallet from the warehouse pallet stacker to the automatic weighing platform.

4. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection process in the inspection area is as follows: the laboratory in the material inspection area is divided into various inspection windows according to function. The automated guided vehicle (AGV) delivers the materials to be inspected to the corresponding inspection window according to the material inspection attributes. After scanning the material barcode with a barcode scanner to confirm the material inspection ratio, the corresponding inspection is completed. After the inspection is completed, the material status is modified to complete the operation. The automated guided vehicle (AGV) is then connected to the automated three-dimensional warehouse entry point. An empty pallet is placed next to the inspection window. If a material in the pallet fails the inspection, the defective material is placed on the empty pallet, and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) is called to enter the defective goods storage area. The warehouse management system (WMS) also sends information to the corresponding contact person.

5. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process of material warehousing is as follows: For palletized warehouse materials, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) automatically dock with the palletized warehouse inlet conveyor line and perform weight and shape inspection at the palletized warehouse inlet. For materials in the bin storage, the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) transports the inspected materials to the bin storage entrance. It then sequentially transfers the materials from the pallets into the bins and binds the material barcodes to the bin codes via a PDA. After the transfer is complete, the bins are pushed onto the conveyor line at the bin storage entrance. Once the conveyor line detects that the materials are not overweight or overheight, they are directly connected to the storage bin. The empty QR code is scanned, and the AGV transports the next material to be stored to the bin storage entrance. The empty pallets are then transferred to the warehouse pallet stacker for secure storage. For materials in the flat warehouse and cleaning room, the automated guided vehicle (AGV) transfers large materials from the unpacking and palletizing area to the corresponding areas of the flat warehouse and cleaning room, and then sends instructions to the inspection room. After the inspection is completed, the incoming material attributes are modified through the handheld computer (PDA), and instructions are sent to complete the warehousing and shelving operation. For semi-finished and finished goods warehouses, after verifying the quantity and packaging of the products to be received, scan the QR code to call an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to transport the materials into the warehouse.

6. The warehousing method of the automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The batching area buffer is used as a material completeness buffer and a material sorting exception buffer. The process of the batching area buffer is as follows: the automated guided vehicle (AGV) automatically docks with the materials in the batching buffer area and transports them to the corresponding production line and workstation.

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