Management system and management method

Abstract

To provide a management system and a management method for improving the efficiency of transporting input items in the management system that manages processes based on a plurality of instructions.SOLUTION: A management system 20 for managing processes includes a memory unit 24E that stores instructions 300 that define a process flow and input items to be input into a process, a process management unit 24 that manages the progress of the process based on the progress of the instructions, and an unmanned guided vehicle operation management unit 26. The process management unit 24 enables the input items for each of the multiple instructions to be transported together by an unmanned guided vehicle 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system and a management method for managing the progress of a process based on the progress of instructions. [Background technology]

[0002] A smart factory is known as a conventional implementation of this type of management system. In a smart factory, various facilities such as production lines and conveyor lines are connected to a management system via a network, and it is known that the smart factory can optimize production activities and improve the efficiency of information management.

[0003] In smart factories, computers manage the progress of processes based on instructions. Smart factories use automated guided vehicles such as AGVs and AMRs to transport inputs such as materials and parts that are put into processes within the site in accordance with the progress of the manufacturing process. The introduction of automated guided vehicles not only optimizes transport control, allowing inputs to be transported efficiently in accordance with production plans, but also has the advantage of reducing the burden on workers and suppressing on-site inventory.

[0004] Conventionally, as a conventional technology related to this type of smart factory, there is a transport control device described in JP 2009-166978 A. This transport control device calculates a transport load based on the planned transport amount between the warehouse and the manufacturing equipment planned by a warehouse loading / unloading planning unit and the route between the warehouse and the manufacturing equipment calculated by a transport route calculation unit, and performs transport control.

[0005] Furthermore, as another conventional technique, there is a production management device described in WO2021 / 234942. This production management device calculates the parts required to start or continue production based on the production plan, parts inventory information, and production time information, and outputs shipping data indicating the time to ship the corresponding parts from the warehouse. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-166978 A [Patent Document 2] WO2021 / 234942 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a system that manages the progress of a product manufacturing process by instructions, such as a smart factory, products and materials are transported by an automated guided vehicle in accordance with the progress of the instructions. However, for example, under the recent trend that the characteristics of products are inevitably diversified, there is a problem that the number of instructions increases, and the frequency of transporting input items by the automated guided vehicle increases, resulting in a decrease in transport efficiency. The present invention aims to provide a management system and a management method that improve the transport efficiency of input items in a management system that manages the progress of a process based on multiple instructions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a management system for managing a process, comprising a memory unit for storing instructions that define a flow of the process and input items to be input into the process, a process management unit for managing the progress of the process according to the progress of the instructions, and an operation management unit for an automated guided vehicle, wherein the process management unit is capable of transporting input items of a plurality of instructions collectively by the automated guided vehicle. The present invention further provides a management method. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The present invention can improve the efficiency of transporting input items in a management system that manages processes based on a plurality of instructions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an entire system of a smart factory in which a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the entire batch conveyance. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an example of an instruction table. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the details of the process of determining candidates for collective transport target instructions. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a master table for collective transport. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a batch transport candidate table. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of the stock amount confirmation process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an ordered input product information table. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an inventory table. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a transportation allocable inventory table. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the details of the status confirmation process for an AGV (automated guided vehicle). [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is an AGV transportation status table showing the operation status of the AGV. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is the AGV master table. [Figure 12C] FIG. 12C is an AGV transport time table. [Figure 12D] FIG. 12D shows a bulk transportable AGV table 700D. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a process for determining a target for collective transport. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows the collective conveying table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. (Explanation of the overall system / MES) 1 is a block diagram of the overall system of a smart factory in which an embodiment of the management system of the present invention is implemented. The overall system includes an MES (manufacturing execution management system) 20, a host system 10 of the MES 20, an AGV (automated guided vehicle) operation system 28, and an AGV 30. A server in which the MES 20 is implemented is connected to the server 10 in which the host system 10 is implemented via a network. The AGV operation system 28 is implemented in a computer separate from the server of the MES 20, and they are connected to each other via a network.

[0012] The upper system 10 manages the production plan in the smart factory. The upper system 10 includes a storage 10B for recording the production plan, a transmission unit 10A for transmitting the production plan to the MES 20, a storage 10D for recording the manufacturing results, and a unit 10C for receiving the manufacturing results from the MES. The production plan is formulated by the production management department and registered in the storage 10B. The production plan transmission unit 10A reads the production plan from the storage 10B and transmits it to the MES 20. Note that the term "unit" may refer to a function realized by a control device, which is a hardware resource such as a controller or a processor, executing a program. This term may be replaced with a function, a means, a circuit, a unit, a module, or the like.

[0013] The MES 20 includes a host communication unit 22, a process management unit 24, and an AGV operation management unit 26. The process management unit 24 manages the progress of a manufacturing process based on the progress of a manufacturing instruction. The instruction specifies the progress of the manufacturing process and the handling of input items such as materials input to the process. The process management unit 24 manages the progress of the process based on the instruction. The process whose progress is managed based on the progress of the instruction may be a process other than a manufacturing or assembly process.

[0014] The upper communication unit 22 mediates communication between the process management unit 24 and the upper system 10, and when it receives a production plan from the upper system 10 as received data 22A, the upper reception processing unit 22B transmits it to the process management unit 24. The process management unit 24 stores the received production plan and various associated masters in its storage 24A.

[0015] The control unit 24B controls and manages the manufacturing process of the product based on the production plan of the storage 24A and the instruction (written) data extracted from the production plan. The control unit 24B stores the product manufacturing results in the storage 24C. The control unit 24B detects the time-series status of the inventory of parts and materials (process input items) during the product manufacturing process and registers it in the storage 24D. The reference numeral 24E denotes a storage unit for instruction data, control tables, management data, etc., referenced by the control unit 24B. The control unit 24B stores the instruction data extracted from the production plan in the storage unit 24E of the storage 24A.

[0016] The upper transmission processing unit 22C of the upper communication unit 22 transmits the manufacturing record of the storage 24C as transmission data 22D to the manufacturing record receiving unit 10C of the upper system 10. The manufacturing record receiving unit 10C registers the received manufacturing record in the storage 10D.

[0017] The control unit 24B controls the AGVs to transport the products, materials for manufacturing the products, parts, etc. (input items to be input into the manufacturing process) in the process of managing the manufacturing process of the products based on the instruction data. The AGV management unit 26A of the AGV operation management unit 26 forms an AGV drive signal under the control of the control unit 24B, and the transmission processing unit 26B executes a transmission process to transmit this to the AGV operation system 28. The transmission processing unit 26B stores the AGV drive signal in the storage 26C as an AGV drive history.

[0018] The reception processing unit 28C of the AGV operation system 28 receives the AGV drive signal as reception data 28A and supplies it to the AGV transport control unit 28E. The AGV transport control unit 28E forms a drive signal for each of the multiple AGVs and supplies it to each AGV. The operation state of the AGV 30 is transmitted from the transmission processing unit 28D to the reception processing unit 26D of the AGV operation management unit 26 as transmission data 28B via the AGV transport control unit 28E. The reception processing unit 26D stores the received data as an AGV drive history in the storage 26C. The AGV management unit 26A forms a command signal to the AGV operation system 28 under the control of the control unit 24B, and the transmission processing unit 26B transmits the command signal to the AGV operation system 28. The transmission processing unit 26B records the transmission data in the storage 26C as an AGV operation history. The control unit 24B can refer to the AGV drive history in the storage 26C via the AGV management unit 26A.

[0019] The control unit 24B operates the AGV to transport input items such as parts and materials to be used for the manufacture of products to a specified work zone in the factory according to the instruction. Conventionally, the control unit 24B has not considered transporting input items across multiple instructions in a lump (hereinafter, abbreviated as lump transport), and input items have been transported by the AGV for each instruction. The present invention is a management system for managing a process, and includes a memory unit 24E for instructions that define the flow of the process, a process management unit 24 that manages the progress of the process according to the progress of the instructions, and an AGV operation management unit 26 for an unmanned guided vehicle that transports input items used in the process within a management area, and the process management unit 24 selects multiple instructions from the memory unit 24E and creates a plan or schedule for lump transport of input items of each of the multiple instructions in a lump by the unmanned guided vehicle, and the AGV operation management unit 26 executes the lump transport based on the plan or the like. This reduces the number of times that input items are transported, reduces the transport load of the unmanned guided vehicle, and improves transport efficiency. The control area refers to the area of ​​a factory or warehouse where a process is carried out.

[0020] (Overall explanation of bulk transport) The collective transport will be explained using a flowchart. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the whole collective transport. The control unit 24B refers to the production plan of the storage 24A, extracts a plurality of instructions from the production plan, and collectively registers the plurality of instructions in the instruction table 300. The control unit 24B stores this in the memory unit 24E (S200: instruction data registration means).

[0021] (Instruction table: a collection of multiple instructions) An example of an instruction table 300 is shown in Fig. 3. The instruction table has a plurality of instructions, each of which is identified by a manufacturing instruction number, and each instruction specifies information related to the progress of work processes such as the manufacturing and sorting of products or goods in a factory, warehouse, etc. Taking product manufacturing as an example, as shown in Fig. 3, for each manufacturing instruction number, the product name code, manufacturing lot number, scheduled manufacturing start date and time, scheduled manufacturing end date and time, scheduled delivery completion date, scheduled manufacturing quantity, delivery destination, and information on whether the instruction has been approved or not are specified.

[0022] The set of instructions shown in Fig. 3 includes five instructions indicated by manufacturing instruction numbers 100-104, and each instruction describes the process of manufacturing the product indicated as the product code, with other contents as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, each instruction specifies the progress of the process. Conventionally, the transportation of products, parts, materials, etc. (inputs input to a process) was performed within the scope of the instruction number (per instruction), but MES20 can transport multiple inputs together across multiple instructions.

[0023] (Overall explanation of bulk transport: Figure 2) The control unit 24B refers to the instruction table 300 in the storage unit 24E, selects a plurality of instructions that are candidates for consolidated transport, and creates a consolidated transport candidate instruction table 400 (FIG. 6: consolidated transport candidate setting means) in which the selected instructions are registered in the table. Next, the control unit 24B checks the inventory status of the input items to be consolidated transported (S201: inventory status checking means), and creates a table 650 of inventory that can be allocated for consolidated transport (FIG. 10: consolidated transport allocation available inventory setting means).

[0024] Then, the control unit 24B checks the operation status of the automatic guided vehicles (S202: automatic guided vehicle status checking means) and creates a table 700D of automatic guided vehicles that can be transported in a batch (FIG. 12D: automatic guided vehicle setting means for batch transport). The control unit 24B sets a combination of instructions to be transported in a batch and their input items by referring to the batch transport available inventory table 650 and the table 700D of automatic guided vehicles that can be transported in a batch based on the batch transport candidate instruction table 400 (S203), and creates a batch transport table 800 (FIG. 14). The control unit 24B refers to the batch transport table 800 (batch transport setting means) and instructs the automatic guided vehicle to transport (S204: automatic guided vehicle transport instruction means), and records this in the AGV driving history of the storage 26C as a transport record. The control unit 24B may execute the flowchart of FIG. 2 for a plurality of instructions to which batch transport can be applied at a predetermined timing.

[0025] (Candidates for combinations of instructions that are the basis for bulk transport) Fig. 4 is a flow chart for explaining in detail the determination of candidate combinations of instructions that are the basis for the collective transport of input items. A plurality of instructions that can be collective transported are instructions that each have a product name code listed in the master table 350 (Fig. 5). The control unit 24B can also exclude from the targets of collective transport an instruction that has no time between the scheduled collective transport date and time and the production start date and time, or an instruction that has an unnecessarily long time between the scheduled collective transport date and time and the production start date and time. The control unit 24B refers to the instruction table 300 (Fig. 3) and the collective transport master table 350 (Fig. 5) (S400).

[0026] (Master table for bulk transport 350) The master table 350 for collective transport shown in FIG. 5 is for clarifying whether the instructions in the instruction table 300 (FIG. 3) can be the target of collective transport (sorting information). The master table 350 for collective transport indicates whether each product name is the target of collective transport. The master table 350 for collective transport indicates that an instruction whose product name code is at least one of the four products shown in FIG. 5 is the target of collective transport. Therefore, according to the instruction table 300, instruction numbers 100-102 and 104 are the targets of collective transport. By registering the product name codes in the master table 350, it is possible to easily set a combination of multiple instructions to which collective transport is applicable. Since instruction number 103 is unapproved (exclusion flag), it is not the target of collective transport. The control unit 24B can set an exclusion flag to a specific instruction upon receiving a request from a user. This flag can be used to control the instruction so that it is not the target of collective transport.

[0027] The master table 350 for collective transport may be created in advance by an administrator of the MES 20 and stored in the memory 24E. When it is desired to manufacture products quickly, or when it is desired to avoid discoloration or odor transfer due to collective transport, registration in the master table 350 for collective transport may be refrained from.

[0028] The control unit 24B combines the product name code in the instruction table 300 with the product name code in the master data table 350 for collective transport (S401), and determines whether or not there is a product name code of a candidate for collective transport in the instruction table 300 (S402). Note that the control unit 24B excludes instructions whose status in the instruction table 300 is unapproved from the determination targets.

[0029] (Bulk transport candidate table 400) The control unit 24B sorts and lists the collective transport candidates by scheduled transport completion date and time (ascending order) and lot number (ascending order), and stores the list in the memory 24E as a collective transport candidate table 400. Fig. 6 shows the collective transport candidate table 400. The collective transport candidate table 400 indicates that manufacturing instruction numbers 100-102 and 104 in the instruction table 300 are candidates for collective transport.

[0030] The collective transport candidate table 400 includes time information on transport (scheduled manufacturing start date, scheduled transport completion date and time), location information on the transport source (source station, source zone), and location information on the transport destination (destination station, destination zone). Information that is not in the instruction table 300 is read out from the production plan 24 by the control unit 24B.

[0031] For instructions that are not subject to collective transport, the control unit 24B executes individual transport for each instruction, as in the past. If the control unit 24B determines negative in step S402, it does not continue the collective transport in Fig. 2 and ends the processing in Fig. 2. If the control unit 24B determines positive in step S402, it creates the collective transport candidate table 400 (S403) and returns to the processing in Fig. 2.

[0032] (Stock quantity confirmation process) 7 is a flowchart showing details of the inventory confirmation process (S202). The control unit 24B collects the inventory amount that can be allocated to the consolidated delivery for each of the multiple input items that are candidates for consolidated transport (S700). Then, the control unit 24B refers to the consolidated transport candidate table 400, the instruction input item information table 550 (FIG. 8), and the input item inventory information table 600 (FIG. 9).

[0033] (Instruction input product information table 550) In the instruction input item information table 550 (FIG. 8), the input item is input to the manufacturing (process) of the product of each instruction in the consolidated transport candidate table 400, and it is easy to understand if you imagine it as the material or parts of the product. The input item is the target of consolidated transport. The instruction input item information table 550 has records of the input item name code, input order, required amount, and on-site inventory zone for each manufacturing instruction number. For example, for the product (FIG. 3: Seihin_A) of manufacturing instruction number 100, it shows that material 1 (input item: Item_A), material 2 (input item: Item_B), and material 3 (input item: Item_C) are input in this order to the manufacturing of the product (Seihin_A). The required amount is the weight (kg) of the input item, and the on-site inventory zone shows the name of the site where the input item exists or is used as inventory. The control unit 24B refers to the collective transport master table 350 to create an instruction input product information table 550 based on the production plan 24A in advance, and stores the table in the storage unit 24E.

[0034] (Input Item Inventory Information Table 600) 9 is an example of input item inventory information table 600. Control unit 24B creates input item inventory information table 600 with reference to inventory status 24D, and stores it in advance in storage unit 24E. Input item inventory information table 600 registers input item name code, lot number, transport category and code of zone where inventory exists, inventory quantity, and allocable quantity. Inventory is divided into inventory that exists in the work site for the manufacture of products (transport category: destination) and inventory that exists in the source area before being transported to the work site (transport category: source). The allocable quantity in the destination inventory is that which can be used for the manufacture of products, and the allocable quantity in the source inventory is that which can be adapted for bulk transport.

[0035] 7 is a flowchart showing details of the confirmation process of the stock amount of input items. In S700, the control unit 24B refers to the consolidated transport candidate table 400, the instruction input item information table 550, and the input item stock information table 600. In S701, the control unit 24B combines the instruction number in the consolidated transport candidate table 400 with the manufacturing instruction number in the instruction input item information table 550. Furthermore, the control unit 24B combines the input item name code in the instruction input item information table 550 with the item name code in the input item stock information table 600, and extracts information under the following conditions to create a work table. conditions: (Available quantity in inventory table>0) and {(Zone code in inventory table = On-site inventory zone in instruction input information) or Zone code in inventory table = Source zone of bulk delivery candidates)}

[0036] (Bulk Delivery Allocation Available Inventory Table 650) The control unit 24B creates a bulk transport available inventory table 650 (FIG. 10) by setting the records that match the search conditions as the bulk transport available inventory (S702). The control unit 24B stores the bulk transport available inventory table 650 in the memory unit 24E. The transport category in the bulk transport available inventory table 650 is the transport source, and the inventory quantity of the input item with the input item name code and lot number whose zone code is the transport source becomes the quantity that can be allocated for bulk transport.

[0037] (Automated guided vehicle status confirmation process) Next, the details of the automatic guided vehicle status confirmation process will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart of the process. The control unit 24B reads the automatic guided vehicle transport status table 700A, the automatic guided vehicle master table 700B, and the automatic guided vehicle transport time table 700C from the storage 26C via the AGV management unit 26A (S1100). These tables are created by the AGV management unit 26A.

[0038] An example of the automatic guided vehicle master table 700B is shown in Fig. 12B. The automatic guided vehicle master table 12B has information on the AGV number, the AGV name, and the weight that can be carried. There are two types of automatic guided vehicles: a light-weight carrying type and a heavy-weight carrying type.

[0039] An example of an automated guided vehicle transport time table 700C is shown in Fig. 12C. The table 700C records the origin, destination, and average time required from the origin to the delivery destination for each automated guided vehicle number. The automated guided vehicle transport time table 700C records the AGV number and the number of records corresponding to the combination of the origin and destination.

[0040] 12A shows an example of an AGV transport status table 700A showing the operation status of an AGV. The AGV delivery status table 700A includes information on the transport start date and time, transport status (waiting / transporting), transport origin, and transport destination for each AGV number. The reception processing unit 26D of the AGV operation management unit 26 can detect the operation status of the AGV by recording the data received from the AGV operation system 28 in the AGV driving history 26C.

[0041] The control unit 24B combines the AGV number in the AGV master table 700B with the AGV number in the AGV transport status 700A, and further combines the AGV number in the AGV transport time table 700C with the AGV number in the AGV master table 700B to create a work table (S1101).

[0042] (Automated guided vehicle table 700D capable of bulk transport) The control unit 24B determines whether there is an automated guided vehicle that can be transported (S1102). If the transport status of the automated guided vehicle transport status is "transportable" or "transporting", the control unit 24B returns an affirmative answer to S1102. The control unit 24B creates a batch-transportable automated guided vehicle table 700D (FIG. 12D) by registering records that match the search conditions in the work table as automated guided vehicles that can be transported (S1103), stores the table in the storage unit 24E, and ends the flow chart.

[0043] If the control unit 24B determines in S1102 that the vehicle is not ready to be transported, the process returns to S1100 and repeats the steps until a ready-to-transport automated guided vehicle appears. However, if a ready-to-transport automated guided vehicle does not exist even after repeating the steps for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times, the process may end the flow chart of FIG. 11 as an error.

[0044] The table 700D of automated guided vehicles available for collective transport includes information on the automated guided vehicle number, the origin, the destination, the time required for transport completion, the loadable weight, and the scheduled date and time of transport completion. The control unit 24B may exclude an automated guided vehicle that is currently being transported from the available automated guided vehicles. In addition, the control unit 24B may distinguish whether an automated guided vehicle is available for transport based on the remaining time until the automated guided vehicle reaches the destination.

[0045] Next, an example of a process for determining a consolidated transport target from information on consolidated transport candidates and transportable automated guided vehicles will be described. Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the process, and the control unit 24B creates a list for the consolidated transport table 800 (Fig. 14) for each combination of transport source and delivery destination (consolidated transport number) by referring to the consolidated transport candidate table 400 (S1300). The list has the consolidated transport number, input item code, input order, required transport amount, and on-site inventory usage amount. The control unit 24B refers to the consolidated transport available inventory table 650 to obtain the available inventory amount of the input item of each instruction on the list (S1301).

[0046] Next, the control unit 24B calculates the required transport amount of the input items in the input order (S1302). The control unit 24B can calculate the required transport amount by subtracting the inventory amount from the required amount based on the required amount and the inventory amount in the work area of ​​the input item (instruction input item information table 550).

[0047] In the next step S1303, the control unit 24B adds to the list of the consolidated transport table (S1304) records in which the required transport amount is greater than 0 and the source available inventory amount in the consolidated transport available inventory table 600 is equal to or greater than the required transport amount. If the control unit 24B makes a negative determination in S1303, it jumps to S1305.

[0048] In S1305, the control unit 24B judges whether the process up to S1304 has been completed for all input items that are candidates for collective transport. If the control unit 24B judges negative, the process returns to S1302, and if positive, the process proceeds to S1306. In S1306, the control unit 24B judges whether the process up to S1306 has been completed for all instructions of the candidates for collective transport, and if negative, the process returns to S1301. If the control unit 24B judges positive, the control unit 24B calculates the total required transport amount by adding up the required transport amounts for the collectively input items in the order of the instructions of the transport completion date and time (S1307).

[0049] Next, the control unit 24B refers to the available AGV table 700D and selects AGVs that have the same combination of origin and destination as the collective transport and are waiting for transport or have an earlier scheduled transport completion time (S1308).

[0050] Next, the control unit 24B compares the total required transport amount of input items with the loadable weight of the selected AGV to check whether collective transport is possible, and judges whether the latter is equal to or greater than the former (S1309). If the control unit 24B judges this as positive, it subtracts the total required transport amount from the loadable weight of the AGV, registers the list together with the combination with the AGV as the collective transport table 800 in the storage unit 24E (S1310), and proceeds to S1311. If the control unit 24B judges S1309 as negative, it skips S1310 and proceeds to S1311. The control unit 24B judges whether collective transport is possible for all combinations of destination and source, and if the judgment is positive, it ends the flowchart, and if the judgment is negative, it returns to S1300.

[0051] The control unit 24B executes a bulk transport based on the bulk transport table 800 (transportation plan) for each bulk transport number. As a result of the bulk transport, input items are transported across multiple instructions, so the number of transports is reduced, the delivery load on transport-related equipment such as automated guided vehicles can be reduced, and transport efficiency can be improved. In S1309 of FIG. 13, if the total required transport amount exceeds the loadable weight, bulk transport is not performed, but a portion of the weight may be left and bulk transport may be prioritized. The remaining weight of input items is used for transport other than bulk transport, such as individual transport.

[0052] As described above, the management system 20 includes a memory unit 24E that stores instructions 300 that specify the flow of a process and the input items to be input to the process, a process management unit 24 that manages the progress of the process according to the progress of the instructions, and an automated guided vehicle operation management unit 26, and the process management unit 24 is configured to transport input items of each of a plurality of instructions collectively by the automated guided vehicle 30. The process management unit 24 selects a plurality of instructions 400 that are candidates for collective transport, and creates a transport plan 800 for input items suitable for collective transport by the automated guided vehicle based on the input items of each of the plurality of instructions, and the operation management unit 26 causes the automated guided vehicle to carry out collective transport of the input items based on the transport plan. By doing so, the number of transports of the input items is reduced, and the transport load of the automated guided vehicle is reduced and the transport efficiency is improved, which results in the progress of the process being promoted, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of the product.

[0053] Furthermore, the process management unit 24 selects an instruction 400 that is a candidate for collective transport from among the multiple instructions 300 in the memory unit 24E, based on the sorting information 350. This reduces the number of transports of input items, reduces the transport load of the automatic guided vehicle, and improves transport efficiency.

[0054] Furthermore, the process management unit 24 selects instructions 400 that are candidates for consolidated transport from among the instructions stored in the memory unit 24E based on the sorting information 350. In this manner, the process management unit 24 can easily set multiple instructions 400 that are candidates for consolidated transport from among the instructions stored in the memory unit 24E based on the sorting information 350. The sorting information 350 has combinations of multiple input items, and the process management unit 24 sets instructions that include at least one of the multiple input items as targets for consolidated transport (400).

[0055] The process management unit 24 calculates the available inventory amount 650 that can be allocated for the consolidated transport of the input items based on the inventory information 600 of the input items of the multiple instructions 400 that are candidates for consolidated transport, and can determine the input items suitable for consolidated transport based on the available inventory amount. The operation management unit 24 then selects an automated guided vehicle suitable for consolidated transport from among the multiple automated guided vehicles based on the operation status of each of the multiple automated guided vehicles (S1309, S1310), and transports the input items selected by the process management unit as suitable for consolidated transport from among the input items of the multiple instructions that are candidates for consolidated transport, by the selected automated guided vehicle. As a result, the process management unit 24 can reliably perform consolidated transport of the multiple input items across multiple instructions by the automated guided vehicle.

[0056] Furthermore, if the available inventory amount 650 of the input item is equal to or greater than the required amount at the destination of the input item (S1305), the process management unit 24 includes the input item in the list of items to be transported in a consolidated manner (S1304). In this manner, the process management unit 24 can determine input items suitable for consolidated transport. Furthermore, the process management unit 24 calculates the total transport amount of each of the input items to be transported in a consolidated manner, and if the total amount is equal to or less than the load capacity of the automated guided vehicle, the operation management unit causes the automated guided vehicle to transport the input items in a consolidated manner. In this manner, consolidated transport can be achieved using a single automated guided vehicle.

[0057] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 20: Management system, 24: Process management unit, 24E: Memory unit, 26: AGV operation management unit, 30: Automated guided vehicle, 300 (400): Instruction

Claims

1. A process management system, comprising: a memory unit for storing instructions defining the process flow and inputs to be input into the process; a process management unit that manages the progress of the process according to the progress of the instruction; The automated guided vehicle operation management department, Equipped with The process management unit is configured so that input items of each of a plurality of instructions can be transported together by the automated guided vehicle. Management system.

2. The process management unit Select a plurality of instructions that are candidates for the consolidated transport, creating a transportation plan for the input items suitable for being transported collectively by the automated guided vehicle based on the input items of each of the plurality of instructions; The operation management unit causes the automated guided vehicle to carry out collective transport of the input items based on the transport plan. The management system according to claim 1.

3. The process management unit selecting instructions that are candidates for collective transport from the plurality of instructions in the storage unit based on the sorting information; The management system according to claim 2.

4. The sorting information includes a combination of the input items, the process management unit determines an instruction including at least one input item of the combination as a candidate for the collective transport. The management system according to claim 3.

5. The process management unit Obtaining production plans from the upper system, Extracting the instructions from the production plan; The management system according to claim 1.

6. The process management unit Calculating an available inventory amount of the input item that can be allocated to the consolidated transport based on inventory information of the input items of each of the multiple instructions of the consolidated transport candidate; determining input items suitable for the bulk delivery based on the available inventory; The management system according to claim 2.

7. The operation management unit selects an automatic guided vehicle suitable for the collective transportation from among a plurality of automatic guided vehicles based on the operation status of each of the automatic guided vehicles, and transports, in a collective manner, input items selected by the process management unit as suitable for the collective transportation from among input items of a plurality of instructions that are candidates for the collective transportation, using the selected automatic guided vehicle. The management system according to claim 2.

8. the process management unit includes the input item in the batch transport target when the available inventory amount of the input item is equal to or greater than the required amount at the transport destination of the input item; The management system according to claim 6.

9. the process management unit calculates a total value of the transport amount of each of the plurality of input items to be transported in a batch, and when the total value is equal to or less than the load capacity of the automated guided vehicle, the operation management unit causes the automated guided vehicle to perform the batch transport of the input items. The management system according to claim 7.

10. A process management system, comprising: a memory unit for storing instructions defining a process flow and inputs to be input into the process; a process management unit that manages the progress of the process according to the progress of the instruction; The automated guided vehicle operation management department, Equipped with The operation management unit extracts information about an automated guided vehicle capable of transporting the input item from a transport status indicating a status of the automated guided vehicle and automated guided vehicle transport time information, The process management unit, in order to enable input items of each of a plurality of instructions to be transported together by the automated guided vehicle, Selecting a plurality of instructions that are candidates for collective transport from the plurality of drawings in the storage unit; Calculating the amount of inventory that can be allocated to the consolidated transport for each input item of each instruction that is a candidate for the consolidated transport; The calculation results are extracted as available inventory information, creating a batch transport plan for transporting a plurality of objects collectively based on the information of the plurality of instructions, the available inventory information, and the transportable automated guided vehicle information, and having the automated guided vehicle execute the batch transport of the input items based on the transport plan; Management system.

11. 1. A method for managing a process, comprising: The computer Managing the progress of the process by progress of instructions that define the flow of the process and inputs to the process; Manage the operation of automated guided vehicles, The input items for each of a plurality of instructions can be transported together by the automated guided vehicle. Management method.

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