Tile production transfer method and system

Abstract

A tile production transfer method and system. When upstream equipment (1) and downstream equipment (2) operate normally, a transfer workstation (3) transfers tiles produced by the upstream equipment (1) to the downstream equipment (2); when the downstream equipment (2) stops operating, the transfer workstation (3) stacks the tiles produced by the upstream equipment (1) into tile piles, and then an automated guided vehicle (4) transfers to a tile stacking warehouse (5) the tile piles to be stored; when the upstream equipment (1) stops operating, the automated guided vehicle (4) transfers the tile piles from the tile stacking warehouse (5) to the transfer workstation (3), and then the transfer workstation (3) transfers tiles of the tile piles to the downstream equipment (2). The transfer workstation (3) is used to connect the upstream equipment (1) and the downstream equipment (2), so that when the upstream equipment (1) or the downstream equipment (2) needs to stop operating due to maintenance or failures, the transfer workstation (3) is used to correspondingly stack the tiles and replenish the tiles without affecting the production work of the normally operating equipment, thereby improving tile production efficiency.

Description

A ceramic tile production and circulation method and system Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of ceramic tile production, specifically relating to a ceramic tile production and circulation method and system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there is an unresolved issue in the tile processing production lines of the tile industry: when equipment along the production line (such as kilns and polishing lines) needs maintenance, but production cannot be stopped due to the special circumstances of the kilns, the tiles fired in those kilns will have nowhere to go. If this problem is not solved, the tiles produced in the kilns will be forced off the production line and pile up, and in addition, the tiles produced during this period will be damaged and unusable.

[0003] Currently, when downstream equipment (such as polishing lines) in the production line needs maintenance, the tiles conveyed by upstream equipment (such as kilns) are often moved manually. When there is not enough manpower to move the tiles, a large number of tiles will be squeezed off the production line and broken by subsequent tiles. When the upstream equipment is under maintenance, the downstream equipment will stop working because there are no tiles to replenish it, resulting in no finished tiles being produced and low production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned technical defects, the present invention discloses a method and system for ceramic tile production and circulation, which can solve the problem of low ceramic tile production efficiency in the prior art.

[0005] This invention is implemented according to the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention discloses a method for the production and circulation of ceramic tiles, as detailed below:

[0007] The system provides upstream equipment, downstream equipment, a transfer workstation, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and a tile storage warehouse; the upstream and downstream equipment are connected via the transfer workstation, and the AAVs shuttle between the transfer workstation and the tile storage warehouse; wherein...

[0008] When the upstream and downstream equipment are in normal production, the transfer station will transport the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment;

[0009] When the downstream equipment stops operating, the transfer workstation stacks the tiles produced by the upstream equipment into brick stacks, and then the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks to the tile storage warehouse for storage.

[0010] When the upstream equipment stops operating, the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station, and then the transfer station transports the tiles on the brick stacks to the downstream equipment.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a method for the production and circulation of ceramic tiles, which uses a transfer workstation to connect upstream and downstream equipment. When the upstream or downstream equipment needs to be stopped due to maintenance or failure, the transfer workstation is used to carry out the corresponding brick stacking and replenishment work, without affecting the production work of the equipment that can be operated normally, thereby improving the production efficiency of ceramic tiles.

[0012] Specifically, when upstream equipment needs maintenance or malfunction and needs to be stopped, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transport tiles from the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station, where they are then used to replenish tiles for downstream equipment. Conversely, when downstream equipment needs maintenance or malfunction and needs to be stopped, the transfer station stacks tiles produced by the upstream equipment, and then AGVs transport the stacks to the tile storage warehouse. This process ensures the continued operation of upstream equipment while replenishing the tile storage warehouse's inventory. This ensures that there is sufficient tile stock to replenish downstream equipment when upstream equipment stops operating, thereby effectively improving tile production efficiency.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, when the production speed of the upstream equipment is greater than that of the downstream equipment, the transfer workstation transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment. After the downstream equipment has completed normal production, the excess tiles produced by the upstream equipment are stacked to form a brick stack, and the automatic guide vehicle is used to transport the brick stack to the tile storage warehouse.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, when the production speed of the upstream equipment is less than that of the downstream equipment, the automated guided vehicle transports the tiles in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station, and the transfer station transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment, and replenishes the tiles on the brick stacks by transporting them to the downstream equipment.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the transfer station provides a main conveyor section through which tiles produced by the upstream equipment are transported to the downstream equipment.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the transfer workstation provides a pick-and-place device, a transfer section, and an extended conveyor section, the extended conveyor section being connected to the main conveyor section and extending from the main conveyor section to the pick-and-place device; the transfer section is located near the tail end of the extended conveyor section and is used to place tiles;

[0017] When tiles need to be collected to the transfer section, the tiles produced by the upstream equipment flow sequentially through the main conveyor section and the extension conveyor section until the tiles are conveyed to the end of the extension conveyor section. Then, the pick-and-place fixture places the tiles on the transfer section and stacks them to form a brick stack. The automated guided vehicle then transports the brick stack on the transfer section to the tile storage warehouse for storage.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, when the transfer unit needs to supply tiles to downstream equipment, the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer unit, and then the pick-and-place clamps transport the tiles to the end of the extended conveyor, so that the tiles flow into the downstream equipment sequentially through the extended conveyor and the main conveyor.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the main conveying section and the extended conveying section are separated by multiple waiting stations.

[0020] This invention also discloses a ceramic tile production and distribution system, comprising:

[0021] Upstream equipment, downstream equipment, and tile storage warehouses;

[0022] A relay workstation is located between the upstream equipment and the downstream equipment;

[0023] An automated guided vehicle travels between the tile storage warehouse and the transfer workstation;

[0024] The transfer station includes a main conveying section, an extended conveying section, a transfer section, and a pick-and-place device.

[0025] The main conveying section connects the upstream equipment and the downstream equipment; the extended conveying section is connected to the main conveying section and extends from the main conveying section to the pick-and-place device; the transfer section is located near the tail end of the extended conveying section and is used to place tiles; the pick-and-place device has a pick-and-place clamp, which moves back and forth between the transfer section and the tail end of the extended conveying section to pick up and place tiles.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the main conveying section and the extended conveying section are provided with a plurality of lifting and blocking components at intervals to prevent the tiles from moving forward.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the transfer unit has at least two units. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the ceramic tile production and circulation system of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is a top view of the transfer workstation of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 is a top view of the pick-and-place device of the present invention.

[0032] Labeling descriptions: 1. Upstream equipment, 2. Downstream equipment, 3. Transfer station, 31. Main conveyor section, 32. Extended conveyor section, 33. Transfer section, 34. Picking and placing device, 341. Picking and placing clamp, 35. Pallet, 4. Automated guided vehicle, 5. Tile stacking warehouse. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0034] To better illustrate the present invention, the invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the ceramic tile production and circulation method disclosed in this invention is applied in a ceramic tile production and circulation system, which includes...

[0037] Upstream equipment 1, downstream equipment 2, and tile storage warehouse 5;

[0038] A transfer workstation 3 is located between the upstream device 1 and the downstream device 2;

[0039] The automated guided vehicle 4 travels back and forth between the tile storage warehouse 5 and the transfer workstation 3;

[0040] The method for ceramic tile production and distribution according to the present invention is as follows:

[0041] When the upstream equipment 1 and the downstream equipment 2 are in normal production, the transfer station 3 will transport the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 to the downstream equipment 2;

[0042] When the downstream equipment 2 stops operating, the transfer workstation 3 stacks the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 into a brick stack, and then the automated guided vehicle 4 transports the brick stack to the tile storage warehouse 5 for storage.

[0043] When the upstream equipment 1 stops operating, the automated guided vehicle 4 transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse 5 to the transfer station 3, and then the transfer station 3 transports the tiles on the brick stacks to the downstream equipment 2.

[0044] Compared with the prior art, the present invention uses a transfer workstation 3 to connect the upstream equipment 1 and the downstream equipment 2. When the upstream equipment 1 or the downstream equipment 2 needs to be stopped due to maintenance or failure, it does not affect the production work of the equipment that can operate normally, thereby improving the production efficiency of ceramic tiles.

[0045] Specifically, when upstream equipment 1 needs maintenance or malfunction and needs to be stopped, the automated guided vehicle 4 transports the tiles from the tile storage warehouse 5 to the transfer station 3, whereby the transfer station 3 replenishes the tiles for downstream equipment 2. When downstream equipment 2 needs maintenance or malfunction and needs to be stopped, the transfer station 3 stacks the tiles produced by upstream equipment 1, and then the automated guided vehicle 4 transports the stacks to the tile storage warehouse 5 for storage. This ensures that upstream equipment 1 can operate normally and replenishes the inventory of tile storage warehouse 5, so that there is sufficient tile inventory to replenish tiles for downstream equipment 2 when upstream equipment 1 stops operating, thereby effectively improving tile production efficiency.

[0046] When the upstream equipment 1 and the downstream equipment 2 are in normal production, their production speeds are coordinated, requiring only the transfer workstation 3 to transport the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 to the downstream equipment 2. However, when the upstream equipment 1 or downstream equipment 2 is under maintenance or has been repaired, production is typically slowed down at the beginning to observe whether it can operate normally. This can lead to a mismatch between the production speeds of the upstream and downstream equipment 2. Therefore, when the production speeds of the upstream and downstream equipment 2 are mismatched, the transfer workstation 3 can be used for tile stacking and replenishment, and the automated guided vehicle 4 can be used to transport the tiles, effectively improving tile production efficiency.

[0047] Furthermore, when the production speed of the upstream equipment 1 is greater than that of the downstream equipment 2, and the downstream equipment 2 is not producing in time, in order not to affect the production speed of the upstream equipment 1 and to avoid tile accumulation, the transfer station 3 transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 to the downstream equipment 2. After the downstream equipment 2 resumes normal production, the transfer station 3 collects and stacks the excess tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1. Once the number of stacked tiles reaches a preset number, the automatic guide vehicle 4 transports the stack of tiles to the tile storage warehouse 5 to replenish the tile storage warehouse 5. There is no need to wait for the downstream equipment 2 to stop running before replenishing the tile storage warehouse 5.

[0048] Furthermore, when the production speed of the upstream equipment 1 is less than that of the downstream equipment 2, due to the untimely production of the upstream equipment 1, in order not to affect the production speed of the downstream equipment 2 and improve the production efficiency of the tiles, the automatic guide vehicle 4 is used to transport the tiles in the tile stack 5 to the transfer station 3. After the transfer station 3 transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 to the downstream equipment 2, it also replenishes the tiles on the brick stack and transports them to the downstream equipment 2 for production, effectively improving the production efficiency of the tiles.

[0049] In this invention, the transfer workstation 3 has a main conveying unit 31, an extended conveying unit 32, a transfer unit 33, and a pick-and-place device 34;

[0050] The main conveying unit 31 connects the upstream device 1 and the downstream device 2, and the tiles are conveyed to the downstream device 2 via the main conveying unit 31;

[0051] The extended conveying section 32 is connected to the main conveying section 31 and extends from the main conveying section 31 to the pick-and-place device 34; the extended conveying section 32 serves as a connecting channel between the main conveying section 31 and the transfer section 33.

[0052] The main conveying section 31 and the extended conveying section 32 may be, but are not limited to, roller conveyors or belt conveyors.

[0053] The transfer section 33 is located near the tail end of the extended conveyor section 32 and is used to place tiles. For example, when the upstream equipment 1 stops running or the production speed of the upstream equipment 1 is less than that of the downstream equipment 2, it is used to place the brick stacks transported by the automatic guide car 4 from the tile stacking warehouse 5, or when the downstream equipment 2 stops running and the production speed of the upstream equipment 1 is greater than that of the downstream equipment 2, it is used to place the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1.

[0054] The pick-and-place device 34 has a pick-and-place clamp 341, which reciprocates between the transfer section 33 and the tail end of the extension conveying section 32 for picking up and placing tiles. The pick-and-place device 34 includes an XYZ three-axis drive module, which drives the pick-and-place clamp 341 to move in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0055] The method of using the transfer workstation 3 of the present invention in conjunction with the upstream equipment 1 and the downstream equipment 2 is as follows:

[0056] When the production speeds of the upstream equipment 1 and the downstream equipment 2 are coordinated, the tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 are transported to the downstream equipment 2 via the main conveyor 31.

[0057] When the downstream equipment 2 stops operating, the tiles need to be collected to the transfer section 33. The tiles produced by the upstream equipment 1 flow sequentially through the main conveying section 31 and the extended conveying section 32 until the tiles are conveyed to the end of the extended conveying section 32. The pick-and-place clamp 341 places the tiles on the transfer section 33 and stacks them to form a brick stack. Then the automatic guide vehicle 4 transports the brick stack on the transfer section 33 to the tile storage warehouse 5 for storage.

[0058] When the production speed of upstream equipment 1 is greater than that of downstream equipment 2, in addition to the tiles produced by upstream equipment 1 being transported to downstream equipment 2 via the main conveyor 31, tiles waiting to be produced also need to be collected in the transfer unit 33. The tile collection work is the same as the tile collection work when downstream equipment 2 stops running, and will not be described again.

[0059] When the upstream equipment 1 stops operating, the transfer unit 33 needs to provide tiles to the downstream equipment 2. The automatic guide vehicle 4 transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse 5 to the transfer unit 33, and then the pick-and-place clamp 341 transports the tiles to the tail end of the extension conveyor 32, so that the tiles flow into the downstream equipment 2 in sequence through the extension conveyor 32 and the main conveyor 31.

[0060] When the production speed of upstream equipment 1 is less than that of downstream equipment 2, in addition to the tiles produced by upstream equipment 1 being transported to downstream equipment 2 via the main conveyor 31, the transfer unit 33 also needs to provide tiles to downstream equipment 2. The operation of the transfer unit 33 in providing tiles is the same as the operation of providing tiles when upstream equipment 1 stops running, and will not be described again.

[0061] This invention facilitates the production of ceramic tiles:

[0062] Furthermore, the main conveying section 31 and the extended conveying section 32 are provided with multiple lifting and blocking components at intervals to prevent the tiles from moving forward. This allows the main conveying section 31 and the extended conveying section 32 to have multiple waiting stations, which orderly separate the tiles and transport them in an orderly manner, avoiding tile collisions and local accumulation. Each lifting and blocking component includes a lifting device and a baffle, with the lifting device driving the baffle to move up and down. The lifting device can be a cylinder or a linear module.

[0063] Furthermore, at least two transfer stations 33 are provided; the two transfer stations 33 are located on opposite sides of the extended conveying section 32. The transfer stations 33 are divided into a first transfer station 33 and a second transfer station 33. When the transfer workstation 3 needs to collect tiles for the upstream equipment 1, the second transfer station 33 is used only after the first transfer station 33 has finished stacking the tiles. When the second transfer station 33 is in use, the automated guided vehicle 4 can promptly remove the tiles from the first transfer station 33, allowing for continuous operation without affecting the production speed of the upstream equipment 1. When the transfer workstation needs to replenish tiles for the downstream equipment 2, the automated guided vehicle 4 transports the tiles to both transfer stations 33. The tiles in the second transfer station 33 are used only after the tiles in the first transfer station 33 have been used up. During the use of the tiles in the second transfer station 33, the automated guided vehicle 4 can promptly replenish new tiles to the first transfer station 33, allowing for continuous operation without affecting the production speed of the downstream equipment 2; this facilitates tile production and effectively improves tile production efficiency.

[0064] In this invention, there are two extended conveying sections 32, three transfer sections 33, and two pick-and-place clamps 341, which are used in correspondence with the two extended conveying sections 32. An extended conveying section 32 is provided between two adjacent transfer sections 33 to separate the three transfer sections 33, allowing the automated guided vehicle 4 sufficient space to transport tiles. During transport, each transfer section 33 is used sequentially, allowing the automated guided vehicle 4 ample time to transport tiles. Using two pick-and-place clamps 341 can speed up the tile picking and placing process and reduce the travel distance of each pick-and-place clamp 341.

[0065] Furthermore, the transfer section 33 is provided with a tray 35 for carrying tiles; the automatic guide vehicle 4 places an empty tray 35 or a tray 35 carrying a stack of bricks into the transfer section 33.

[0066] For example, when the transfer workstation 3 needs to replenish bricks for the downstream equipment 2, the automated guided vehicle 4 will transport the pallet 35 carrying the brick stack to the transfer section 33. When the brick stack is used up, the automated guided vehicle 4 will transport the empty pallet 35 to the pallet 35 concentration area, and another automated guided vehicle 4 will replenish the brick stack to the transfer section 33 to speed up the loading speed of the brick stack. After transporting the empty pallet 35 to the pallet 35 concentration area, the automated guided vehicle 4 will move to the tile storage warehouse 5 to pick up the pallet 35 carrying the tiles. The automated guided vehicle 4 will then replenish the transfer section 33 with the next brick stack. Two automated guided vehicles 4 will alternately transport empty pallets 35 and pallets 35 carrying brick stacks for the same transfer section 33.

[0067] When transfer station 3 needs to collect tiles produced by upstream equipment 1, automated guided vehicle 4 will transport empty pallets 35 from the pallet 35 collection area to transfer station 33. Once the tiles have stacked to form a preset number of brick stacks, the automated guided vehicle 4 will transport the pallets 35 carrying the brick stacks to tile storage 5. Another automated guided vehicle 4 will then replenish the empty pallets 35 at transfer station 33 to speed up the replenishment of empty pallets 35, ensuring timely replenishment and preventing other transfer stations from being filled with brick stacks before the current transfer station 33 has been replenished. Similarly, two automated guided vehicles 4 will alternately transport empty pallets 35 and pallets 35 carrying brick stacks to the same transfer station 33.

[0068] Furthermore, the pick-and-place fixture 341 is equipped with a vision device, which is electrically connected to the XYZ three-axis drive module and is used to detect and track the position of the brick placement tray 35.

[0069] It should be noted that the transfer workstation can also use manual labor to replace the picking and placing device 34 for the handling of tiles, and the work can be carried out by manual labor in conjunction with the automatic guided vehicle.

[0070] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the foregoing specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for the production and circulation of ceramic tiles, characterized in that: The system provides upstream equipment, downstream equipment, a transfer workstation, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and a tile storage warehouse; the upstream and downstream equipment are connected via the transfer workstation, and the AAVs shuttle between the transfer workstation and the tile storage warehouse; wherein... When the upstream and downstream equipment are in normal production, the transfer station will transport the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment; When the downstream equipment stops operating, the transfer workstation stacks the tiles produced by the upstream equipment into brick stacks, and then the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks to the tile storage warehouse for storage. When the upstream equipment stops operating, the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station, and then the transfer station transports the tiles on the brick stacks to the downstream equipment.

2. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the production speed of the upstream equipment is greater than that of the downstream equipment, the transfer station transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment. After the downstream equipment has resumed normal production, the excess tiles produced by the upstream equipment are stacked to form a brick stack, which is then transported to the tile storage warehouse by the automated guided vehicle.

3. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the production speed of the upstream equipment is less than that of the downstream equipment, the automated guided vehicle transports the tiles in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station. The transfer station then transports the tiles produced by the upstream equipment to the downstream equipment and replenishes the tiles on the brick stacks by transporting them to the downstream equipment.

4. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The transfer station provides a main conveyor section through which the tiles produced by the upstream equipment are transported to the downstream equipment.

5. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transfer workstation provides an extended conveyor section, a transfer section, and a pick-and-place device. The extended conveyor section is connected to the main conveyor section and extends from the main conveyor section to the pick-and-place device. The transfer section is located near the tail end of the extended conveyor section and is used to place tiles. When tiles need to be collected to the transfer section, the tiles produced by the upstream equipment flow sequentially through the main conveyor section and the extension conveyor section until the tiles are conveyed to the end of the extension conveyor section. Then, the pick-and-place fixture places the tiles on the transfer section and stacks them to form a brick stack. The automated guided vehicle then transports the brick stack on the transfer section to the tile storage warehouse for storage.

6. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the transfer station needs to supply tiles to downstream equipment, the automated guided vehicle transports the brick stacks in the tile storage warehouse to the transfer station, and then the pick-and-place clamps transport the tiles to the end of the extension conveyor, so that the tiles flow into the downstream equipment in sequence through the extension conveyor and the main conveyor.

7. The ceramic tile production and circulation method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The main conveying section and the extended conveying section are equipped with multiple waiting stations to separate the tiles.

8. A ceramic tile production and distribution system, characterized in that, include: Upstream equipment, downstream equipment, and tile storage warehouses; A relay workstation is located between the upstream equipment and the downstream equipment; An automated guided vehicle travels between the tile storage warehouse and the transfer workstation; The transfer station includes a main conveying section, an extended conveying section, a transfer section, and a pick-and-place device. The main conveying section connects the upstream equipment and the downstream equipment; the extended conveying section is connected to the main conveying section and extends from the main conveying section to the pick-and-place device; the transfer section is located near the tail end of the extended conveying section and is used to place tiles; the pick-and-place device has a pick-and-place clamp, which moves back and forth between the transfer section and the tail end of the extended conveying section to pick up and place tiles.

9. The ceramic tile production and circulation system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The main conveying section and the extended conveying section are provided with multiple lifting and blocking components at intervals to prevent the tiles from moving forward.

10. The ceramic tile production and circulation system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transfer station has at least two units.

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