Driverless Transport Vehicle Height Adjustment for Automated Container Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Material logistics systems in series production, such as in the automotive industry, face challenges in ensuring uninterrupted production due to manual errors and inefficiencies in delivering production materials to production stations, leading to production downtimes and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a driverless transport vehicle (DTV) system that automatically supplies containers to storage racks, equipped with sensors for material requisition and redelivery, and a raising/lowering apparatus to adjust for height differences between transport and storage levels, enhancing automation and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual delivery of production materials is used, then personnel costs are incurred and manual errors occur, but automation equipment can reduce errors and improve reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The storage rack is equipped with sensors that automatically detect when containers are needed and trigger the DTV to deliver them. The system serves itself by autonomously monitoring material levels and initiating replenishment without human intervention, thereby improving delivery reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated self-monitoring mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors on the storage rack provide real-time feedback about container levels and delivery status to the control system. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically track and respond to material needs, ensuring reliable delivery by continuously monitoring and adjusting the logistics process based on actual consumption rates and inventory status.
2Productivity
If driverless transport vehicles are used, then production downtimes are reduced, but equipment investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Manual mechanical transport operations are replaced with an automated DTV system that uses sensors, controllers, and automated handling mechanisms. This substitution eliminates human error and ensures continuous material supply to production stations, maintaining high productivity while the modular design of the DTV system keeps complexity manageable through standardized components and protocols.
3Manufacturing precision
If height adjustment apparatus is used, then container transfer accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DTV incorporates a height adjustment apparatus that dynamically adapts to different storage rack heights and positions. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures precise container transfer by automatically matching the transport level with the storage level, improving manufacturing precision while the automated control system manages the complexity of the adjustment mechanism through real-time height sensing and positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
Material logistics system for coordinating transfer of production material so that production material is available as needed at production stations of a manufacturing facility, in particular a series production facility. Thus, multiple sensors are provided for sensing a production material supply at production stations, as well as a central unit in signal-transmitting connection with the sensors and which, based on output signals transmitted from the sensors, determines logistics data relating to the production material for a particular production station. And also, using logistics data, generates control signals for the transfer of production material and provides them for further data processing units. Furthermore, the central unit uses logistics data to control a driverless transport vehicle, having a transport rack including a transport level, for transporting production material accommodated in containers, for a partially automatic container transfer between a transport rack and a storage rack of a production station.