Conveying system

Abstract

To provide a conveyance system in which an automatic conveyance device is controlled to an appropriate speed in accordance with the type and processing state of an article conveyed by the automatic conveyance device.SOLUTION: In a conveyance system in which a traveling panel on which an automatic conveyance device travels is disposed on a top plate of a processing device including a plurality of processing devices and which includes a control unit 20, the control unit 20 includes a speed setting unit 24 in which a speed associated with information on an article to be conveyed by the automatic conveyance device is set, and the control unit 20 determines speeds Va to Vd at which the automatic conveyance device is to travel from the article to be conveyed by the automatic conveyance device and the speed setting unit 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport system in which a travel panel on which an automatic transport device travels is arranged on the top plate of a processing device including a plurality of processing devices, and which is also equipped with a control means. [Background technology]

[0002] Wafers have multiple devices such as ICs and LSIs formed on their surface, separated by planned dividing lines. The back side is ground using a grinding machine to form the wafer to a specified thickness, and then the wafer is divided into individual device chips using a cutting machine and laser processing machine. These chips are then used in electrical devices such as mobile phones and personal computers.

[0003] The present applicant has also developed and proposed a transport system in which a travel path is arranged using the top plate of a processing device including processing devices such as grinding devices, cutting devices, and laser processing devices, and a wafer storage device that stores multiple wafers, and an automatic transport vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an "AGV") travels between the devices to transport wafers from the wafer storage device to each processing device and to transport consumables (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-013892 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the speed and acceleration, including acceleration, deceleration, and constant speed, of the AGV when it travels are uniformly set to a speed suitable for transporting the items most vulnerable to impact among the items transported by the AGV, which results in a slow overall transport speed and poor productivity.

[0006] The present invention was developed in consideration of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a conveying system in which the AGV is controlled to an appropriate speed depending on the type of item and processing state being conveyed by the AGV. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned main technical problem, according to the present invention, there is provided a conveying system in which a traveling panel on which an automatic conveying device travels is arranged on the top plate of a processing device including a plurality of processing devices and which is equipped with a control means, the control means having a speed setting unit in which a speed linked to information related to an item to be transported by the automatic conveying device is set, and the control means determines the speed at which the automatic conveying device should travel based on the item to be transported by the automatic conveying device and the speed setting unit.

[0008] The control means preferably includes a coordinate memory unit that stores position coordinates formed on the traveling panel, and a path memory unit that stores coordinates of the path along which the automatic transport device moves, and a speed control unit that controls the areas to accelerate, the areas to maintain a constant speed, and the areas to decelerate using position coordinates for each automatic transport device based on the speed set in the speed setting unit and the position coordinates stored in the coordinate memory unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The conveying system of the present invention is a conveying system in which a traveling panel on which an automatic conveying device travels is arranged on the top plate of a processing device including multiple processing devices, and which is also equipped with a control means, and the control means has a speed setting unit in which a speed linked to information related to the items to be transported by the automatic conveying device is set, and the control means determines the speed at which the automatic conveying device should travel based on the items to be transported by the automatic conveying device and the speed setting unit, so that the speed of each automatic conveying device can be set slow when transporting items with a high risk level, and fast when transporting items with a low risk level, allowing for well-balanced transportation according to the items, and improving productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) of the conveyance system shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a control means of the transport system shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a transport system configured based on the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] 1 shows a transport system 2 of this embodiment. The transport system 2 shown in the figure has a traveling panel 10 arranged on a top plate 6 of a processing device 4 including a plurality of processing devices, and is equipped with automatic transport devices (hereinafter referred to as "AGVs") 1-5 that travel on the traveling panel 10, and a control means 20 that controls the travel of each of the AGVs 1-5. The control means 20 of this embodiment is configured in a server computer 100 that comprehensively manages the transport system 2, and an antenna 110 connected to the server computer 100 transmits control signals to each of the AGVs 1-5, thereby controlling the travel of each of the AGVs 1-5.

[0013] The processing equipment 4 in this embodiment includes, for example, an article storage device 4a that manages articles, and a first processing device 4b, a second processing device 4c, and a third processing device 4d into which articles are transferred by AGVs 1-5 from the article storage device 4a. Examples of articles stored in and transferred from the article storage device 4a include workpieces such as semiconductor wafers processed by the first to third processing devices 4b-4d, and processing tools used in processing by the first to third processing devices 4b-4d. Examples of such processing tools include cutting blades used in cutting the workpieces and grinding wheels with grinding stones used in grinding the workpieces to thin them. Furthermore, the workpieces processed by the first to third processing devices 4b-4d and the used processing tools are also transferred from the first to third processing devices 4b-4d by AGVs 1-5 and transferred to the article storage device 4a for storage. In the illustrated embodiment, one item storage device 4a and three processing devices 4b to 4d are provided as the processing device 4, but the combination of the number of item storage devices and processing devices that make up the processing device 4 can be set arbitrarily.

[0014] A traveling panel 10 is disposed on the top plate 6 of the processing device 4, and the plurality of processing devices 4 are connected to one another by the traveling panel 10. The traveling panel 10 is formed with transfer openings 10a-10d through which articles are transferred between the AGVs 1-5 and the processing devices 4. Although not shown, each top plate 6 of the processing devices 4 also has a transfer opening corresponding in position and size to the transfer openings 10a-10d. Then, articles such as workpieces and processing tools are transferred between the AGVs 1-5 and the processing devices 4 through the transfer openings 10a-10d of the traveling panel 10 and the transfer openings formed in each top plate 6 of the processing devices 4.

[0015] On the upper surface of the traveling panel 10, there are formed travel guide lines 12 that guide the travel of the AGVs 1 to 5. The AGVs 1 to 5 travel on the traveling panel 10 along the travel guide lines 12, and are able to transport workpieces and processing tools received from the article storage device 4a to the first to third processing devices 4b to 4d, and to transport workpieces that have been processed in the first to third processing devices 4b to 4d and processing tools that have been removed for replacement to the storage device 4a. The traveling panel 10 is formed with fall prevention walls 14 to prevent the AGVs 1 to 5 from falling off the traveling panel 10 even if they deviate from the travel guide lines 12.

[0016] An outline of the AGV 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that since the AGVs 2 to 5 have the same configuration as the AGV 1, a description of the AGVs 2 to 5 will be omitted.

[0017] The AGV 1 includes a main body 82 and a cover 81 that covers the main body 82. The main body 82 has a frame (not shown), and servo motors 83 (the servo motor 83 on the right side is not visible) that exert driving force are arranged on the left and right sides of the frame. Each servo motor 83 drives a tire 84, and a front reading sensor 86 is arranged in the center of the front width direction of the main body 82, and a rear reading sensor 88 is arranged in the center of the rear width direction.

[0018] Left and right tires 84 driven by left and right servo motors 83 are provided with directional casters 85 in front of and behind the wheels (the front right directional caster is not visible). A pair of directional casters 85 is provided on the front left and right of the frame, and another pair on the rear left and right of the frame (a total of four wheels). A travel control means (not shown) for controlling the travel of the AGV 1 is provided in the main body 82 of the AGV 1. A control signal generated by the control means 20 of the server computer 100 is sent to the AGV 1 via wireless communication via the antenna 110. The travel control means receives the control signal via an antenna 89 provided on the AGV 1. Based on the control signal, the left and right servo motors 83 are driven to operate the left and right wheels 84, allowing the AGV 1 to move forward, backward, turn right, turn left, turn on the spot, etc.

[0019] The front reading sensor 86 and the rear reading sensor 88 both read the travel guide lines 12 formed on the travel panel 10, and send the data to the control means 20 by wireless communication. This enables the AGV 1 to accurately travel along the route instructed by the control means 20 while reading the travel guide lines 12. The position of the AGV 1 is grasped by sending the number of rotations, the rotation angle, etc. of the left and right tires 84 rotated by the servo motors 83 to the control means 20 and calculating them.

[0020] In addition to the above-mentioned components, the AGV 1 is equipped with a battery that supplies power to the electrical components that make up the AGV 1, a cassette that stores workpieces and items to be transported from the storage device 4a, and a cassette lifting means for raising and lowering the cassette into the processing device 4 (all of which are omitted from the illustration).

[0021] When the AGV 1 is used to transport a workpiece or an article from the storage device 4a, the AGV 1 is positioned directly above the delivery opening 10a of the storage device 4a, and the cassette lifting means is operated to lower the cassette from the delivery opening 10a into the storage device 4a. Once the workpiece or processing tool has been stored in the cassette, the cassette lifting means is operated to raise the cassette and store it in the main body 82 of the AGV 1. Once the workpiece or processing tool has been stored in the AGV 1, the AGV 1 travels on a route along the travel guide line 12 on the travel panel 10 instructed by the control means 20, transports it to one of the processing devices 4b to 4d, and then lowers the cassette through the delivery opening 10b to 10d of the processing device 4b to 4d for delivery.

[0022] The other AGVs 2 to 5 have the same configuration as the AGV 1 described above, and are controlled by the control means 20 of the server computer 100.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the control means 20 includes a speed setting unit 24 in which speeds associated with information about the items to be transported by the AGVs 1-5 are set. The items are, for example, workpieces to be processed by the processing devices 4b-4d, or processing tools attached to the processing devices 4b-4d. The information about the items includes, for example, the type of workpiece and whether the workpiece is in a pre-processed state or has been processed, if the item is a processing tool, the type of tool and whether the tool is in a pre-used state or has been used, if the item is a processing tool. The configuration of the control means 20 including the speed setting unit 24 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, position coordinates A to T of intersections are formed on the travel guide line 12 on which the AGVs 1 to 5 travel on the travel panel 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the control means 20 includes a coordinate memory unit 22 that stores coordinate information on the position coordinates A to T formed on the travel panel 10, a path memory unit 23 that stores coordinates of the paths along which the AGVs 1 to 5 travel, a speed setting unit 24 in which speeds associated with information related to the items are set, and a speed control unit 25 that controls the acceleration area, constant speed area, and deceleration area for each AGV based on the speed set in the speed setting unit 24 and the position coordinates stored in the coordinate memory unit 22. Note that the speed setting unit 24 in this embodiment sets not only the speed but also the acceleration and deceleration in accordance with the information related to the items.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the position coordinates A to T formed on the traveling panel 10 are set at appropriate intervals on a traveling guide line 12 along which the AGVs 1 to 5 travel and which connect to the delivery port 10a of the processing device 4, and as shown in FIG. 3, the coordinate memory unit 22 of the control means 20 stores the X and Y coordinates of each of the position coordinates A to T.

[0026] 3, the control means 20 is provided with a path storage unit 23 that stores the coordinates of the path along which the AGVs 1 to 5 travel from their movement start positions to their target positions. The path storage unit 23 stores the path along which each of the AGVs 1 to 5 travels to its target position, based on the coordinates stored in the coordinate storage unit 22. The path is set by an operator in the server computer 100, or is automatically generated by the server computer 100 and stored in the path storage unit 23. As can be seen from Figure 3, for example, AGV1 is set to take the path of coordinates A → B → C → D → F' → G' → H' → I' → K, AGV2 is set to take the path of coordinates E → F → G → H → I → J → K, AGV3 is set to take the path of coordinates H → I → I' → L' → M' → N' → P → O, AGV4 is set to take the path of coordinates M' → N' → Q' → R' → A' → S → T, and AGV5 is set to take the path of coordinates R' → A' → S → T.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the speed setting unit 24 provided in the control means 20 sets speeds and accelerations (including decelerations) in response to information related to the articles transported by the AGVs 1 to 5. More specifically, the speed setting unit 24 of the control means 20 shown in FIG. 3 sets accelerations, constant speeds, and decelerations in response to the risk levels of the articles X1, X2, Y1, and Y2. The risk level refers to the risk of damage to each article due to vibrations applied to it, i.e., its susceptibility to damage. For example, this risk level can be expressed on a four-level scale, with level 4 representing the level requiring the most consideration regarding the vibrations and level 1 representing the level requiring the least consideration regarding the vibrations. The article X1 is, for example, an unprocessed semiconductor wafer, and its risk level is level 3. The article X2 is, for example, a processed semiconductor wafer, and its risk level is level 4. The article Y1 is, for example, an unused cutting blade, and its risk level is level 2. Furthermore, item Y2 is, for example, a used cutting blade, and its risk level is set to level 1. Note that even if an item is easily damaged, if it is determined that it will be discarded after transportation, the lowest risk level is set.

[0028] In the speed setting unit 24 of Figure 3, acceleration a when transporting item X1 by an AGV, speed Va when moving at a constant speed, and deceleration -a when decelerating are set in accordance with the risk level of item X1 (level 3); acceleration b when transporting item X2 by an AGV, speed Vb when moving at a constant speed, and deceleration -b when decelerating are set in accordance with the risk level of item X2 (level 4); acceleration c when transporting item Y1 by an AGV, speed Vc when moving at a constant speed, and deceleration -c when decelerating are set in accordance with the risk level of item Y1 (level 2); and acceleration d when transporting item Y2 by an AGV, speed Vd when moving at a constant speed, and deceleration -d when decelerating are set in accordance with the risk level of item Y2 (level 1).

[0029] The acceleration (acceleration b, deceleration −b) corresponding to article X2, which has the highest level of danger (level 4), is the gentlest, and the constant speed Vb is also set to the lowest. The acceleration (acceleration a, deceleration −a) corresponding to article X1, which has the next highest level of danger (level 3), is the second gentlest after the acceleration (acceleration b, deceleration −b) corresponding to article X2, and the constant speed Va is also set to the second lowest after the constant speed Vb. The acceleration (acceleration c, deceleration −c) corresponding to article Y1, which has the next highest level of danger (level 2), is the second gentlest after the acceleration (acceleration a, deceleration −a) corresponding to article X1, and the constant speed Vc is also set to the second lowest after the constant speed Va. The acceleration (acceleration d, deceleration −d) corresponding to article Y2, which has the lowest level of danger (level 1), is set to the acceleration that causes the article to travel the steepest, and the constant speed Vd is set to the highest. That is, the speed and acceleration at which each AGV travels are determined based on the article to be transported by the AGVs 1 to 5 and the speed setting unit 24. In the above explanation, for convenience, the risk level for each article has been explained as four levels (levels 1 to 4), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the speed and acceleration at which an article is transported by an AGV may be set in more levels and more finely depending on the risk level for each article. Note that the present invention is not limited to setting the speed and acceleration corresponding to each article, as in the speed setting unit 24, and, for example, it is also possible to set the acceleration and deceleration constant and change only the speed corresponding to each article.

[0030] 3, the speed control unit 25 of the control means 20 controls the speed and acceleration when traveling based on the speed and acceleration (including deceleration) set in the speed setting unit 24 and the position coordinates stored in the coordinate memory unit 22, and controls the area where acceleration is required, the area where constant speed is required, and the area where deceleration is required for each AGV based on the position coordinates. For example, when AGV1 is transporting an item X1 with a risk level of 3 and is set to travel along a route AK stored in the route memory unit 23, as shown in FIG. 3, a control signal is transmitted so that the AGV accelerates at an acceleration a (denoted as a(AB)) in the area AB, travels at a constant speed Va (denoted as Va(B-I')) in the area B-I', and decelerates at a deceleration -a (denoted as -a(I'-K)) in the area I'-K.

[0031] When AGV2 is transporting an item Y1 with a risk level of 2 and is set to take the route EK stored in the route memory unit 23, as shown in Figure 3, a control signal is sent so that in area EG, it accelerates at an acceleration c (denoted as c(EG)), in area GJ, it travels at a constant speed Vc (denoted as Vc(GJ)), and in area JK, it decelerates at a deceleration -a (denoted as -c(JK)).

[0032] When AGV3 is transporting an item X1 with a risk level of 3 and is set to follow the route HO stored in the route memory unit 23, as shown in Figure 3, a control signal is sent so that in area HI, the AGV accelerates at an acceleration a (denoted as a(HI)), in area IP, the AGV travels at a constant speed Va (denoted as Va(IP)), and in area PO, the AGV decelerates at a deceleration -a (denoted as -a(PO)).

[0033] When AGV4 is transporting item X2 with a risk level of 4 and is set to take the route M'-T stored in the route memory unit 23, as shown in Figure 3, a control signal is sent so that in the area M'-Q, it accelerates at an acceleration b (denoted as b(M'-Q)), in the area Q-A', it travels at a constant speed Vb (denoted as Vb(Q-A')), and in the area A'-T, it decelerates at a deceleration -b (denoted as -b(A'-T)).

[0034] When AGV5 is transporting item Y2 with a risk level of 1 and is set to take route R'-T stored in the route memory unit 23, as shown in Figure 3, a control signal is sent so that in area R'-Q it travels at a constant speed Vd (denoted as Vd(R'-A')) and in area A'-T it decelerates at a deceleration -d (denoted as -d(A'-T)).

[0035] In the conveying system 2 of this embodiment, as described above, the AGVs travel along the route stored in the route memory unit 23 of the control means 20, and control signals set in the speed control unit 25 are transmitted to the AGVs 1 to 5, and the AGVs 1 to 5 are controlled at speeds and accelerations (including deceleration) according to the level of danger corresponding to the items being conveyed.

[0036] As a result, the speed control of each AGV is set to slow when transporting high-risk items and fast when transporting low-risk items, which allows for smooth transport according to the type of item and improves productivity.

[0037] In addition, by determining the acceleration and deceleration of the AGV in accordance with the level of danger of the goods, in addition to the speed at which the AGV travels at a constant speed, the AGV can travel more reliably in accordance with the level of danger of the goods, resulting in more precise transport according to the goods and further improving productivity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 2:Transport system 4: Processing equipment 4a: Goods storage device 4b to 4d: First to third processing devices 6: Top plate 10: Travel panel 12: Driving guidance line 14: Fall prevention wall 20: Control means 22: Coordinate memory section 23: Route Memory Section 24: Speed ​​setting section 25: Speed ​​control section 81: Cover 82: Main body 83: Servo motor 84: Tires 85: Free-direction caster 86: Front reading sensor 88: Rear reading sensor 100: Server computer 110: Antenna

Claims

1. A conveyance system including a control means and a traveling panel on which an automatic conveyance device travels is disposed on a top plate of a processing device including a plurality of processing devices, The control means includes a speed setting unit in which a speed associated with information relating to an item to be transported by the automatic transport device is set, The control means determines the speed at which the automatic conveying device should travel based on the article to be conveyed by the automatic conveying device and the speed setting unit.

2. the control means includes a coordinate storage unit that stores position coordinates formed on the traveling panel, and a path storage unit that stores coordinates of a path along which the automatic transport device moves; 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, further comprising a speed control unit that controls an area to be accelerated, an area to be kept constant speed, and an area to be decelerated by position coordinates for each automatic conveying device based on the speed set in the speed setting unit and the position coordinates stored in the coordinate storage unit.

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