Method for cross-region automatic scheduling of overhead hoist transfer vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for cross-region automatic scheduling of overhead hoist transfer vehicles, comprising: dividing regions on the basis of routes of all overhead hoist transfer vehicles; numbering the overhead hoist transfer vehicles that perform cross-region transfer tasks; limiting the number of overhead hoist transfer vehicles that perform cross-region tasks in each region; setting the priority of support regions; and carrying out cross-region automatic scheduling. According to the method for cross-region automatic scheduling of overhead hoist transfer vehicles of the present invention, the overhead hoist transfer vehicles can be efficiently and rationally distributed, the occurrence of irrational distribution of the overhead hoist transfer vehicles caused by task accumulation at a specific device node or a sudden surge in scheduling demands is reduced, and chain reactions caused by the impact on transfer tasks in multiple regions are avoided, thereby improving the transfer efficiency of the overhead hoist transfer vehicles and improving the production efficiency.

Description

A method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automated logistics production, and in particular to a method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes. Background Art

[0002] In an automated logistics factory where overhead cranes are interconnected, the crane control system is responsible for their assignment and scheduling. When a centralized front-loading wafer pod transport task arrives at a specific origin (either within the same area or for cross-area transport), the crane control system centrally accepts the task and dispatches multiple overhead cranes to the same origin. This results in a large number of cranes being occupied with transport tasks in that area, impacting transport tasks in other areas and significantly reducing crane scheduling efficiency.

[0003] How to avoid the large-scale occupancy of overhead cranes when the transport tasks are too concentrated in a certain area and make the dispatch of overhead cranes smoother has become a common problem in automated logistics factories and needs to be solved urgently.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a method for automatic cross-regional scheduling of transport cranes, which can reasonably allocate the number of cross-regional support transport cranes according to the number of tasks in different areas, and effectively solve the scheduling problem of excessive concentration of tasks in a certain area affecting the transport tasks in other areas.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0007] A method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of a transport crane comprises the following steps:

[0008] Step 1: Divide the area according to the routes of all overhead cranes;

[0009] Step 2: Number the overhead crane that performs cross-regional transport tasks;

[0010] Step 3: Limit the number of overhead cranes in each area that can perform cross-regional transport tasks;

[0011] Step 4: Set the priority of the support area;

[0012] Step 5: Perform automatic cross-regional scheduling.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, numbering of transport cranes, limiting the number of transport cranes and setting priorities of support areas are all operated through the crane control system.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, in step three, the number of overhead transport cranes in each area is initially configured based on the number of previous tasks, and the number of cross-area overhead transport cranes in each area is dynamically set. Areas where the number of overhead transport cranes exceeds the number of tasks are considered unsaturated areas, and areas where the number of overhead transport cranes is less than the number of tasks are considered overloaded areas.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution, in step four, for the overloaded area with the most tasks, overhead cranes are dispatched from adjacent unsaturated areas for support. If the number of overhead cranes performing cross-regional tasks in adjacent areas is added, the area with the most tasks is still an overloaded area, and overhead cranes are dispatched from other unsaturated areas.

[0016] As an optimal technical solution, for the overloaded area with the most tasks, if the adjacent areas are also overloaded areas, overhead cranes are dispatched from other unsaturated areas to provide support to the area with the most tasks.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution, when all areas are unsaturated areas or overloaded areas, cross-area scheduling is not performed.

[0018] As a preferred technical solution, in step five, after the overhead crane has completed a cross-region transport task and has not received any further tasks, it will give priority to returning to the original area.

[0019] As a preferred technical solution, in step five, after the transport crane performs a cross-region transport task, if there is a transport task with the destination being the departure area in the support area, the crane control system will give priority to allocating the supporting transport crane to the departure area to perform the transport task.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The method for automatic cross-regional dispatch of overhead cranes of the present invention controls the number of overhead cranes in each area during transport within a large production workshop or across regions. It can also set the number of trolleys for cross-regional transport, the trolley numbers, and the priority of inter-regional transport scheduling, thereby reducing the irrational allocation of overhead cranes due to task accumulation or explosive scheduling demands at a certain equipment node, and avoiding the chain reaction caused by the impact on transport tasks in multiple regions. Automatic cross-regional dispatch can efficiently and reasonably allocate overhead crane resources, improve the transport efficiency of overhead cranes, and enhance production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a flow chart of a method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of a transport crane according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments:

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, a method for automatic cross-regional scheduling of a handling crane includes the following steps:

[0025] Step 1: Divide the areas according to the routes of all handling cranes; in this embodiment, the handling crane routes of the whole factory are divided into four areas, namely A, B, C, and D, for management.

[0026] Step 2: Number the handling cranes that perform cross-regional handling tasks through the crane control system. VEH01-40 in Figure 1 is the machine and its number;

[0027] Step 3: Limit the number of handling cranes that perform cross-regional handling tasks in each area through the crane control system; as shown in Table 1 below:

[0028] Table 1

[0029] Step 4: Set the priorities of the support areas through the crane control system, as shown in Table 2 below:

[0030] Table 2

[0031] Step 5: Perform automatic cross-regional scheduling. In this embodiment, the handling task volumes of areas A, B, C, and D are represented by the following letters: A, B, C, D.

[0032] The detailed scheduling description is based on the task quantity in Area A:

[0033] 1. When A, B, C, D <= 10, the handling cranes do not perform cross-regional scheduling;

[0034] 2. When 10 < A <= 15 and B <= 5, the handling cranes in Area B perform cross-regional scheduling to support the handling tasks in Area A;

[0035] 3. When 10 < A <= 15 and 5 < B < 10, the handling cranes in Areas B and C perform cross-regional scheduling to support the handling tasks in Area A;

[0036] 4. When 10 < A <= 15 and B = 10, the handling cranes in Area C perform cross-regional scheduling to support the handling tasks in Area A;

[0037] 5. When 10 < A <= 15, 10 < B <= 15, C <= 5, and D <= 5, the handling cranes in Area C perform cross-regional scheduling to support the handling tasks in Area A; the handling cranes in Area D perform cross-regional scheduling to support the handling tasks in Area B;

[0038] 6. When 10 < A <= 15, B = 10, and C = 10, the transfer crane in Area D performs cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area A.

[0039] 7. When 10 < A <= 15, 10 < B <= 15, 10 < C <= 15, and D <= 5, the transfer crane in Area D performs cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area C.

[0040] 8. When 15 < A <= 20 and B <= 5, the transfer cranes in Areas B and C perform cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area A.

[0041] 9. When 15 < A <= 20 and 10 < B <= 15, the transfer crane in Area C performs cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area A; the transfer crane in Area D performs cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area B.

[0042] 10. When 15 < A <= 20, 10 < B <= 15, and 10 < C <= 15, the transfer crane in Area D performs cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area C.

[0043] 11. When A >= 20, the transfer cranes in Areas B, C, and D perform cross - regional scheduling to support the transfer task in Area A.

[0044] 12. When A, B, C, and D > 10, the transfer crane does not perform cross - regional scheduling.

[0045] From the above 12 case scenarios, it can be seen that by setting restrictions on the number of transfer cranes for cross - regional transfer and the priority of support areas, etc., not only does it not affect the transfer of tasks, but it also greatly improves the task execution efficiency.

[0046] After the transfer crane executes the cross - regional transfer task, if it does not receive a new task, it will return to the original area preferentially. If there is a transfer task in the supported area with the destination being the departure area, the crane control system will preferentially allocate the supported transfer crane to the departure area to execute the transfer task, thereby improving the utilization rate of the transfer crane.

[0047] Performing cross - regional scheduling of transfer cranes based on the task quantities in each area can maximize the avoidance of waste of transfer crane scheduling resources, reduce a certain degree of transfer crane congestion, ensure the reasonable scheduling of transfer crane resources. At the same time, if there are also scheduling requirements in other areas, the crane control system also has corresponding transfer crane resources available for scheduling to execute transfer tasks, without causing long - term waiting for tasks, greatly enhancing the transfer efficiency, and at the same time improving the operating rate of the transfer crane and the production efficiency.

[0048] This embodiment is only a further explanation of the present invention and is not a limitation of the present invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art may make non-creative modifications to this embodiment as needed, but as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention, they are protected by patent law.

Claims

1. A method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: Step 1: Divide the area according to the routes of all overhead cranes; Step 2: Number the overhead crane that performs cross-regional transport tasks; Step 3: Limit the number of overhead cranes in each area that can perform cross-regional transport tasks; Step 4: Set the priority of the support area; Step 5: Perform automatic cross-regional scheduling.

2. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of a transport crane according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crane control system is used to number the transport cranes, limit the number of transport cranes and set the priority of the support areas.

3. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of a transport crane according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step three, the number of overhead transport cranes in each area is initially configured based on the number of previous tasks, and the number of cross-area overhead transport cranes in each area is dynamically set. Areas where the number of overhead transport cranes exceeds the number of tasks are considered unsaturated areas, and areas where the number of overhead transport cranes is less than the number of tasks are considered overloaded areas.

4. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of a transport crane according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step four, for the overloaded area with the most tasks, overhead cranes are dispatched from adjacent unsaturated areas for support. If the number of overhead cranes performing cross-regional tasks in adjacent areas is added, the area with the most tasks is still an overloaded area, and overhead cranes are dispatched from other unsaturated areas.

5. A method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of transport cranes according to claim 3 is characterized in that for the overloaded area with the most tasks, if the adjacent areas are also overloaded areas, transport cranes are dispatched from other unsaturated areas to support the area with the most tasks.

6. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes according to claim 3, characterized in that: When all areas are unsaturated or overloaded, no cross-area scheduling is performed.

7. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 5, after the overhead crane completes the cross-region transport task and does not receive any further tasks, it will give priority to returning to the original area.

8. The method for automatic cross-regional dispatching of overhead cranes according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 5, after the transport crane performs the cross-region transport task, if there is a transport task with the destination being the departure area in the support area, the crane control system will preferentially assign the supporting transport crane to the departure area to perform the transport task.

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