Picking plant for the ceramic industry

Abstract

The picking plant (1) for the ceramic industry comprises: a depalletizing station (4) of a plurality of single-product pallets (2) supporting packages of ceramic slabs (3); a main movement line (6) of the packages of ceramic slabs (3) extending parallel to a substantially horizontal and straight main direction (A); a plurality of automatic warehouses (7) arranged along the main movement line (6) and from opposite sides of the main movement line (6); at least one movement robot (20, 21) adapted to move the packages of ceramic slabs (3) between the automatic warehouses (7) and the main movement line (6), the movement robot (20, 21) being movable parallel to the main direction (A); a palletizing station (9) of a plurality of multi-product pallets (10).

Description

[0001] PICKING PLANT FOR THE CERAMIC INDUSTRY

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a picking plant for the ceramic industry. Background Art

[0004] In the ceramic industry intended for the manufacture and sale of slabs made of ceramic material for the floor and wall covering of buildings, there is a particular need to carry out picking activities, i.e., activities that consist of sorting packages of ceramic slabs, usually directly picked from a number of different singleproduct pallets, in order to form a multi-product pallet composed of the packages of ceramic slabs actually ordered by the end customer and therefore ready for delivery.

[0005] In this regard, it should be kept in mind that ceramic slabs are usually grouped into product groups that are homogeneous with each other since they have the same characteristics, such as color, tone, size, gauge, choice and date of production, so that product codes common to the various product groups are defined.

[0006] Groups of homogeneous slabs are usually boxed, bundled, bound or otherwise joined together to form a single package of ceramic slabs; a plurality of mutually homogeneous packages are then placed on the same pallet to obtain a singleproduct pallet.

[0007] The order of the end customer, on the other hand, is usually composed of a plurality of at least partly different packages of ceramic slabs that, through the above-described picking operations, must be retrieved from the different singleproduct pallets and placed on a new pallet to form the multi-product pallet ready for delivery.

[0008] An example of a picking plant for the ceramic industry is shown in Italian patent appl. no. 102021000024594, which provides for a plurality of tunnel-shaped temporary storage lanes, each of which is provided with an inlet and an outlet for receiving or loading in, temporarily holding and unloading out a single orderly arranged row of homogeneous packages of ceramic slabs.

[0009] In actual facts, the temporary storage lanes are loaded at one end, where there is a first robotic system for gripping and handling the packages of ceramic slabs and a first automated storage and retrieval system, and unloaded at the opposite end, where there is a second automated storage and retrieval system and a second robotic system intended to make up the multi-product pallet based on the customer’s specific requirements.

[0010] Such a type of picking plants for the ceramic industry has some drawbacks, particularly related to the significant cost required for the implementation of the plurality of temporary storage lanes and of the automated storage and retrieval systems, which results in such a high increase in the overall expenses of the plant that it makes the plant itself truly unattractive and uninteresting to customers. Description of the Invention

[0011] The main aim of the present invention is to devise a picking plant for the ceramic industry which enables the operations of storing, selection, sorting and packing of the packages of ceramic slabs to be carried out in a practical, easy and functional maimer and, at the same time, at a very low cost.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to devise a picking plant for the ceramic industry which can overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art within the framework of a simple, rational solution which is also easy and effective to use.

[0013] The aforementioned objects are achieved by this picking plant for the ceramic industry having the characteristics of claim 1.

[0014] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a picking plant for the ceramic industry, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example, in the attached tables of drawings in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a plan view of the plant according to the invention;

[0017] Figure 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the plant according to the invention;

[0018] Figure 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of another portion of the plant according to the invention; Figure 4 is a schematic and partial sectional view along the IV - IV plane in Figure 3;

[0019] Figure 5 is an axonometric view of a detail of the plant according to the invention; Figure 6 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of an additional portion of the plant according to the invention.

[0020] Embodiments of the Invention

[0021] With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally relates to a picking plant for the ceramic industry.

[0022] The plant 1 is particularly intended to receive incoming single-product pallets 2 i.e., pallets loaded with a plurality of packages of ceramic slabs 3 that are homogeneous with each other, i.e., that all have the same characteristics such as color, tone, size, gauge, choice and / or production date.

[0023] In more detail, each package of ceramic slabs 3 consists of a plurality of ceramic slabs which are homogeneous with each other and are grouped inside a box, a crate, a bundle or any other type of packing.

[0024] The plant 1, moreover, is intended to store the single packages of ceramic slabs 3 and to sort them according to the order of the end customer in order to provide a multi-product pallet 10 at output, which is precisely composed of the packages of ceramic slabs 3 actually ordered by the end customer and, therefore, is ready for delivery.

[0025] The plant 1 comprises: at least one depalletizing station 4 of a plurality of single-product pallets 2 supporting packages of ceramic slabs 3, wherein the depalletizing station 4 is provided with a depalletizing machine 5 configured to pick the packages of ceramic slabs 3 from the single-product pallets 2; at least one main movement line 6 of the packages of ceramic slabs 3, in which the main movement line 6 is adapted to receive the packages of ceramic slabs 3 from the depalletizing station 4 and extending at least partly parallel to a substantially horizontal and straight main direction A; a plurality of automatic warehouses 7 arranged along the main movement line 6 from opposite sides of the main movement line itself; at least one movement robot 20, 21 of the packages of ceramic slabs 3 adapted to move the packages of ceramic slabs 3 between the automatic warehouses 7 and the main movement line 6, in which the movement robot 20, 21 is movable parallel to the main direction A; at least one palletizing station 9 of a plurality of multi -product pallets 10, wherein the palletizing station 9 is provided with a palletizing machine 11 configured to pick up the packages of ceramic slabs 3 coming from the main movement line 6 and to position them on the multi-product pallets 10.

[0026] The depalletizing station 4 (Figure 2) actually consists of an area where singleproduct pallets 2 arrive, e.g., transported by forklift trucks 8, AGVs or the like.

[0027] Within the area there is the depalletizing machine 5 which, e.g. comprises an anthropomorphic articulated arm ending up in a gripper for gripping the packages of ceramic slabs 3.

[0028] The depalletizing machine 5 is placed in close proximity to the main movement line 6, so as to be able to place the packages of ceramic slabs 3 picked up from the single-product pallets 2 directly onto the main movement line 6, as will also be clarified later in this disclosure.

[0029] Preferably, the main movement line 6 comprises a first end 6a, arranged on the side of the depalletizing station 4, and a second end 6b, arranged on the opposite side of the first end 6a, wherein the main movement line 6 is adapted to move the packages of ceramic slabs 3 parallel to the main direction A at least in one way of forward movement V running from the first end 6a to the second end 6b.

[0030] In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, particularly in the detailed view in Figure 3, the second end is arranged on the side of the palletizing station 9 and, in other words, the main movement line 6 extends between the first end 6a, from which the packages of ceramic slabs 3 previously picked up from the singleproduct pallets 2 arrive to be stored in the automatic warehouses 7, and the second end 6b, from which the packages of ceramic slabs 3 leaving the automatic warehouses 7 are sent to the depalletizing station; therefore, the first end 6a serves as the input end for the packages of ceramic slabs 3 while the second end 6b serves as the output end for the packages of ceramic slabs 3, and the movement of packages of ceramic slabs 3 along the main movement line 6 takes place in one way of travel, i.e., the way of forward movement V running from the first end 6a to the second end 6b.

[0031] Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the first end 6a is connected to both the depalletizing station 4 and the palletizing station 9 and, thus, serves as both an input end, for the packages of ceramic slabs 3 arriving from the depalletizing station 4 intended to be stored in the automatic warehouses 7, and an output end, for the packages of ceramic slabs 3 leaving the automatic warehouses 7 intended to be sent to the depalletizing station 4; in this case, the second end 6b is connected neither to the depalletizing station 4 nor to the palletizing station 9 and serves as a dead end with no outlets, while the movement of the packages of ceramic slabs 3 on the main movement line 6 can take place in both ways of forward movement, that is, from the first end 6a to the second end 6b and vice versa.

[0032] In more detail, the main movement line 6 comprises: at least a first line of forward movement 12 of the packages of ceramic slabs 3 connected to the depalletizing station 4; at least a second line of forward movement 13 of the packages of ceramic slabs 3 connected to the palletizing station 9; wherein the lines of forward movement 12, 13 are arranged at least partly side by side to each other.

[0033] The first line of forward movement 12 can be connected to the depalletizing station 4 directly or by interposition of one or more auxiliary conveyor lines.

[0034] Similarly, the second line of forward movement 13 can also be connected to the palletizing station 9 directly or by interposition of one or more auxiliary conveyor lines.

[0035] For example, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the first line of forward movement 12 is connected to the depalletizing station 4 directly, then the depalletizing machine 5 deposits the packages of ceramic slabs 3 picked from the single-product pallets 2 directly onto the first line of forward movement 12.

[0036] Still in the embodiment shown in the figures, the second line of forward movement 13 is furthermore connected to the palletizing station 9 by means of an intermediate auxiliary conveyor line 14; in other words, the second line of forward movement 13 is connected to the auxiliary conveyor line 14 which in turn is connected to the palletizing station 9, so the packages of ceramic slabs 3 coming from the second line of forward movement 13 reach the auxiliary conveyor line 14, which then transfers them to the palletizing station 9.

[0037] Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the first line of forward movement 12 is connected to the palletizing station 9 by interposition of one or more auxiliary conveyor lines and / or wherein the second line of forward movement 13 is connected to the palletizing station 9 directly.

[0038] Both lines of forward movement 12, 13 run between the first end 6a and the second end 6b of the main movement line 6.

[0039] Conveniently, the plant 1 comprises a sliding rail 15 on which the movement robot 20, 21 slides; the sliding rail 15 runs along the main direction A and is adapted to hold the movement robot 20, 21 on top of the main movement line 6. Advantageously and as clearly visible in Figure 4, the movement robot 20, 21 is placed on top of both lines of forward movement 12, 13.

[0040] Similarly to the palletizing machine 11, the movement robot 20, 21 also preferably comprises an anthropomorphic articulated arm ending up in a gripper 16 adapted to grip the packages of ceramic slabs 3.

[0041] Conveniently, the plant 1 comprises at least two movement robots 20, 21, both of which are mounted on the sliding rail 15, of which: a first movement robot 20 is arranged in the proximity of the first end 6a; a second movement robot 21 is arranged in the proximity of the second end 6b.

[0042] Preferably, the first movement robot 20 is used to load and unload the automatic warehouses 7 arranged in the proximity of the first end 6a while the second movement robot 21 is used to load and unload the automatic warehouses 7 arranged in the proximity of the second end 6b.

[0043] It should be noted, however, that both movement robots 20, 21 are configured to reach all automatic warehouses 7 and can be used to load and unload all automatic warehouses 7; in case one of the movement robots 20, 21 needs to be stopped to undergo maintenance jobs, the plant 1 can continue to operate with the remaining movement robot 20, 21.

[0044] Conveniently, the automatic warehouses 7 comprise a plurality of trays 17, movable both along vertical directions and along horizontal directions, between a loading / unloading position, wherein a tray 17 is placed in the proximity of the main movement line 6, and a plurality of storage positions (see, for example, Figure 5).

[0045] In this context, it is pointed out that in the loading / unloading position, each tray 17 can be reached by the movement robots 20, 21, i.e., it is placed within the operating range of the movement robots 20, 21 to enable them to load the tray itself with the packages of ceramic slabs 3 and, vice versa, to unload it.

[0046] Each tray 17 is sized and configured to house the packages of ceramic slabs 3 corresponding to three single-product pallets 2.

[0047] In other words, the automatic warehouses 7 and the relevant trays 17 are made so as to hold the weight of a rather large number of packages of ceramic slabs 3; preferably, the trays 17 are sized and configured to hold up to 6000 kg.

[0048] Advantageously, the trays 17 have a length of between 5.5 m and 6.5 m (preferably equal to 6 m), a width of between 800 and 900 mm (preferably equal to 850 mm) and a height of between 300 and 400 mm (preferably equal to 350 mm).

[0049] The palletizing station 9 (Figure 6) substantially consists of an area where the packages arrive of ceramic slabs 3 which must be placed on top of the multiproduct pallets 10.

[0050] Within the area there is the palletizing machine 11 which, for example, also comprises an anthropomorphic articulated arm ending up in a gripper for gripping the packages of ceramic slabs 3.

[0051] More specifically, the palletizing machine 11 is placed in close proximity to the auxiliary conveyor line 14, so as to be able to pick up the packages of ceramic slabs 3 coming from the automatic warehouses and to place them directly on the multi-product pallets 10. After setting them up according to the end customer’s requirements, the multiproduct pallets 10 can be picked up from the palletizing station 9, e.g. by forklift trucks 8, AGVs or the like.

[0052] It can be seen how the plant 1 is configured to be enslaved to a processing and control unit which controls the activation and operation of the depalletizing station 4, of the main movement line 6, of the automatic warehouses 7, of the movement robots 20, 21 and of the palletizing station 9.

[0053] Specifically, the processing and control unit is configured to provide the information adapted for example to: direct the packages of ceramic slabs 3 coming from the depalletizing station 4 into the trays 17 according to predetermined orders depending on the characteristics and product code of the packages themselves; pick up the packages of ceramic slabs 3 from the automatic warehouses 7 and to send them to the palletizing station 9 according to the specific orders and customer requirements in order to prepare the relevant multi-product pallets 10.

[0054] In actual fact, it has been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects and, in particular, that it enables the operations of storage, selection, sorting and packaging of the packages of ceramic slabs to be carried out in a practical, easy, functional maimer and at an extremely lower cost than traditional systems.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Picking plant (1) for the ceramic industry, characterized by the fact that it comprises: at least one depalletizing station (4) of a plurality of single-product pallets (2) supporting packages of ceramic slabs (3), said depalletizing station (4) being provided with a depalletizing machine (5) configured to pick said packages of ceramic slabs (3) from said single-product pallets (2); at least one main movement line (6) of said packages of ceramic slabs (3) adapted to receive said packages of ceramic slabs (3) from said depalletizing station (4) and extending at least partly parallel to a substantially horizontal and straight main direction (A); a plurality of automatic warehouses (7) arranged along said main movement line (6) and from opposite sides of said main movement line (6); at least one movement robot (20, 21) for moving said packages of ceramic slabs (3) adapted to move said packages of ceramic slabs (3) between said automatic warehouses (7) and said main movement line (6), said movement robot (20, 21) being movable parallel to said main direction (A); at least one palletizing station (9) of a plurality of multi-product pallets (10), said palletizing station (9) being provided with a palletizing machine (11) configured to pick up said packages of ceramic slabs (3) coming from said main movement line (6) and to position them on said multi-product pallets (10).2) Plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said main movement line (6) comprises a first end (6a) arranged on the side of said depalletizing station (4) and a second end arranged on the opposite side of said first end (6a), said main movement line (6) being adapted to move said packages of ceramic slabs (3) parallel to said main direction (A) at least in one way of forward movement (V) running from said first end (6a) to said second end.3) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises a sliding rail (15) of said movement robot (20, 21) extending along said main direction (A) and is adapted to support said movementrobot (20, 21) on top of said main movement line (6).4) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least two of said movement robots (20, 21), both mounted on said sliding rail (15), of which: a first movement robot (20), which is arranged in the proximity of said first end (6a); a second movement robot (21), which is arranged in the proximity of said second end.5) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said automated warehouses (7) comprise a plurality of trays (17), movable either along vertical directions or along horizontal directions between a loading / unloading position, wherein a tray (17) is placed in the proximity of said main movement line (6), and a plurality of storage positions.6) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that each of said trays (17) is sized and configured to accommodate the packages of ceramic slabs (3) corresponding to three single-product pallets (2).7) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said trays (17) have a length of between 5.5 m and 6.5 m, a width of between 800 and 900 mm and a height of between 300 and 400 mm.8) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that at least one of said depalletizing machine (5), said movement robot (20, 21) or said palletizing machine (11) comprises an anthropomorphic articulated arm ending up in a gripper for gripping said packages of ceramic slabs (3).9) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said main movement line (6) comprises: at least a first line of forward movement (12) of said packages of ceramic slabs (3) connected to said depalletizing station (4); at least a second line of forward movement (13) of said packages of ceramic slabs (3) connected to said palletizing station (9); said lines of forward movement (12, 13) being arranged at least partly side byside to each other.10) Plant (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said movement robot (20, 21) is placed on top of both said lines of forward movement (12, 13).

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