An intelligent warehousing system and method for SMT magazines

Abstract

The application discloses an intelligent storage system and method for SMT material trays, and the technical scheme of the application comprises a storage area, a tray turnover box, a tray planting machine and a carrying execution mechanism. The tray turnover box stores the SMT material trays in a vertical arrangement mode, and an array storage position is arranged in the box and provided with an identification code. The tray planting machine inserts and takes out the SMT material trays from the tray turnover box. The carrying execution mechanism is responsible for the whole-box carrying of the tray turnover box between the storage area and the tray planting machine. The method comprises the following steps: when the tray turnover box is stored, the carrying mechanism sends the tray turnover box to the tray planting machine, the tray planting machine inserts the tray into the storage position, the system binds information, and then sends the tray turnover box back to the storage area; when the tray turnover box is taken out, the carrying mechanism sends the target tray turnover box to the tray planting machine, the tray planting machine takes out the tray, the system unbinds information, and then the tray turnover box returns. The application stores the SMT material trays in a vertical arrangement mode, realizes the whole-box circulation, compresses the storage gap, reduces the invalid travel, and improves the storage capacity and the in-and-out storage efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to an intelligent warehousing system and method for SMT material trays. Background Technology

[0002] In the electronic product manufacturing process, SMT production lines need to supply various electronic components efficiently and accurately. These components are usually wound on standard reels in tape form. With the continuous improvement of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing, electronic manufacturing companies have put forward higher requirements for the space utilization rate, inbound and outbound response speed, and equipment operation reliability of SMT material storage management, and urgently need an automated storage solution that can take into account both high-density storage and rapid picking.

[0003] Currently, the intelligent warehousing equipment commonly used in the industry for SMT palletized materials typically consists of multiple sets of parallel fixed storage racks, a stacker crane that travels along the aisle, and a loading mechanism located outside the storage compartment. Structurally, the storage locations are designed as flat shelves, with SMT material pallets placed horizontally one by one on the shelves. During storage and retrieval operations, the stacker crane, carrying telescopic grippers, moves horizontally and vertically to the target storage location to grab or place the pallet. Because the gripper mechanism requires a certain amount of clearance to reach into the storage location, a large gap must be maintained between pallets and between pallets and shelves, significantly limiting the storage density per unit space. Furthermore, each storage and retrieval operation requires the stacker crane to travel a long distance back and forth within the aisle, and only one pallet can be processed at a time, resulting in a long overall time consumption for inbound and outbound operations.

[0004] In summary, the existing technology, which uses a robotic arm to reach and grab materials on a single tray while the trays are stacked horizontally, suffers from several technical defects during operation. These defects include low space utilization due to excessive gaps between storage locations and significant time loss due to the frequent long-distance reciprocating motion of the stacker crane. These defects restrict the overall efficiency of the SMT material storage process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to propose an intelligent warehousing system and method for SMT material trays, aiming to solve the technical problem of low overall efficiency in the warehousing process caused by the existing technology's architecture of using a robotic arm to reach in and grab a single tray while horizontally stacking the trays, as well as the frequent long-distance reciprocating motion of the stacker crane.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this invention proposes an intelligent warehousing system for SMT material trays, comprising:

[0007] Warehouse area;

[0008] Material tray turnover boxes are stacked in the storage area. The material tray turnover boxes have arrayed storage positions and unique identification codes, and are configured to store SMT material trays in a vertical arrangement.

[0009] The tray loading machine is configured to perform the insertion and removal of SMT material trays into and from the material turnover box; and

[0010] The material handling actuator is configured to move the entire tray containing SMT material pallets between the warehouse area and the pallet loading machine, thereby automating the entry and exit of SMT material pallets in a whole-packet turnover and whole-packet storage manner.

[0011] Furthermore, the tray-planting machine includes:

[0012] The loading mechanism includes a loading station and a first robotic arm located at the loading station, the first robotic arm being configured to retrieve an SMT material tray from the loading station.

[0013] The first barcode reader is located at the loading station and is configured to read the SMT material tray of the loading mechanism for information verification and binding by the system.

[0014] The material handling mechanism includes a material handling station and a second robot arm located at the material handling station. The second robot arm is configured to perform clamping or insertion operations on the SMT material tray obtained from the loading mechanism by the first robot arm.

[0015] The second barcode reader is located at the material handling station and is configured to read the unique identification code of the material tray turnover box for the system to verify and bind information.

[0016] Furthermore, the loading mechanism also includes a flipping mechanism, which is located between the loading station and the second robot arm. The SMT material tray at the loading station is configured to lie flat. The first robot arm places the lying SMT material tray into the flipping mechanism, which is configured to convert the lying SMT material tray into a standing position so that it can be gripped by the second robot arm.

[0017] Furthermore, the loading station is also equipped with a first vision positioning camera, which is configured to perform visual positioning of the SMT material tray on the loading mechanism.

[0018] Furthermore, the material handling station is also equipped with a second vision positioning camera. The second vision positioning camera is configured to capture the storage location image of the material tray turnover box, identify whether the storage location shape is deformed and generate handling coordinates. When the storage location deformation is detected, the system reassigns a new target storage location.

[0019] Furthermore, the tray-planting machine also includes a connecting mechanism and a conveyor line; the connecting mechanism is configured to exchange material trays with the handling actuator, and the conveyor line is configured to transport the material trays from the connecting mechanism to the material pick-up and drop-off workstation.

[0020] Furthermore, the connecting mechanism includes an inlet connecting mechanism and / or an outlet connecting mechanism; the inlet connecting mechanism is configured to have the material tray turnover box placed into the inlet of the tray planting machine by the transport actuator, and the outlet connecting mechanism is configured to have the material tray turnover box removed from the outlet of the tray planting machine by the transport actuator.

[0021] Furthermore, the storage area and the handling mechanism adopt any of the following combinations: the storage area is a high-density pallet turnover box warehouse, and the handling mechanism is a stacker crane; or the storage area is a CTU warehouse with multiple storage locations, and the handling mechanism is a CTU handling vehicle; or the storage area is a regular rack, and the handling mechanism is an AGV or manual handling.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a host computer module; the host computer module is configured to bind the SMT material tray information with the material tray turnover box information when the material is received, and to unbind the two when the material is shipped out, thereby realizing the first-in-first-out management of the SMT material tray.

[0023] This invention also proposes an intelligent warehousing method for SMT material trays, applied to the aforementioned intelligent warehousing system, comprising the following steps:

[0024] Warehouse entry process:

[0025] The material handling actuator moves the material trays from the storage area to the tray loading machine;

[0026] The tray insertion machine inserts the SMT material trays to be stored into the storage positions of the material tray turnover box for vertical storage.

[0027] The system binds the SMT material tray information to the unique identification code of the material tray turnover box;

[0028] After the material trays and turnover boxes are loaded, they are transported back to the storage area by the handling mechanism and stored upright.

[0029] And / or,

[0030] Outbound process:

[0031] According to the outbound instruction, the material handling actuator transports the entire tray containing the target SMT material tray to the tray loading machine;

[0032] The tray loading machine picks up the target SMT material tray from the material tray turnover box and delivers it out;

[0033] The system debinds the SMT material tray information from the unique identifier of the material tray turnover box;

[0034] After the material is retrieved, the material trays and turnover boxes are returned to the storage area by the handling execution mechanism.

[0035] In this invention, the intelligent warehousing system includes a storage area, material tray turnover boxes, a tray loading machine, and a handling mechanism. The material tray turnover boxes hold SMT material trays arranged vertically, with arrayed storage positions and identification codes inside. The tray loading machine inserts SMT material trays into the material tray turnover boxes and retrieves them from the boxes. The handling mechanism is responsible for transporting the entire tray turnover boxes between the storage area and the tray loading machine. The method includes: upon receipt, the handling mechanism delivers the material tray turnover boxes to the tray loading machine, which inserts the trays into the storage positions. After the system binds the information, the material tray turnover boxes are returned to the storage area. Upon retrieval, the handling mechanism transports the target material tray turnover box to the tray loading machine, which retrieves the tray and delivers it. After the system unbinds the information, the material tray turnover box is returned. This invention, through dense storage using a vertical arrangement of trays combined with full-box circulation, compresses storage gaps, reduces ineffective travel, and significantly improves storage capacity and inbound / outbound efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the storage of existing SMT material trays;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material tray turnover box of the present invention located in a dense material tray turnover box warehouse;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material tray turnover box of the present invention located on a regular shelf;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material tray turnover box;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure of the system of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure of the system of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0042] Figure 7 This is an exemplary structural diagram of the warehousing process in the method of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is an exemplary structural diagram of the outbound process in the method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of this embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on this embodiment of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] It should be noted that if this embodiment of the present invention involves directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, counterclockwise, clockwise, circumferential, radial, axial, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0046] Furthermore, if any description in this embodiment of the invention involves terms such as "first" or "second," such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0047] Currently, in the field of surface mount technology (SMT) production, automated storage equipment configured to store and manage SMT roll reels generally adopts the architecture of traditional smart container. For example... Figure 1The diagram shows the structure of a traditional intelligent storage container. This type of container consists of multiple sets of parallel fixed storage racks, specifically used in conjunction with a stacker crane that travels along the aisle and a loading mechanism located outside the container. In practice, the storage locations employ a flat-panel rack design, with SMT material pallets stored one by one in a horizontal, flat position. During storage and retrieval operations, the stacker crane, carrying its telescopic grippers, must move a long distance horizontally and vertically to the target storage location to grab or place the pallet. This method of flat pallet storage combined with the robotic arm's single-pallet grabbing necessitates a large clearance between pallets for the gripper to enter and exit, significantly limiting the number of pallets that can be accommodated per unit space and hindering the improvement of storage density. Furthermore, the stacker crane can only handle one pallet at a time and must frequently make long-distance back-and-forth movements within the aisle, wasting a significant amount of time on ineffective travel. This makes the overall efficiency of inbound and outbound operations a bottleneck restricting the flow of SMT materials. Furthermore, if the equipment malfunctions, the materials inside the warehouse cannot be quickly and manually removed, directly affecting the continuity of production line operations.

[0048] To address the problems of low space utilization, poor inbound and outbound efficiency, and insufficient fault tolerance in traditional intelligent storage containers, this invention provides an intelligent warehousing system and method for SMT material trays. The core concept of this invention lies in changing the storage form and circulation method of the trays, transforming the traditional flat, single-tray storage and retrieval into vertically arranged, whole-box circulation of trays. The technical solution of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0049] This invention provides an intelligent storage system for SMT material trays. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, this SMT tray intelligent warehousing system includes a storage area, tray turnover boxes, tray loading machines, and handling actuators. The storage area is used for centralized storage of tray turnover boxes. The tray turnover boxes have an array of storage spaces, with partitions dividing the internal space into multiple independent storage compartments, each configured to hold one SMT material tray. The tray turnover boxes are configured to store SMT material trays vertically, meaning each tray is stored in its corresponding storage compartment in a near-vertical position. Compared to traditional flat storage, the vertical placement significantly reduces the space occupied by the trays in the vertical direction. The gap between trays only needs to be slightly larger than the thickness of the tray itself to meet the requirements for retrieval, thus accommodating more trays within the same volume of turnover box, significantly improving storage density. Each tray turnover box has a unique identification code, such as a QR code or barcode, affixed to the surface of the box for easy scanning and identification. This identification code is used by the system to identify the identity of the material tray turnover box, and to subsequently bind or unbind the SMT material tray information with the unique identification code of the material tray turnover box.

[0050] The tray loading machine, as the core workstation of this system, is configured to perform the insertion of SMT material trays into the tray turnover boxes and the retrieval of materials from the tray turnover boxes. The handling actuator is used to move the tray turnover boxes containing SMT material trays between the storage area and the tray loading machine. Its working logic is as follows: the handling actuator no longer directly performs storage and retrieval operations on individual trays, but instead treats the entire box of materials as a handling unit, transporting it back and forth between the storage area and the tray loading machine; the tray loading machine focuses on efficiently completing tray-level operations within fixed pick-and-place workstations. This division of labor significantly reduces the number of long-distance movements of the handling actuator, while the pick-and-place actions are concentrated in compact, precisely positioned workstations. The collaboration between the two enables the system to combine the advantages of high-density storage and high-speed operation, achieving automated inbound and outbound operations of SMT material trays in a whole-box turnover and whole-box storage / retrieval manner.

[0051] In this embodiment, the tray loading machine includes a loading mechanism and a material handling mechanism. The loading mechanism includes a loading station, a first robotic arm located at the loading station, and a first barcode reader. The first robotic arm is configured to retrieve SMT material trays from the loading station. It should be noted that the first robotic arm should be interpreted broadly, meaning that its end can be configured as a gripper or a suction cup, and conventional material handling techniques such as manual labor can also be used to retrieve the SMT material trays. The first barcode reader is located on one side of the loading station and is configured to read the QR code labels on the surface of the SMT material trays to be stored in the loading mechanism. Before entering the system, the SMT material trays have QR code labels containing material information affixed to their surface. The first barcode reader acquires the label content through optical scanning, and the read information covers core data such as the material name, specifications, quantity, and production date. The system uses this read information to verify the material information and associates this information with the corresponding tray turnover box during the subsequent storage process. If the code reading fails, the system can prompt manual handling or have the first robotic arm transfer the tray to the defective product temporary storage area to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the incoming data.

[0052] The material handling mechanism includes a material handling station, a second robotic arm located at the station, and a second barcode reader. The second robotic arm is configured to perform subsequent gripping or insertion operations on the SMT material trays transferred from the loading mechanism by the first robotic arm into the tray turnover boxes. The second barcode reader, located at the material handling station, is configured to read the unique identification code on the tray turnover boxes arriving at that station. When a tray turnover box enters the material handling station, the second barcode reader scans the QR code on the box to obtain its identification information. The system then verifies this identification information against the information of the material to be loaded or unloaded, ensuring that the turnover box being handled matches the one specified in the task. After warehousing is completed, the system associates the material information with the turnover box information; after warehousing is completed, the association is decoupled to maintain the real-time accuracy of inventory data.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the SMT material trays at the loading station are configured to lie flat, and a flipping mechanism is provided between the loading station and the pick-and-place station. The flipping mechanism is configured to flip the flat SMT material trays obtained by the first robot arm from the loading station to an upright position, so that the second robot arm can directly grip them vertically. In a more preferred workflow, the loading station can be a trolley that can move back and forth, on which several flat SMT material trays are pre-stacked. During operation, the operator pushes the trolley into the loading station and locks it. The first robot arm can then pick up the flat material trays one by one from the trolley and transfer them to the flipping mechanism. After receiving the material trays, the flipping mechanism performs a flipping action, for example, by rotating the gripping part by about 90 degrees through a rotary cylinder or motor, so that the material tray changes from flat to upright. Subsequently, the flipped material trays are in an upright position, waiting for the second robot arm to directly grip them vertically and perform the subsequent insertion into the turnover box. This hierarchical processing method makes the tray posture transition process smooth and controllable: the trolley provides batch feeding, the first robotic arm transfers the material from the feeding position to the flipping mechanism, the flipping mechanism is responsible for posture transition, and then the second robotic arm takes over in a vertical clamping manner. Each link has a clear responsibility, and the second robotic arm can perform vertical clamping in the most ideal posture, significantly simplifying the picking and placing path and the movement trajectory of the grippers. Without the flipping mechanism, the first robotic arm must directly transfer the flat tray to the second robotic arm, which can only operate in a horizontal clamping manner. When inserting the tray into the storage location of the turnover box, the tray needs to be adjusted from a horizontal clamping posture to an upright posture. In this process, the flipping action of the grippers is more complex, and the requirements for clamping stability and space avoidance are higher. Therefore, setting up a flipping mechanism is a preferred solution.

[0054] To further improve the accuracy and reliability of picking and placing, a first vision positioning camera can be installed at the loading station. This first vision positioning camera is configured to visually position the SMT material trays on the loading mechanism's workstation. The first vision positioning camera captures images of the loading area, and image processing algorithms identify the position and orientation of the trays to generate spatial coordinates. The first robotic arm then uses these coordinates to precisely grasp the material, avoiding picking failures or misalignments caused by slight deviations in the tray's placement. Simultaneously, a second vision positioning camera can also be installed at the picking and placing station. This second vision positioning camera is configured to capture top-view images of the tray turnover boxes located at the picking and placing station. The second visual positioning camera provides an overall image of the material tray turnover box. Using visual algorithms, it identifies the spatial position of each storage compartment and calculates precise pick-up and place-down coordinates to guide the second robotic arm to accurately insert the tray into an empty compartment or retrieve a tray from a full compartment. Simultaneously, the second visual positioning camera can also detect whether the storage compartment shape has been deformed—for example, due to mechanical impact or long-term use causing partition bending or narrowing of the compartment opening. If a deformation is detected in a storage compartment, making reliable pick-up and place impossible, the system will automatically skip that compartment and reassign a new target compartment, or trigger an alarm to prompt maintenance personnel for repair. Preferably, both the first and second visual positioning cameras can be equipped with an illumination module. This illumination module can be a ring-shaped LED light source or a strip light source, installed around the corresponding camera to provide uniform and stable active illumination to the image acquisition area. This eliminates the influence of ambient light variations or shadows on image quality, ensuring consistent brightness and clear features in the images acquired by the camera, thereby significantly improving the recognition success rate and positioning reliability of visual positioning.

[0055] As a preferred embodiment, the tray-planting machine may also include a connecting mechanism and a conveyor line. The connecting mechanism is configured to exchange trays with the handling actuator, and the conveyor line is configured to transport the trays from the connecting mechanism to the pick-and-place station. Specifically, the connecting mechanism may include an inlet connecting mechanism and an outlet connecting mechanism. The inlet connecting mechanism is configured to have the handling actuator place the trays into the inlet of the tray-planting machine, and the outlet connecting mechanism is configured to have the handling actuator remove the trays from the outlet of the tray-planting machine. The conveyor line may be, for example, a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor, driven by a motor to smoothly transfer the trays from the connecting mechanism to the pick-and-place station, and then send them out to the outlet connecting mechanism after the operation is completed. This achieves the orderly flow of trays within the tray-planting machine. It should be noted that the connecting mechanism and conveyor line are not necessary for realizing the present invention. When the application scenario is relatively simple or the degree of automation is not high, the material tray turnover box can also be manually moved to the material picking and placing work position and positioned, which can also realize the core function of the present invention.

[0056] Through the above structural configuration, this invention clarifies two independent logistics paths for SMT material trays to enter the tray loading machine, completely separating box-level handling from tray-level supply at both the physical and logical levels. The first path is the box-level path: the handling actuator delivers entire boxes of material trays to the tray loading machine via the inlet connection mechanism, then to the pick-and-place station via a conveyor line for storage and retrieval, and finally out via the outlet connection mechanism. The second path is the tray-level path: individual SMT material trays to be received are manually placed in batches on the loading mechanism, which separates them one by one and transports them to a fixed pick-up position at the loading station, where the first robotic arm retrieves each tray and transfers it to the pick-and-place station. This dual-path parallel architecture effectively avoids operational conflicts between the handling actuator and manual loading at the interface, allowing internal operations and external handling of the tray loading machine to be performed in parallel, significantly improving the overall system efficiency.

[0057] This invention does not limit the specific form of the storage area and the handling mechanism; they can be combined in various ways to meet the needs of different application scenarios. For example, the first combination is: the storage area uses a high-density pallet / turnover warehouse, and the handling mechanism is a corresponding stacker crane. The stacker crane travels along the overhead rails in the aisles, using its forks to reach into the racks to lift or clamp the pallets / turnover boxes to complete the inbound and outbound handling of whole boxes. The second combination is: the storage area is a CTU warehouse with multiple storage locations, and the handling mechanism is a CTU transport vehicle, which can autonomously travel in the rack aisles and retrieve boxes. The third combination is: the storage area uses ordinary racks, and the handling mechanism is either an AGV or manual handling. The palletizer connects to the above-mentioned handling mechanisms through standardized interfaces, allowing stacker cranes, CTUs, and AGVs to smoothly place pallets / turnover boxes at the palletizer's entrance or remove them from the exit, achieving system architecture flexibility and high configurability.

[0058] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the intelligent warehousing system of the present invention may also include a host computer module. The host computer module is configured to perform task scheduling and data management for the entire inbound and outbound process. During the inbound process, after the first barcode reader reads the SMT material tray information and the second barcode reader reads the unique identifier of the tray's turnover box, the host computer module associates and binds the two, recording which turnover box and which storage location the material is specifically stored in, forming a one-to-one corresponding inventory record. During the outbound process, when the material is taken out of the turnover box, the host computer module immediately unbinds the two, releasing the corresponding storage location to a usable state. Simultaneously, the host computer module can also automatically allocate outbound materials according to the production date or batch information of the materials, following the first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle, achieving precise inventory control and material expiration date management.

[0059] As explained above, the shift from single-pallet gripping to whole-box grabbing and circulation of pallets and totes leads to a leap in warehousing efficiency. This improvement is achieved through the synergistic optimization of the following three levels:

[0060] Firstly, the frequency of handling and unnecessary travel are significantly reduced. In the existing single-pallet storage and retrieval mode, the handling mechanism must complete a full round trip in the aisle for each pallet of material to be handled. Retrieving N pallets of material requires N long-distance movements, with a significant amount of time wasted on empty runs. This invention uses the pallet tote as the smallest handling and storage unit, allowing multiple pallets to be carried simultaneously in a single full-box transport. The number of round trips between the storage area and the pallet loading machine is reduced from being proportional to the number of pallets to being proportional to the number of tote boxes, resulting in an order-of-magnitude reduction in unnecessary travel distance.

[0061] Secondly, the increased storage density leads to a shorter average handling distance. The vertical arrangement of SMT material trays within the turnover box densely accommodates them, eliminating the clearance required for horizontal storage of single trays. This significantly increases the number of trays that can be stored per unit space, resulting in a more compact material distribution while maintaining the same warehouse volume. This increased storage density further reduces the average displacement of the handling mechanism within the warehouse when performing the same batch of tasks, thereby compressing the overall travel time for a single inbound / outbound task.

[0062] Third, the combination of whole-box gripping and tray-level operation enables parallel operation. This invention integrates the precise tray-level operation into a fixed working position of the tray-planting machine, allowing it to be completed independently. The handling mechanism only needs to perform standardized conveying of whole boxes, without needing to consider the precise positioning and avoidance actions when the grippers extend into the storage location. This division of labor allows the box-level flow on the storage side to be executed in parallel with the tray-level insertion and gripping on the tray-planting machine side, eliminating the serial bottleneck in traditional solutions where the handling mechanism must wait for each tray to complete the storage location operation before it can continue moving. As a result, the overall throughput capacity of the system is multiplied.

[0063] The synergistic effect of the above three levels enables the warehousing system to transform from multiple single-pallet storage and retrieval to a highly efficient operational paradigm of single-box storage and retrieval and batch processing within the station, thereby improving storage capacity and inbound / outbound efficiency.

[0064] This embodiment also provides an intelligent warehousing method for SMT material trays, which can be applied to the system described in any of the above embodiments. For example... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, this method includes an inbound process and an outbound process. The two processes can be executed independently, or they can be executed in parallel or alternately according to actual production needs.

[0065] Warehouse entry process:

[0066] In the warehousing process, the handling actuator first moves the material trays from the storage area to the tray loading machine according to the warehousing instructions. Specifically, the handling actuator retrieves the material trays from the target storage location in the storage area according to system instructions. After manual transport or transfer by the entrance connecting mechanism and the conveyor line, the material trays arrive at the loading station of the tray loading machine and are positioned. The tray loading machine uses the loading mechanism to insert the SMT material trays to be warehoused into the target storage location of the material trays at the loading station. After each tray is inserted, the system binds the SMT material tray information with the unique identifier of the material tray and records the storage location. When the warehousing task is completed, the material trays are transported from the conveyor line to the exit connecting mechanism, where the handling actuator removes the material trays and returns them to the storage area.

[0067] Outbound process:

[0068] In the outbound process, the handling actuator, based on the outbound instruction, transports the entire tray containing the target SMT material tray from the storage area to the tray loading machine. The tray is then transported to the pick-and-place station via the entrance connection mechanism and conveyor line and positioned. The tray loading machine picks the target material tray from the tray and moves it out. The unloading process can be accomplished using a collection box; an additional station is added to the connection mechanism, and a collection box is placed there. The handling actuator then connects to this station to move the entire tray out. The structure of the collection box is based on or directly uses the tray. Each time the tray loading machine removes a tray, the system debinds the SMT material tray information from the tray's unique identifier and updates the inventory status. After the tray has been retrieved, the handling actuator returns it to the storage area at the exit connection mechanism.

[0069] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present invention using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent warehousing system for SMT material trays, characterized in that, include: Warehouse area; Material tray turnover boxes are stacked in the storage area. The material tray turnover boxes have arrayed storage positions and unique identification codes, and are configured to store SMT material trays in a vertical arrangement. A tray loading machine is configured to perform the insertion of SMT material trays into a material turnover box and the retrieval of material trays from the material turnover box. as well as The material handling actuator is configured to move the trays containing SMT material pallets between the warehouse area and the pallet loading machine in whole boxes, so as to realize the automated entry and exit of SMT material pallets in the form of whole box turnover and whole box storage and retrieval. The specific components of the tray planting machine include: The loading mechanism includes a loading station and a first robotic arm located at the loading station, the first robotic arm being configured to retrieve an SMT material tray from the loading station; The first barcode reader is located at the loading station and is configured to read the SMT material tray of the loading mechanism for information verification and binding by the system. The material handling mechanism includes a material handling station and a second robot arm located at the material handling station. The second robot arm is configured to perform clamping or insertion operations on the SMT material tray obtained from the loading mechanism by the first robot arm. The second barcode reader is located at the material handling station and is configured to read the unique identification code of the material tray turnover box for the system to perform information verification and binding.

2. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The loading mechanism also includes a flipping mechanism, which is located between the loading station and the second robot arm. The SMT material tray at the loading station is configured to lie flat. The first robot arm places the lying SMT material tray into the flipping mechanism, which is configured to convert the lying SMT material tray into a standing position so that it can be gripped by the second robot arm.

3. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The loading station is also equipped with a first vision positioning camera, which is configured to perform visual positioning of the SMT material tray on the loading mechanism.

4. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The material handling station is also equipped with a second vision positioning camera. The second vision positioning camera is configured to capture the storage location image of the material tray turnover box, identify whether the storage location shape is deformed and generate the handling coordinates. When the storage location deformation is detected, the system reassigns a new target storage location.

5. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tray-planting machine also includes a connecting mechanism and a conveyor line; the connecting mechanism is configured to exchange material trays with the handling actuator, and the conveyor line is configured to transport the material trays from the connecting mechanism to the material pick-up and drop-off workstation.

6. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The connection mechanism includes an inlet connection mechanism and / or an outlet connection mechanism; the inlet connection mechanism is configured to have the material tray turnover box placed into the inlet of the tray planting machine by the handling actuator, and the outlet connection mechanism is configured to have the material tray turnover box removed from the outlet of the tray planting machine by the handling actuator.

7. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The storage area and the handling mechanism adopt any of the following combinations: the storage area is a high-density pallet turnover box warehouse, and the handling mechanism is a stacker crane; or the storage area is a CTU warehouse with multiple storage locations, and the handling mechanism is a CTU handling vehicle; or the storage area is a regular rack, and the handling mechanism is an AGV or manual handling.

8. The intelligent warehousing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a host computer module; the host computer module is configured to bind the SMT material tray information with the material tray turnover box information when the material is received, and unbind the two when the material is shipped out, so as to realize the first-in-first-out management of the SMT material tray.

9. A smart storage method for SMT material trays, applied to the system described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, include: Warehouse entry process: The material handling actuator moves the material trays from the storage area to the tray loading machine; The tray insertion machine inserts the SMT material trays to be stored into the storage positions of the material tray turnover box for vertical storage. The system binds the SMT material tray information to the unique identification code of the material tray turnover box; After the material trays and turnover boxes are loaded, they are transported back to the storage area by the handling mechanism and stored upright. And / or, Outbound process: According to the outbound instruction, the material handling actuator transports the entire tray containing the target SMT material tray to the tray loading machine; The tray loading machine picks up the target SMT material tray from the material tray turnover box and delivers it out; The system debinds the SMT material tray information from the unique identifier of the material tray turnover box; After the material is retrieved, the material trays and turnover boxes are returned to the storage area by the handling execution mechanism.

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