Robot Docking Conveyor Layout for Independent Warehouse Workstations
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing warehousing systems, manual handling and shared conveyor lines lead to reduced material transporting efficiency and overall workstation efficiency, as workstations with low processing efficiency can hinder the entire conveyor line's performance.
Innovation Solution
A warehousing system that includes a robot and control terminal, where the control terminal sends instructions for material fetching and destination information to the robot, allowing it to autonomously fetch and transport materials to specific conveyor lines, eliminating the need for manual participation and enabling independent operation of each workstation's conveyor line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling is used to transport materials to the conveyor line, then the system is simpler to operate, but the material transporting efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The robot autonomously performs material fetching and transportation tasks without requiring manual intervention. The control terminal automatically sends control instructions to the robot based on current tasks, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminate the need for manual material handling while improving transporting efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical handling system with an automated robot system. The robot, controlled by electronic instructions from the control terminal, substitutes human operators in the material transportation process, thereby improving efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through automation
2Device complexity
If multiple workstations share one annular conveyor line, then the device complexity is reduced, but the overall working efficiency is reduced due to bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the shared annular conveyor line into multiple independent conveyor lines, with each workstation having its own dedicated conveyor line. This segmentation allows each workstation to operate independently without being affected by bottlenecks at other workstations, thereby improving overall working efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Each conveyor line is customized to serve its specific workstation's material processing requirements. The conveyor lines can have different characteristics and operating parameters optimized for their respective workstations, allowing each local segment to operate at its own optimal efficiency without being constrained by other workstations
Data Source
AI summary
A warehousing system includes a control terminal and a robot. The control terminal is configured to send a first control instruction including running path information to the robot. The robot is configured to carry a first material, move in a running path according to the running path information, and transport the first material to a conveyor line. The conveyor line includes at least one conveyor line inlet and at least one conveyor line outlet. The robot is configured to dock with the conveyor line and place the first material on the conveyor line at the at least one conveyor line inlet. The running path includes a first path section passes through the at least one conveyor line inlet, a second path section passes through the at least one conveyor line outlet and a third path section connected between the first path section and the second path section.