Transport Placing Base Height Control for Cycle Time Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article transport devices experience delays in starting the transport of articles due to the transport placing base being kept at a lowered position until an article is placed, and restoration operations are inefficient as they are performed regardless of the presence of articles at the locations.
Innovation Solution
An article transport device with a transport vehicle and a lift device that raises and lowers a transport placing base to different heights, allowing for early article receipt and efficient restoration operations based on the presence of articles at the receiving and delivery locations, optimizing the transport cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transport placing base is kept at the lowered position until an article is placed, then the article can be received safely, but the transport operation cannot start early causing delay in cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The transport placing base is raised to the first height in advance before the article is placed on it. This preliminary action allows the base to be ready to receive the article immediately when it arrives, eliminating the delay that would otherwise occur while waiting for the base to raise. The base performs the height adjustment action before the article placement event, enabling immediate transport startup.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport placing base dynamically adjusts its height between first height (raised) and second height (lowered) positions based on operational requirements. The base transitions from a static lowered position to a dynamic system that can be raised in advance to prepare for article receipt, then lowered after delivery. This dynamic behavior optimizes both safety and timing by adapting the base position to different operational phases.
2Device complexity
If the transport placing base is always restored to the lowered position, then the structure is simple, but the restoration operation is inefficient when articles are present at locations
Solution Approach 1:
The restoration operation dynamically adapts its target position based on the presence of articles at the receiving and delivery locations. When articles are present, the base is restored to the first height to prepare for immediate receipt of the next article. When no articles are present, it is restored to the second height. This conditional dynamic behavior optimizes productivity by preventing unnecessary height changes while maintaining operational readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The restoration operation uses feedback about article presence at the locations to determine the appropriate target height. The system detects whether articles are present and adjusts the restoration target accordingly - first height when articles are present, second height when absent. This feedback mechanism eliminates inefficient uniform restoration operations and optimizes the cycle time for subsequent article transport.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the transport placing base waits at the lowered position, then energy consumption is reduced, but the transport cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport placing base is raised to the first height in advance before the article placement occurs. This preliminary height adjustment eliminates the need for the base to wait in the lowered position, thereby reducing the transport cycle time. The base performs the energy-consuming height adjustment action beforehand, allowing immediate transport startup when the article is ready, thus trading some energy consumption for significant time savings.
Data Source
AI summary
The article transport device includes a transport vehicle configured to move back and forth between a receiving location and a delivery location, and a load receiving base that is provided at at least the receiving location. The transport vehicle includes a transport placing base on which an article is to be placed, and a lift device configured to raise and lower the transport placing base to a first height and to a second height that is lower than the first height. The load receiving base is a base on which an article is to be placed, and is fixed at a third height that is between the first height and the second height. When the transport vehicle performs restoration movement to move from the delivery location to the receiving location, the lift device performs a restoration operation that differs in accordance with whether or not an article is present on the load receiving base at the receiving location.