Exchange method for pallets and exchange system

Abstract

To improve production efficiency by implementing an automated exchange of new and old pallets.SOLUTION: An exchange method for pallets includes the steps of: identifying pallet demand data; transmitting an item supply command including the pallet demand data to an item supply device and transmitting a transport command to a transport device 400; storing a non-used first pallet in a temporary storage cabinet by the item supply device; extracting the first pallet in the temporary storage cabinet and conveying the first pallet to an item exchange area by a robotic hand of the transport device; moving the first pallet and a used second pallet in a pick-and-place machine 200 to an item receiving device of the transport device using the robotic hand; trimming a tape of the second pallet by the item receiving device and adhering the trimmed tape with a tape of the first pallet; and moving the adhered first pallet to the pick-and-place machine by the robotic hand.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of intelligent manufacturing, and in particular to a pallet exchange method and system. [Background technology]

[0002] A pick and place machine is a device used to automatically and accurately mount surface mount devices (SMDs) onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) during electronic assembly. The SMDs are typically placed in a pallet, and the pick and place machine solders them directly onto the surface of the PCB using surface mount technology (SMT). However, during production, manual replacement of old and new pallets is required frequently to obtain new SMDs for production, resulting in significant labor costs and impacting production efficiency. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The embodiments of the present application disclose a pallet exchange method and exchange system, which solves the technical problem that the existing pick-and-place machine requires high labor costs during the production process.

[0004] A pallet exchange method according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to a pallet exchange system, the pallet exchange system including a central control unit, an item supply device, a pick-and-place machine, and a transport device, and the method includes the steps of: the central control unit receiving production data of the pick-and-place machine and identifying pallet demand data based on the production data; the central control unit, based on the pallet demand data, sending an item supply command including the pallet demand data to the item supply device and sending a transport command to the transport device; and the item supply device, based on the pallet demand data, storing an unused first pallet in a temporary storage. the robot hand of the transport device to remove the first pallet from the temporary storage and transport it to an item exchange area corresponding to the pick and place machine; the robot hand to transfer the first pallet and a second pallet that has been used in the pick and place machine to an item receiving device of the transport device; the item receiving device to trim the tape on the second pallet and attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet; and the robot hand to transport the first pallet to the pick and place machine after the attachment.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of identifying pallet demand data based on the production data further comprises: determining a remaining number of unused pallets in the pick and place machine and a production rate of the pick and place machine based on the production data; calculating a remaining completion time of the pick and place machine based on the production rate and the remaining quantity; generating the pallet demand data when the remaining completion time is equal to or less than a preset time; The pallet demand data includes the replacement time required to transport the pallet to be replaced to the pick-and-place machine and the pallet demand quantity.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, prior to using the item receiving device to trim the tape on the second pallet and applying the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet, the method further comprises: identifying a first item number on the first pallet and a second item number on the second pallet using a first induction identification device on the item receiving device; and if the first item number matches the second item number, using the item receiving device to trim the tape on the second pallet and attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of storing an unused first pallet in a temporary storage by the item supply device based on the pallet demand data includes: removing the first pallet from the temporary storage using a gripper of the item supply device; using a second induction identification device of the item supplying device to identify an outgoing item number of the first pallet grasped by the grasper; When it is determined based on the outgoing item number that the first pallet satisfies the preset outgoing demand, the item supply control device of the item supply device drives the gripper to place the first pallet on an elastic clip for placing a pallet based on the pallet demand data; The method further includes a step of transporting the elastic clip with the first pallet placed thereon to the temporary storage facility by the gripper.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pallet exchange system includes a pick and place machine for providing production data; a central controller for receiving production data from the pick and place machine and determining pallet demand data based on the production data; an item supply device for storing unused first pallets in a temporary storage facility based on the pallet demand data; a transport device including a robotic hand for picking up the first pallet from the temporary storage via the robotic hand and transporting the first pallet to an item exchange area of ​​the pick and place machine; the transport device further includes an item receiving device for placing the first pallet picked up by the robotic hand and a second pallet picked up by the robotic hand and used in the pick-and-place machine; the item receiving device is further adapted to trim the tape on the second pallet and attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet; The robot hand is also used to transport the first pallet after lamination to the pick-and-place machine.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the item receiving device further comprises: a first inductive identification device for identifying a first item number on the first pallet and a second item number on the second pallet; and an item receiving control device for controlling the item receiving device to perform an operation of trimming the tape on the second pallet and attaching the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet when it is determined that the first item number and the second item number match.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transport device further comprises an alarm device; The item receiving control device further activates the alarm device to issue alarm information when it determines that the first item number and the second item number do not match.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transportation device further comprises a navigation device; The navigation device directs the transport device to move to the location of the temporary storage and the item exchange area.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the item supply device comprises: a gripper for removing the first pallet from the temporary storage; a second induction identification device for identifying the outgoing item number of the first pallet grasped by the grasper; and an item supply control device for driving the gripper to place the first pallet on an elastic clip for placing the pallet based on the pallet demand data when it is determined that the first pallet satisfies the predetermined shipping requirement based on the shipping item number, The gripping tool is also used to transfer the elastic clips for placing the first pallet to the temporary storage.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the pick-and-place machine further includes a processing device for attaching components on the first pallet or the second pallet to a printed wiring board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The pallet exchange method provided in this application is applied to a pallet exchange system. The pallet exchange system includes a central control unit, an item supply device, a pick-and-place machine, and a transport device. The central control unit receives production data from the pick-and-place machine and determines pallet demand data based on the production data. Based on the pallet demand data, the central control unit issues an item supply command to the item supply device and a transport command to the transport device. The item supply command includes the pallet demand data. Upon identifying the pallet demand data, the central control unit immediately issues corresponding commands to the item supply device and the transport device, thereby achieving intelligent production and improving production efficiency to a certain extent. The item supply device stores an unused first pallet in a temporary storage based on the pallet demand data, and the transport device's robot hand retrieves the first pallet from the temporary storage and transports it to an item exchange area corresponding to the pick-and-place machine, where the item is exchanged. The robot hand transfers the first pallet and the second pallet that has been used in the pick-and-place machine to the item receiving device of the transport device, which then trims the tape on the second pallet and attaches the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet. In this way, no manual operation is required in the trimming and attaching processes, enabling automated production, reducing labor costs and improving production efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a pallet exchange system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a pallet exchange system provided by yet another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an application scene of the pallet exchange method provided by an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 4] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a pick-and-place machine and a transport device provided by an embodiment of the present application; FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of a pallet exchange method provided by an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a pallet exchange method provided by a further embodiment of the present application; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a central control device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] For ease of understanding, some of the concepts relevant to embodiments of the present invention are illustratively described for reference.

[0017] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes a relationship between objects and means that a three-way relationship exists. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Here, A and B may be singular or plural. The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish between similar objects, rather than to describe a particular order or priority.

[0018] A pick and place machine is a device used to automatically and accurately mount surface mount devices (SMDs) onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) during electronic assembly. The SMDs are typically placed in a pallet, and the pick and place machine solders them directly onto the surface of the PCB using surface mount technology (SMT). However, during production, manual replacement of old and new pallets is required frequently to obtain new SMDs for production, resulting in significant labor costs and impacting production efficiency.

[0019] In order to realize automated pallet exchange, reduce labor costs, and improve production efficiency, the present invention provides a pallet exchange method and system. Here, the pallet exchange method is applied to the pallet exchange system. First, the configuration of the pallet exchange system according to the present invention will be described below.

[0020] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a pallet exchange system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the pallet exchange system 10 includes a central control unit 100, a pick-and-place machine 200, an item supply device 300, a transport device 400, and a temporary storage unit 500. Here, the transport device 400 is provided with a robot hand 401 and an item receiving device 402.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the central control device 100 is connected to and communicates with the pick-and-place machine 200, the item supply device 300, the transport device 400, and the temporary storage 500, respectively, and monitors the production status of the pick-and-place machine 200, the item supply device 300, the transport device 400, and the temporary storage 500. The communication connection may be a wired network connection or a wireless network connection. The wired network may be a local area network, a metropolitan network, or a wide area network. The wireless network may be any network using Bluetooth (BT), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee Wireless Networks (ZigBee), Infrared (IR), Ultra Wideband (UWB), or Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology. The central control device 100 may be a laptop, a mobile phone, a desktop computer, a large server, a cloud server, etc.

[0022] The pick-and-place machine 200 is a production device that mounts components on a printed wiring board and is used to provide production data. In one embodiment, the central control device 100 is connected to the pick-and-place machine 200 in communication with the pick-and-place machine 200 to acquire the production data of the pick-and-place machine 200 and determine pallet demand data based on the production data.

[0023] The item supply device 300 is a device that prepares items in response to an item supply command from the central control device 100, and stores an unused first pallet in the temporary storage 500, for example.

[0024] The transport device 400 may be an automated guided vehicle (AGV). The transport device 400 is equipped with a robot hand 401 and an item receiving device 402. The robot hand 401 is used to pick up a pallet. The item receiving device 402 is used to trim and glue the pallet picked up by the robot hand 401.

[0025] Temporary storage 500 may be a temporary storage area for storing pallets.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the central control device 100 acquires production data of the pick and place machine 200 and identifies pallet demand data for the pick and place machine 200 based on the production data. The item supplying device 300 stores an unused first pallet in the temporary storage 500 based on the pallet demand data. The central control device 100 receives a temporary storage command from the temporary storage 500. The temporary storage command indicates that the unused first pallet from the item supplying device 300 has been stored in the temporary storage 500. Alternatively, the central control device 100 can poll the storage status of the temporary storage 500. If the central control device 100 determines that a pallet exists in the temporary storage 500, the central control device 100 commands the transporting device 400 to have the robot hand 401 of the transporting device 400 pick up the first pallet from the temporary storage 500 and transport the first pallet to the item exchange area of ​​the pick and place machine 200. The item receiving device 402 of the transport device 400 carries the first pallet picked up by the robotic hand 401 and the used second pallet picked up from the pick-and-place machine 200, trims the tape on the second pallet, and attaches the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet. Once the attachment is complete, the robotic hand 401 transfers the attached first pallet to the pick-and-place machine 200.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a pallet exchange system provided by another embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to FIG. 1, the transportation device 400 further includes an alarm device 403 and a navigation device 404. The alarm device 403 is configured to issue alarm information. The alarm information may be displayed by an LED lamp or may be audible information issued by a horn, but the present application is not limited thereto. The navigation device 404 is used to instruct the transportation device 400 to move to the location where the temporary storage shed 500 is located and the item exchange area. The item receiving device 402 includes a first guiding identification device 4021 and an item receiving control device 4022. The first guiding identification device 4021 is used to identify the first item number of the first pallet and the second item number of the second pallet. The item receiving control device 4022 is used to receive and process the identification data of the first guiding identification device 4021. For example, if it is determined that the first item number and the second item number match, the item receiving device 402 is controlled to trim the tape on the second pallet and attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the central control device 100 acquires production data of the pick-and-place machine 200 and determines pallet demand data for the pick-and-place machine 200 based on the production data. When the central control device 100 sends a transport command to the transport device 400, the navigation device 404 of the transport device 400 departs toward the item exchange area indicated by the transport command. If the item receiving control device 4022 determines that the item numbers do not match (e.g., the first item number and the second item number do not match) based on the identification data of the first induction identification device 4021, it activates the alarm device 403 to send warning information.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the item supply device 300 includes a gripper 301, a second induction identification device 302, and an item supply control device 303. The gripper 301 may be a robot hand for gripping a pallet, such as the first pallet, in the stock device 600. The second induction identification device 302 is for identifying the item number of the pallet gripped by the gripper 301, such as the outgoing item number of the first pallet. The item supply control device 303 receives and processes the identification data of the second induction identification device 302. For example, when the item supply control device 303 determines that the first pallet meets the preset outgoing requirements based on the outgoing item number, it drives the gripper 301 to place the first pallet on an elastic clip (not shown in FIG. 2) for placing pallets based on the pallet demand data. The gripper 301 is also used to transport the elastic clip with the pallet (e.g., the first pallet) attached to it to the temporary storage warehouse 500.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present application, the central control device 100 acquires production data of the pick-and-place machine 200 and identifies pallet demand data for the pick-and-place machine 200 based on the production data. When the central control device 100 sends an item supply command to the item supply device 300, the gripper 301 of the item supply device 300 picks up a pallet (e.g., a first pallet) from the stock device 600 and identifies the item number of the pallet through the second induction identification device 302. If the item supply control device 303 determines that the item number identified by the second induction identification device 302 meets the preset out-of-stock requirement, it drives the gripper 301 to set the pallet on an elastic clip based on the pallet demand data. The gripper 301 transports the elastic clip to the temporary storage 500.

[0031] The pick and place machine 200 includes a processing device 201 for mounting components from a pallet onto a printed circuit board.

[0032] 1 and 2 are merely examples of pallet exchange system 10 and are not intended as limitations on pallet exchange system 10, which may include more or fewer components or a combination of components than those shown. For example, pallet exchange system 10 may include input / output devices, network access devices, etc.

[0033] In order to improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs, the embodiment of the present application also provides a pallet exchange method, the application scenario of which is introduced below with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an application scenario of a pallet exchange method provided by an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a pick-and-place machine and a transport device provided by an embodiment of the present application. To explain the pallet exchange process between the pick-and-place machine 200 and the transport device 400 in detail, FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view corresponding to the elliptical area M in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 partially enlarges the elliptical area M in FIG. 3, i.e., partially enlarges the structures of the pick-and-place machine 200 and the transport device 400. As shown in FIG. 3, the central control device 100 obtains production data of the pick-and-place machine 200 and determines pallet demand data based on the production data. The central control device 100 issues a transport command to the transport device 400 based on the pallet demand data, causing the transport device 400 to move to a position near the pick-and-place machine 200 and perform pallet exchange between the transport device 400 and the pick-and-place machine 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the transport device 400 is equipped with elastic clips for unused pallets (as shown at A2 in FIG. 4), and the pick-and-place machine 200 is equipped with used pallets (as shown at A1 in FIG. 4), and the robot hand 501 picks up the pallets in the pick-and-place machine 200 and the pallets in the elastic clips, and places them in the item receiving device 502 to perform trimming and gluing operations.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart of a pallet exchange method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The pallet exchange method is applied to a pallet exchange system (e.g., the pallet exchange system 10 in Figures 1 and 2). The order of steps in this flowchart may be changed according to various needs, and some steps may be omitted.

[0036] In step S501, the central control device 100 receives production data of the pick-and-place machine 20 and identifies pallet demand data based on the production data.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present application, components are attached to the tape on the pallet, and when components need to be mounted during manufacturing, the pallet is worn out during the production process and needs to be replaced at appropriate times. The production data may include the remaining number of unused pallets in the pick-and-place machine, the amount of used pallets, production time, the time of the last pallet replacement, the maintenance time of the pick-and-place machine, product delivery time, production efficiency, etc. The present application does not limit the transportation data included in the production data, and may include any equipment data related to the pick-and-place machine.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present application, the central control device may obtain the production data of the pick-and-place machine by polling. Alternatively, the central control device 100 may receive the production data of the pick-and-place machine transmitted based on a transmission period. Here, the transmission period may be a preset value, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, after obtaining production data of the pick and place machine 200, the central control device 100 can extract the remaining number of unused pallets and the production speed of the pick and place machine from the production data, and calculate the remaining completion time of the pick and place machine 200 based on the remaining number of unused pallets and the production speed.

[0040] In one example, assuming that the production rate is 1,000 pallets per hour and there are 800 unused pallets remaining, the remaining completion time = number of unused pallets remaining / production rate = 800 / 1,000 = 0.8 hours. The above is only an example, and the production rate is determined based on the actual production situation of the pick and place machine, the model number and specification parameters of the pick and place machine, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, to reduce the waiting time for the pick-and-place machine to exchange pallets and the time required for the transport device to transport the pallets, the central control device calculates and obtains the remaining completion time, and then compares the remaining completion time with a preset time. The preset time can be set based on actual conditions, for example, 30 minutes, but this is not a limitation of the present application. If the remaining completion time is greater than the preset time, it indicates that there are still enough pallets available for the pick-and-place machine before the pallet exchange, and pallet exchange is temporarily unnecessary. If the remaining completion time is less than the preset time, it indicates that there is little remaining available for the pick-and-place machine. Furthermore, the preset time takes into account the time required for the transport device to transport a new pallet to the pick-and-place machine (e.g., replacement time). If the remaining completion time is less than the preset time, pallet demand data is generated. This pallet demand data includes the replacement time for transporting the replacement pallet to the pick-and-place machine and the pallet demand quantity.

[0042] In step S502, the central control device sends an item supply command to the item supply device and a transport command to the transport device based on the pallet demand data.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, an item supply device is used to equip the pick-and-place machine with a corresponding number of pallets based on the category of the required pallets, and a transport device is used to transport the pallets to a specified location. If the central control device determines that the remaining completion time is less than or equal to a preset time based on the pallet demand data, the central control device sends an item supply command to the item supply device and a transport command to the transport device. The item supply command includes the pallet demand data. This allows the item supply device to supply items based on the pallet demand data, and the transport device starts transporting the pallets to the pick-and-place machine based on the transport command.

[0044] In step S503, the item supply device stores the unused first pallet in a temporary storage facility based on the pallet demand data.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the item supply device identifies a demand for pallets for the pick-and-place machine based on the pallet demand data. Based on the demand for pallets, the item supply device stores unused first pallets in a temporary storage facility based on the demand for pallets. The temporary storage facility temporarily stores pallets (e.g., first pallets) awaiting production execution and is used to facilitate item retrieval by the transport device.

[0046] In step S504, the robot hand of the transport device picks up the first pallet in the temporary storage and transports it to the corresponding exchange area of ​​the pick-and-place machine.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, when a transport device receives a transport command from the central control device, it moves to a location where a temporary storage is located to retrieve items, and uses a robotic hand on the transport device to retrieve a first pallet from the temporary storage. Here, the first pallet in the temporary storage may be attached to an elastic clip. The elastic clip may be a device for transporting pallets. When the transport device arrives at the temporary storage, it can use the robotic hand to retrieve the first pallet from the temporary storage and place it in a transport vehicle, and the robotic hand can pick up an empty elastic clip on the transport device and place it in the temporary storage to replace the elastic clip. After retrieving the first pallet based on the pallet demand data, the transport device can transport the first pallet to a corresponding item exchange area of ​​the pick-and-place machine. The item exchange area is used to realize material exchange between the pick-and-place machine and the transport device.

[0048] In step S505, the first pallet and the second pallet that has been used in the pick-and-place machine are transferred by the robot hand to the item receiving device of the transport device.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, the item receiving device includes a first guidance and identification device and an item receiving control device. The first guidance and identification device may be a sensor, a probe, a scanner, a monitoring device, etc. The item receiving control device controls the item receiving device to execute the central control system. The pallet exchange system includes multiple pick-and-place machines. A guidance area may be provided on the pallet. The guidance area may be provided with a scannable indicator, such as a two-dimensional code or a barcode. The indicator is used to check whether the pallet matches the pick-and-place machine. Here, when the pick-and-place machine is started and begins operation, the item number of the first pallet processed is set as the item number currently being processed by the pick-and-place machine.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, a first pallet and a second pallet are picked up by a robotic hand, and a first item number on the first pallet and a second item number on the second pallet are scanned by a first induction identification device. The first induction identification device transmits the first item number and the second item number to an item receiving control device. The item receiving control device determines whether the first item number and the second item number match. If the first item number and the second item number do not match, this indicates that the first pallet does not match the pick-and-place machine corresponding to this exchange area, and an alarm is sent via an alarm device of the transport device. If the first item number and the second item number match, this indicates that the first pallet matches the pick-and-place machine corresponding to this item exchange area, and the first pallet and the second pallet that has been used in the pick-and-place machine can be transferred by the robotic hand to an item receiving device of the transport device.

[0051] In step S506, the item receiving device trims the tape on the second pallet and adheres the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, the second pallet removed from the pick-and-place machine by the robot hand includes tape (e.g., the tail of the second pallet). The tail may be blank tape. The item receiving device is provided with a blade device for trimming. The blade device is used to trim the tape on the second pallet, and the trimmed tape is bonded to the tape on the first pallet, for example, bonding the tail of the second pallet to the head of the first pallet.

[0053] In step S507, the first pallet after lamination is transferred to a pick-and-place machine by a robot hand.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, the first pallet after lamination is transported to a pick-and-place machine by a robot hand, and sufficient pallets can be supplied to the pick-and-place machine under conditions that do not affect the operation of the pick-and-place machine, thereby improving production efficiency to a certain extent.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, the pallet exchange system includes a central control device, an item supply device, a pick-and-place machine, and a transport device. The central control device receives production data from the pick-and-place machine and identifies pallet demand data based on the production data. The central control device sends an item supply command to the item supply device and a transport command to the transport device based on the pallet demand data. The item supply command includes the pallet demand data. When the central control device identifies the pallet demand data, it issues corresponding commands to the item supply device and the transport equipment in a timely manner, thereby realizing intelligent production and improving production efficiency to a certain extent. The item supply device stores an unused first pallet in a temporary storage based on the pallet demand data, and uses the robot hand of the transport device to retrieve the first pallet from the temporary storage and transport it to a corresponding item exchange area of ​​the pick-and-place machine, where the item is exchanged in the designated item exchange area. Next, a robotic hand is used to transport the first pallet and the second pallet that has been used in the pick-and-place machine to the item receiving device of the transportation device, and the item receiving device is used to trim the tape on the second pallet and then attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet. No human intervention is required during the trimming and attaching processes, enabling automatic production, reducing labor costs, and improving production efficiency.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a pallet exchange method provided by yet another embodiment of the present application, which is provided in the embodiment described in FIG. 5 to determine whether an item removed from a stock device matches an outgoing request, and includes the following steps:

[0057] In step S601, the first pallet is removed from the stock device using the gripper of the item supply device.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, after identifying the pallet demand data, the central control device transmits an item supply command including the pallet demand data to the item supply device based on the pallet demand data. In response to the item supply command, the item supply device retrieves a first pallet from the stock device using a gripper. Here, the gripper may be a robot hand, and the stock device may be a warehouse for storing pallets.

[0059] In step S602, the second induction identification device of the item supply device identifies the outgoing item number of the first pallet picked up by the gripper. The second induction identification device identifies the guidance area of ​​the first pallet to obtain the outgoing item number corresponding to the first pallet. Here, the outgoing item number and the first item number may be the same or different, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present application, the item dispensing device is equipped with a second inductive identification device, such as a sensor, probe, scanner, or monitor.

[0061] In step S603, it is determined whether the first pallet satisfies the preset shipping requirements based on the shipping item number.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, the item supply device further includes an item supply control device for receiving data identified by the second induction identification device, such as an outgoing item number. The item supply control device further determines whether the pallet meets the outgoing request based on the outgoing item number. For example, the item supply control device identifies the item number of the pallet to be outgoing based on the pallet demand data, and identifies the item number of the first pallet being outgoing using the second induction identification device. If the second induction identification device identifies that the outgoing item number matches the item number of the pallet to be outgoing, the item supply control device determines that the first pallet corresponding to the outgoing item number meets the outgoing request. If it is determined that the first pallet does not meet the preset outgoing request based on the outgoing item number, step S604 is executed. If it is determined that the first pallet meets the preset outgoing request based on the outgoing item number, step S605 is executed.

[0063] In step S604, the pallet is re-grabbed.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, if the first pallet does not meet the pre-set delivery requirements, the gripper may indicate that the pallet has been mis-picked and instruct the gripper to re-grab the pallet.

[0065] In step S605, the item supply control device of the item supply device drives the gripper to place the first tray into the elastic grip for placing the tray according to the tray demand data.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, elastic clips are used to support pallets. The capacity of the elastic clips is determined based on the specifications of the elastic clips, and the present application does not limit this. The item supply control device drives the grippers to place the first pallet into the elastic clips based on the pallet demand data. For example, one elastic clip can hold 100 pallets. If the pallet demand data includes 200 pallets, the item supply control device drives the grippers to place the 200 pallets into two elastic clips, respectively.

[0067] In step S606, the elastic clip carrying the first pallet is transferred to a temporary storage facility using the gripper.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the item supply control device of the item supply device records the gripping amount of the gripper and determines whether the amount of pallets placed in the elastic grips satisfies the quantity indicated by the pallet demand data based on the gripping amount. If the item supply control device determines that the quantity indicated by the pallet demand data has been completed, the item supply control device uses the gripper to transfer the elastic grips carrying the first pallet to a temporary storage facility. For example, two elastic grips filled with 200 first pallets are transferred to the temporary storage facility.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present application, when a pallet is removed from the stock device, the item number can be identified by the second induction identification device, which can determine whether the removed pallet meets the shipping requirements while reducing the cost of manual matching.

[0070] 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a central control device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The central control device 100 may be a device such as a tablet, a server, a cluster server, a cloud server, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on the specific type of the central control device 100.

[0071] 7, the central control device 100 includes a communication module 101, a memory 102, a processor 103, an input / output port (hereinafter abbreviated as an I / O port) 104, and a bus line 105. The processor 103 is coupled to the communication module 101, the memory 102, and the I / O port 104 via the bus line 105.

[0072] The communication module 101 includes a wired communication module and / or a wireless communication module. The wired communication module can provide one or more wired communication solutions, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Controller Area Network (CAN), etc. The wireless communication module can provide one or more wireless communication solutions, such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (BT), a mobile communication network, Frequency Modulation (FM), Near Field Communication (NFC), and Infrared (IR).

[0073] Memory 102 may include one or more random access memories (RAMs) and one or more non-volatile memories (NVMs). The random access memories may be directly read from and written to by processor 103 and may be used to store executable programs (e.g., machine instructions) for the operating system and other running programs, user and application data, and the like. Random access memories may include static random-access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), and the like.

[0074] The non-volatile memory may store executable programs and user and application data, etc., and may be pre-loaded into random access memory for direct reading and writing by the processor 110. The non-volatile memory may include magnetic disk storage devices and flash memory.

[0075] The memory 102 is used to store one or more computer programs configured to be executed by the processor 103. The one or more computer programs include a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor 103, enable the central control unit 100 to perform the above-described methods.

[0076] In another embodiment, the central control unit 100 further includes an interface for external memory to connect to an external memory and expand the storage capacity of the central control unit 100 .

[0077] The processor 103 may include one or more processing units. For example, the processor 103 may include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Here, different processing units may be independent devices or may be integrated into one or more processors.

[0078] The processor 103 provides computational and control capabilities, for example, the processor 103 is used to execute computer programs stored in the memory 102 to implement the methods described above.

[0079] The I / O port 104 provides a channel for input or output to a user. For example, the I / O port 104 can be connected to various input / output devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch device, display, etc. This allows the user to input information or visualize information.

[0080] The bus line 105 is used to provide a channel for at least the communication module 101, memory 102, processor 103, and I / O port 104 in the central control unit 100 to communicate with each other.

[0081] It is understood that the general configuration of the present embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation of the central control unit 100. In other embodiments of the present application, the central control unit 100 may include more or fewer components than those shown, combine some components, separate some components, or arrange the components differently. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0082] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. The computer program includes program instructions. The method implemented when the program instructions are executed can refer to the methods in the above-described embodiments of the present application.

[0083] The computer-readable storage medium may be the internal memory of the central control unit described in the above embodiments, such as the hard disk or memory of the central control unit. The computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the central control unit, such as a jack hard disk, a Smart Media Card (SMC), a Secure Digital (SD) card, or a flash memory card installed in the central control unit.

[0084] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium includes a stored program area and a stored data area, where the stored program area may store an operating system, an application program required for at least one function, etc. The stored data area may store data created in response to use by the central control unit, etc.

[0085] In the above embodiments, emphasis is placed on the description of each embodiment, and for parts not described in detail or not described in one embodiment, reference can be made to the descriptions of other embodiments.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will recognize that each example unit and algorithm step described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized in electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical proposal. A professional engineer may use different methods for each specific application to realize the described functions, and this implementation is not considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0087] In the embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / terminals and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device / terminal embodiments are merely exemplary, and the division of modules or units merely represents the division of logical functions, and actual implementation may involve other division schemes. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not implemented. On the other hand, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be indirect couplings or communication connections via some interfaces, devices, or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other types of couplings.

[0088] The means described as the separating means may or may not be physically separated. The components displayed as units may or may not be physical units. That is, they may be located in one place or may be distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of this embodiment.

[0089] The above-described embodiments are only used to explain the technical proposals of the present application, and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art may modify the technical proposals described in each of the above-described embodiments or replace some of the technical features with equivalents. These modifications or substitutions do not deviate from the essence of each technical proposal from the spirit and scope of the technical proposals described in each embodiment of the present application, and all should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A pallet exchange method applied to a pallet exchange system, comprising: The pallet exchange system includes a central control unit, an item supply unit, a pick-and-place machine, and a transport unit, and the method includes: the central controller receiving production data from the pick and place machine and identifying pallet demand data based on the production data; Based on the pallet demand data, the central control device sends an item supply command including the pallet demand data to the item supply device and sends a transport command to the transport device; storing an unused first pallet in a temporary storage facility by the item supply device based on the pallet demand data; removing the first pallet from the temporary storage by a robot hand of the transport device and transporting it to an item exchange area corresponding to the pick-and-place machine; using the robot hand to transfer the first pallet and a second pallet that has been used in the pick and place machine to an item receiving device of the transport device; trimming the tape on the second pallet with the item receiving device and attaching the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet; and transporting the first pallet after lamination by the robot hand to the pick-and-place machine.

2. The step of identifying pallet demand data based on the production data further includes: determining a remaining number of unused pallets in the pick and place machine and a production rate of the pick and place machine based on the production data; calculating a remaining completion time of the pick and place machine based on the production rate and the remaining quantity; generating the pallet demand data when the remaining completion time is equal to or less than a preset time; 2. The pallet exchange method according to claim 1, wherein the pallet demand data includes a replacement time required to transport the pallet to be replaced to the pick-and-place machine and a pallet demand quantity.

3. Using the item receiving device to trim the tape on the second pallet and prior to applying the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet, the method includes: identifying a first item number on the first pallet and a second item number on the second pallet using a first induction identification device on the item receiving device; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: when the first item number matches the second item number, using the item receiving device to trim the tape on the second pallet; and attaching the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet.

4. The step of the item supply device storing an unused first pallet in a temporary storage based on the pallet demand data includes: removing the first pallet from the temporary storage using a gripper of the item feeding device; using a second induction identification device of the item supplying device to identify an outgoing item number of the first pallet grasped by the grasper; When it is determined based on the outgoing item number that the first pallet satisfies the preset outgoing demand, the item supply control device of the item supply device drives the gripper to place the first pallet on an elastic clip for placing a pallet based on the pallet demand data; 2. The pallet exchange method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: transporting the elastic clip carrying the first pallet to the temporary storage unit by the gripper.

5. 1. A pallet exchange system comprising: a pick and place machine to provide production data; a central controller for receiving production data from the pick and place machine and determining pallet demand data based on the production data; an item supply device for storing unused first pallets in a temporary storage facility based on the pallet demand data; a transport device including a robotic hand for picking up the first pallet from the temporary storage via the robotic hand and transporting the first pallet to an item exchange area of ​​the pick and place machine; the transport device further includes an item receiving device for placing the first pallet picked up by the robotic hand and a second pallet picked up by the robotic hand and used in the pick-and-place machine; the item receiving device is further adapted to trim the tape on the second pallet and attach the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet; A pallet exchange system, wherein the robot hand is also used to transport the first pallet after lamination to the pick-and-place machine.

6. The item receiving device further comprises: a first inductive identification device for identifying a first item number on the first pallet and a second item number on the second pallet; 6. The pallet exchange system of claim 5, further comprising an item receiving control device for controlling the item receiving device to perform an operation of trimming the tape on the second pallet and attaching the trimmed tape to the tape on the first pallet when it is determined that the first item number and the second item number match.

7. the transport device further includes an alarm device; 7. The pallet exchange system according to claim 6, wherein the item receiving control device further activates the alarm device to issue alarm information when it determines that the first item number and the second item number do not match.

8. the transportation device further includes a navigation device; 6. The pallet exchange system according to claim 5, wherein the navigation device instructs the transport device to move to a location where the temporary storage is located and to the item exchange area.

9. The item supply device a gripper for removing the first pallet from the temporary storage; a second induction identification device for identifying an outgoing item number of the first pallet grasped by the grasper; an item supply control device for driving the grippers to place the first pallet on an elastic clip for placing the pallet based on the pallet demand data when it is determined that the first pallet satisfies the predetermined shipping requirement based on the shipping item number; 6. The pallet exchange system according to claim 5, wherein the gripping tool is also used to transfer the elastic clip for placing the first pallet to the temporary storage.

10. 6. The pallet exchange system according to claim 5, wherein the pick-and-place machine further includes a processing device for mounting components on the first pallet or the second pallet onto a printed wiring board.

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